Amen

I have been asked by a friend of mine to post the poem below.  This is in fond memory and honour of his best mate Paul who was killed this day ten years ago whilst they were on active duty together in Bosnia.  They had volunteered to stay on in Bosnia after their six month tour of duty had actually finished.  This is also for all our fallen heroes who we remember most especially at this time……May they rest in peace eternal………

Sunset Vigil

The news is spread far and wide
Another comrade has sadly died
A sunset vigil upon the sand
As a soldier leaves this foreign land

We stand alone, and yet as one
In the fading light of a setting sun
We’ve all gathered to say goodbye
To our fallen comrade who’s set to fly

The eulogy’s read about their life
Sometimes with words from pals or wife
We all know when the CO’s done
What kind of soldier they’d become

The padre then calls us all to pray
The bugler has Last Post to play
The cannon roars and belches flame
We will recall, with pride, their name

A minute’s silence stood in place
As tears roll down the hardest face
Deafening silence fills the air
With each of us in personal prayer

Reveille sounds and the parade is done
The hero remembered, forgotten by none
They leave to start the journey back
In a coffin draped in the Union Jack

by Staff Sergeant Andrew McFarlane

Requiescat In Pace

 

Dear Lord

I lift AJ up to you.

For strength, for truth, for love.

Help her to overcome her depression and to value and love herself for who she is.

Let others see her inner beauty and light shining out for glory.

Praying that those who touch her life daily are aware of her sadness and struggles ~  that they will support and comfort her in her darkest times.

You see everything Lord and you know all the good that is in AJ’s heart.

May she continue to turn to you for guidance and love.

May her hearts desire be fulfilled in November and may she find the courage to become the person she wants to be in a healthy and positive way.

We ask this in Jesus name.

Amen x

 

Dear Lord

I come to you in the sure and certain knowledge that you know what’s on our minds and in our hearts.

The world lost some beautiful people this week.

Joey ~ young, vibrant, loved, full of enthusiasm for life.

Nancy and her beautiful little baby~ much loved and needed by her five remaining children and husband. 

We do not always understand these losses but we morn them deeply and feel for those loved ones left grieving, especially the little children now without a mother.

Please guide the hearts of those still here, give them comfort, peace and succour.  Wrap them in your love and fill them with your light.

Touch the lives of the people who care for these bereaved families and give them strength, guidance and wisdom as they offer their love and support during the difficult days ahead. 

Send us all hope dear Lord in these the darkest of times.

In Jesus’ name

Amen xx

 

Dearest Lord

Be with mum tonight

Calm her sadness

Turn her face toward you so your light shines upon it

Dry her tears

Comfort her as Jim no longer can

Send her your peace

Help her to heal

Surround her in your love and warmth

In Jesus’ name

Amen xx

Dearest Lord

We lift Donna and her family up to you today.

We pray that you will be with them and guide them through the next few weeks.

That you will hold her unborn baby tight in your arms, surrounding the little one with love, peace and light.

Please give Donna and Carl the strength they need at this time ~ bind them together in united love and mutual understanding.

Guide the hands and hearts of those in the medical profession who will care for them and touch their lives so meaningfully in the weeks ahead.

We ask this in Jesus name.

Amen

 

We lift Raymond up to you Lord and ask that

you will deliver him from all the addictions that he suffers ~ 

both physical and spiritual.  

We pray for the forgiveness of his sins.

Praying also that God will rule and reign in Raymond’s life,

that he will be baptised in the Holy Spirit

and that he will walk in the ways of you, Our Dear Lord Jesus Christ.

Praying that his life will reflect a life in your Kingdom Lord.

May he be made strong by these prayers and may the grace of God be upon him in abundance.

Amen xx

 

Thank you Lord for a blessed day, for being with me and for answering so many of my prayers from this morning.

Thanks be to God.

Amen

Dear Lord,

Please be with me today as I travel to Banbury to try and prevent my son Michael becoming homeless tonight.

