The Maritime World

We pray for all those who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen and their families.

Below is a prayer that is attributed to Saint Brendan the Navigator, who is the patron saint of sailors.

Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You. Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me. I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in Your hand. Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow, make my obedience count for You.'

Intentions for May 2020:

For Deacons

We pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church.

The complete text of Pope Francis' message is at the following link. The text from the video is below.

Deacons are not second-level priests.

They are part of the clergy and live their vocation in and with their family.

They are dedicated to the service of the poor, who carry within them the face of the suffering Christ.

They are the guardians of service in the Church.

Let us pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church

Freedom from Addiction We pray that those suffering from addiction may be helped and accompanied.

Prayer to Saint Maximilian Kolbe; the patron saint of those struggling with addiction.

Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe, your life of love and labor for souls was sacrificed amid the horrors of a concentration camp and hastened to its end by an injection of a deadly drug. Look with compassion upon ___________________ who is now entrapped in addiction to drugs and whom we now recommend to your powerful intercession. Having offered your own life to preserve that of a family man, we turn to you with trust, confident that you will understand and help. Obtain for us the grace never to withhold our love and understanding, nor to fail in persevering prayer that the enslaving bonds of addiction may be broken and that full health and freedom may be restored to him / her whom we love. We will never cease to be grateful to God who has helped us and heard your prayer for us. Amen.

Here is also a link to a prayer for the intercession of Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang who is another patron saint of addicts and a martyr.

Catholics in China

We pray that the Church in China may persevere in its faithfulness to the Gospel and grow in unity.

Prayer by Pope Benedict XVI to Our Lady of Sheshan

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother,

venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title "Help of Christians", the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection.

We come before you today to implore your protection.

Look upon the People of God and, with a mother’s care, guide them along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.

When you obediently said "yes" in the house of Nazareth,

you allowed God’s eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption. You willingly and generously cooperated in that work, allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul, until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary, standing beside your Son, who died that we might live.

From that moment, you became, in a new way,

the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross. Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter.

Grant that your children may discern at all times,

even those that are darkest, the signs of God’s loving presence.

Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,

who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love. May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world, and of the world to Jesus. In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high, offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.

Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,

ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built. Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

Novena of Grace in Honor of Saint Francis Xavier.

O most kind and loving saint, in union with you I adore the Divine Majesty. The remembrance of the favours with which God blessed you during life, and of your glory after death, fills me with joy; and I unite with you in offering to God my humble tribute of thanksgiving and of praise.

I implore of you to secure for me, through your powerful intercession, the all important blessing of living and dying in the state of grace. I also beseech you to obtain the favour I ask in this Novena (here mention the favour to be asked for):

but if what I ask is not for the glory of God or for the good of my soul, obtain for me what is most conducive to both.

Amen.

Concluding Prayer

O God, who was pleased to gather unto your Church

the people of the East by the preaching and miracles of blessed Francis, mercifully grant that we who honour his glorious merits, may also imitate the example of his virtues, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

What follows is Pope Francis' intention for the month of February 2020

Listen to the Migrants' Cries

We pray that the cries of our migrant brothers and sisters, victims of criminal trafficking, may be heard and considered.

A novena to Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants.

Almighty and Eternal Father, Giver of all Gifts, show us Your mercy, and grant, we beseech You, through the merits of Your faithful Servant, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, that all who invoke her intercession may obtain what they desire according to the good pleasure of Your Holy Will.

(Mention your request)

O Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, mindful of Your bountiful goodness and love, deign, we implore You, through the tender devotion of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini for Your Sacred Heart, to hear our prayers and grant our petitions.

O God, the Holy Spirit, Comforter of the afflicted, Fountain of Light and Truth, through the ardent zeal of Your humble handmaid, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, grant us Your all-powerful aid in our necessities, sanctify our souls and fill our minds with Divine Light that we may see the Holy Will of God in all things.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, beloved spouse of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, intercede for us that the favor we now ask may be granted.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (three times)

A prayer to Saint Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of victims of human trafficking.

St. Josephine Bakhita, you were sold into slavery as a child and endured untold hardship and suffering. Once liberated from your physical enslavement, you found true redemption in your encounter with Christ and his Church.

O St. Bakhita, assist all those who are trapped in a state of slavery; Intercede with God on their behalf so that they will be released from their chains of captivity. Those whom man enslaves, let God set free.

Provide comfort to survivors of slavery and let them look to you as an example of hope and faith. Help all survivors find healing from their wounds. We ask for your prayers and intercessions for those enslaved among us.

Amen.

Other related prayers can be added in the comment section below.

PrayMoreNovenas.com

Peace be with you!

Thank you for joining us in praying the St. Rita Novena!

St. Rita is known as the patron saint of impossible causes, difficult marriages, infertility and parenthood, but you can pray through her intercession for any intention.

Today, let's pray that we may all grow in our love of God, even throughout the difficult times. And while we pray for relief from suffering, we also pray that God will give us the strength we need to endure our current circumstances.

Here are the prayers for today:

Day 1 - St. Rita Novena

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Heavenly Father, you gave us St. Rita as an example of holiness and courage. She shared in Jesus’ passion when she received a wound on her head from the crown of thorns. Help us to be holy like St. Rita. We wish to be strengthened in difficult times so that we may understand the paschal mystery as St. Rita did.

Holy St. Rita, you have a great love for God. We pray to God for the troubles in our hearts. Please enrich our prayers with your own confident and selfless prayers to the Lord. We offer our prayers for relief, please hear and bring our intentions to the Lord. (Mention your intentions here…)

St. Rita, you are the patron of the impossible. In our times of need and suffering we fly to you with confidence because you are close with the Lord. You were greatly burdened during your life and you know what we are going through now. We offer our prayers for relief, please hear and answer us.

St. Rita, filled with compassion for the suffering of Christ. Pray for us.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Everyday, a post is made by a bot selecting a random subreddit to pray for. Maybe we should offer an extra decade of the rosary for that sub.

Thoughts?