Giving Thanks

God of Wonder, you shower us with miracles each day of our lives.
For the innumerable treasures we take for granted, we thank you.
Open our eyes to see and hearts to appreciate the beauty in all creation.

God of Compassion, you enfold us in gentleness and forgive our frailties.
For your endless mercy and unfaltering faith in us, we thank you.
Strengthen us when despair tempts our spirits and doubt invades our souls.

God of Creativity, you astonish us with the unexpected.
For new insights and challenges to call forth growth, we thank you.
Guide us ever forward and keep us from stagnation.

God of Justice, you charge us with bringing your presence to our world.
For people and experiences that call us to advocacy and to action, we thank you.
Teach is to stand humble and respectfully with your beloved ones.

Help us, God of All Gifts, to share our many blessings and to receive the graces offered by others.

Amen.

Advent

An Advent Prayer

Loving God, you give us this time of Advent to reflect upon
Your ever-unfolding mystery of salvation.

Help us to use this grace-filled season to appreciate
and learn from our ancestors in faith.

We look to the prophet Isaiah, who takes us back through
Hebrew history, introducing us to the forebears of our faith
family as they awaited the Savior's coming with hope-filled spirit.

We remember John the Baptist, who tells us the reign of
God is at hand and calls us to renew our hearts in
anticipation of meeting Jesus Christ.

And we look to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her
unwavering faithfulness to God's will as she accepted her
role in the fulfillment of salvation history.

Through Your Holy Spirit, we strive to accept Your will, as
did these holy people who came before us, while we await
Your future coming.

We ask Your blessing upon us during this Advent season as
we prepare to celebrate the sacred mystery of Christmas.

Amen.

Lent

Stations of the Cross

The Stations of the Cross are a devotion consisting of 14 incidents that mark the condemnation, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus Christ. Each station represents an event that occurred during Jesus' Passion and death at Calvary on Good Friday

Station 1 - Pilate Condemns Jesus to Death
Station 2 - Jesus Takes His Cross
Station 3 - Jesus Falls the First Time
Station 4 - Jesus Meets His Mother
Station 5 - Simon Helps Jesus
Station 6 - Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus
Station 7 - Jesus Falls the Second Time
Station 8 - Jesus Comforts the Women of Jerusalem
Station 9 - Jesus Falls the Third Time
Station 10 - Jesus is Stripped of His Garments
Station 11 - Jesus is Nailed to the Cross
Station 12 - Jesus Dies on the Cross
Station 13 - Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross
Station 14 - Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
      He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy Catholic church,
the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your Name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.
Amen.

Easter

Regina Caeli

O Queen of Heaven, rejoice now, alleluia.
Rejoice, for he to whom you once gave birth, alleluia.
He is risen, as he has said, alleluia.
Pray for us to the Father, alleluia.

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
God, through the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, you gave joy to the world.
Now through his mother, the virgin Mary, may we gain the joys of everlasting life.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen.

Veni Sancte Spiritus

Come, thou Father of the poor!
Come, thou source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine!

Thou, of comforters the best;
Thou, the soul's most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below.

In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of thine,
An our inmost being fill!

Where thou are not, we have naught.
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away.

Bend the stubborn heart and will
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore and confess thee, evermore in thy sev'nfold gift descend.

Give them virtue's sure reward;
Give them thy salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end.