Please guide my thoughts and words toward a positive outcome.  Give me the gift of humility at this time.

Be with those whom we meet today and help them to understand the severity of the situation.

Help Mike to take responsibility for his life and give him the maturity he needs to move on from this.  Give him the strength and wisdom required to make better choices but most of all keep him safe in my absence.

Help me to forgive those who have contributed to this outcome and help me use my anger in a more positive way.

What a mess Lord ~ give me strength ~ you know my heart as no one else does!

Amen xx

…I ask this for my dearest Jim. 

That the suffering soon ends, that death comes like a friend in the night to relieve the terrible effort of these final hours. 

 That he have no fear, that your arms surround him in love and light and that he slides from this world to the next without pain.

I ask this in Jesus name.

Please dearest Lord be with us all, for strength, for courage.

Amen xx

 O Mother of Sorrows,

by the anguish and love

with which thou didst stand beside the Cross of Jesus,

stand by Jim in his last agony.

To thy maternal heart I commend the three last hours of his life.

Offer these hours to the Eternal Father

in union with the agony of our dearest Lord.

Offer frequently to the Eternal Father,

in atonement for his sins,

the Precious Blood of Jesus,

mingled with thy tears on Calvary,

to obtain for him the grace to receive your Holy Communion

with most perfect love and contrition before his death,

and to breathe forth his soul in the actual presence of Jesus.

Dearest Mother, when the moment of his death has come, present him as thy child to Jesus;

say to Him in my behalf:

“Son, forgive him, for he knew not what he did. Receive him this day into Thy kingdom.”

. 

 

May God be with us all in these the darkest of hours

Amen

XX

Tomorrow is the day of Patricia’s operation and so, as we think of her and her family as they prepare, we offer up prayers today.  As Patricia is a loving mother and has cared for many others in the past I felt that this might be a fitting time for a prayer to another Loving Mother ~ the Immaculate Heart of Mary… 

O Most Blessed Mother,

Heart of love, heart of mercy,

Ever listening, caring, consoling,

Hear our prayer.

 

As your children,

We implore your intercession with Jesus your Son.

Receive with understanding

And compassion the petitions

We place before you today, especially for…

 

Patricia and her loving family.

 

We are comforted in knowing

Your heart is ever open to those

Who ask for your prayer.

We trust to your gentle care and intercession,

Those whom we love

And who are sick or fearful or hurting.

Help all of us, Holy Mother,

To bear our burdens in this life

Until we may share eternal life

And peace with God forever,

 

Amen

*

 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me”.  [Phillipians 4:13]

 

 

I’ve had a prayer request for a 17 year old young man who is suffering from an inoperable brain tumour….

Dearest Lord

I lift up Max’s friend to you

Take him in your arms

Remove his pain and fear

Enrich his daily life beyond measure

Give him the strength he needs to continue on at school for as long as possible…..

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31

If it be your will then please heal him dear Lord.

“For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord.”  Jeremiah 30:17

“Behold, I will bring you health and cure, and I will cure you, and will reveal unto you the abundance of peace and truth.”  Jeremiah 33:6

I lift up Max to you also

Give him the strength he needs to support and care for his friend

Help them both to remain full of hope and to see your hand in all of this.

I ask this in Jesus’ name

Amen

I was asked to pray for this lovely lady today.  She has devoted many years of her life to nursing others so it’s a priviledge to do this for her and her son ‘N’.

Dear Lord

Today we lift up our sister ‘P’ to you and pray….

…For her comfort and peace of mind in the weeks leading up to her hip replacment operation which is due to take place in mid February.  May all anxiety leave her as she feels the protection and love of your arms around her dearest Lord.

…For a speedy and full recovery afterwards and the return to a good quality of life.

Please guide the hands and hearts of those who are responsible for her treatment and care.

Praying also for her family as they support and love her during the weeks to come ~ may they gain strength from their faith and feel the warmth of your love surrounding them.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord,

Amen xx

” For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”

Psalm 91:11~12

Dearest Lord

I have a desire to give you thanks and praise..

