Jewish Old Testament Matriarch. Wife of the Patriarch Abraham. A convert from paganism, she was the first female convert to the faith of Abraham. Nomad in the desert of Canaan. When she was aged 90, she heard angels say she would finally become a mother. She laughed at the idea, and when her son was born, she named him Isaac from the word for laughter.

Scripture reading: Sarah and Abraham

Father of mercies and God of all consolation, You gave us the loving Heart of your own beloved Son, because of the boundless love by which You have loved us, which no tongue can describe. May we render You a love that is perfect with hearts made one with His. Grant, we pray, that our hearts may be brought to perfect unity: each heart with the other and all hearts with the Heart of Jesus….and may the rightful yearnings of our hearts find fulfillment through Him: Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Collection from Saint John Eudes’ Mass, Gaudeamus, 1668

The Servant’s Prayer
Good Morning Dear Lord,
Thank you for the precious gift
You have given me this morning
-my life- to live fully and joyfully
one more day! Please give me the
grace to be kind and patient today
that I may see beyond worldly
appearances, so that I may
encounter your holy presence
in each person I meet.
Close my ears dear Father to all
gossip. Seal my lips to all
judgments and criticisms that my
words will only bless all about
me and warm the coldest heart.
Let my actions be so just, my
feelings be so tender, my conduct
be so humble and true to
your will that throughout this
day I will be a reflection of
your heavenly mercy and love.
Amen

Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to him. That is all the doing you have to worry about.

Fidelity toward God consists in being perfectly resigned to his holy will, in enduring everything that his goodness allows in our lives, and in carrying out all our duties, especially that of prayer, with love and for love. In prayer we must converse very familiarly with our Lord, concerning our little needs, telling him what they are, and remaining submissive to anything he may wish to do with us…

We should go to prayer with deep humility and an awareness of our nothingness. We must invoke the help of the Holy Spirit and that of our good angel, and then remain still in God’s presence, full of faith that he is more in us than we are in ourselves.

There is no danger if our prayer is without words or reflection because the good success of prayer dependsd neither on words nor on study. It depends upon the simple raising of our minds to God, and the more simple and stripped of feeling it is, the surer it is.

We must never dwell on our sins during prayer. Regarding our offenses, a simple humbling of our soul before God, without a thought of this offense or that, is enough…such thoughts act as distractions.

Saint Jeanne de Chantal, from Wings to the Lord

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There will be a Mass offered for the Apostolate of Hannah’s Tears on September 8, 2008. Anyone who would like to have their names placed on the altar at this Mass, please send in your petitions to Hannahs.Tears@gmail.com
God Bless You!

Let us renew our trust in the one who, from heaven,

watches over us with maternal love at every moment.

—POPE BENEDICT XVI, General Audience, August 13th, 2008

O Mary, gentle and humble of heart, remember us when we sin. You know that all people sin. Grant that through your most pure and motherly heart, we may be healed from every spiritual sickness. Grant that we may always experience the goodness of your motherly heart, and that through the flame of your heart we may be converted.

Amen.

A Rule of Life

for Those Consecrated

to the Immaculate Virgin,

by Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe

O Lord Jesus Christ who said, “greater love than this no man has that a man lay down his life for his friends,” through the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe, whose life illustrated such love, we beseech You to grant us our petitions …..(mention them here).

Through the Knights of the Immaculata movement, which Maximilian founded, he spread a fervent devotion to Our Lady throughout the world. He gave up his life for a total stranger and loved his persecutors, giving us all an example of unselfish love for all men — a love which was inspired by true devotion to Mary.

Grant O Lord Jesus, that we too may give ourselves entirely without reserve to the love and service of our Heavenly Queen in order to better love and serve our fellowman in imitation of your humble servant, Maximilian.

Amen.

(Say 3 Hail Marys and a Glory be….)