To thank you for the amazing gifts and opportunities that you have bestowed upon me in the last year;

For the wonderful people who have come into my life to befriend, guide, support and accompany me on this amazing journey;

For the Roses in the Rose Garden and for Autumn Rose who runs it so well;

For the Sisters and Brothers of Turvey Abbey especially Sr’s Miriam and Judith – may they be forever blessed;

For the other Turvey Oblates who have given of their time and friendship;

For Fr James and the congregation of Christ the King;

For all those who blog with me in support of our beautiful faith;

For my family and their continuous support and understanding of my religious life especially my darling Simon;

For all my friends everywhere who enrich my life daily just by being there;

Thank you Lord, may I always know how blessed I am, may I never creep into complacency, may your light always shine as brightly as it does for me today.

Amen xx

Dearest Lord

Please be with Anne today and in the days to come.  Give her the strength she will need to get through this difficult time as her dear mother ~ Joyce ~ has passed on to glory today. 

May Anne know that she was the best daughter she could be and may she always remember these precious last two weeks that she spent with her mother as a time of love and affection.  May the private words they shared during this time remain emblazoned on Anne’s heart and comfort her always.

I pray for the soul of Joyce ~ may she rest forever at peace, basking in the warmth and light of your love dear Lord.

Amen

I received this request this afternoon…….

“Please pray I will finally be receiving my retroactive cheque now.  I Also need prayers to feel better.

My epilepsy and thyroid acts up now and then.  I need prayers to be finally get a good course.

Please pray the teachers will be nice to me and my students too.

I have a wonderful Mom who gives me good teachings.  I also have a wonderful daughter, and son-in-law and grandkids.  They live far away and Mom and I miss them terribly.

Pray my mom will feel better too, she has gone through so much also.  My late Pops was a good man and we miss him.

Please pray my daughter and son-in-law and grandkids will always be close to me and my Mom.  Please pray my daughter will always remember what a wonderful childhood she had and my Mom and Pops and I raised her with alot of love.  I hope she will always remember that.

Please pray my Mom and I wont have any problems with other people ever again.

Take away my headaches, and let me be happy again.

 Thank you Amen”

Dianne – I will be praying along with you on this one.  May the blessings of God be upon you and your family at this time.  Keep praying, He always hears your prayers.

with love

Sharon xx

 

Wishing you all a time of peace and reflection during the special season of Advent.

 

Pax et Bonum

Sharon xx

…..Dearest Lord for the return of good friends

I lift up Anne’s mother to you as she struggles with her illness and please give Anne the strength she needs to face each and every day.

May Ella’s friends’ father find peace and comfort in these difficult days.

Blessings for all the Roses in the Rose Garden especially Autumn.

For family, friends, health and peace I give you thanks.

Amen

Dearest Lord

Thank you for watching over my son Michael last night as he lay unconscious in the street.

Thank you for helping the police officers who found him to realise that he was beyond drunk.

I give you special thanks for the off duty police officer Dan who kindly kept watch over Mike in the back of the police car as they blued and twoed him to A&E as there was no time to call an ambulance.  And for the persistent messages that Dan left for me overnight.

Thank you for guiding the hands of the medical staff who cared for him so well.

Thank you for guiding the hearts of all those who touched my lad’s life last night and undoubtedly saved him from death.

Please let Mike see this was a valuable lesson and help him to realise how close he came to losing his life and how close I came to losing my beloved son.

Still here by the Grace of God – my love and thanks go to you my Dearest Lord.

Amen

 

I was asked to post the following by a reader……

“Lord, please give me the courage of my convictions, and help me not to be a coward. Help me through this maze of confusion and lead me to Your righteousness and truth.”

Amen

May the dear Lord grant you peace, clarity and direction!!  Thank you so much for your request – I’m more than happy to oblige.

In and for Christ.