Daily Prayers

Prayer is Love, I want to Love

Teresa of Calcutta

On a wall in one of St Teresa’s Children’s Homes:

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People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centred; forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind
anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies; succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you; be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight; create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous; be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten; do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough; give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.

Give Us a Heart:

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Give us a heart as beautiful, pure, and spotless as yours.
A heart like yours, so full of love and humility.
May we be able to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life,
to love Him as you loved Him,
to serve Him under the mistreated face of the poor.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happiness

St Mother Teresa in her traditional white with blue edge clothing.

May, today, there be peace within you.
May you trust God, that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities,
that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing that you are a child of God.
Let His presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance,
and to bask in the sun.
It is there for each and every one of you.

Who is Jesus to me?

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Jesus is the Word made Flesh.
Jesus is the Bread of Life.
Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the Cross.
Jesus is the Sacrifice at Holy Mass for the sins of the world and mine.
Jesus is the Life – to be loved.
Jesus is the Joy – to be shared.
Jesus is the Hungry – to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty – to be satiated.
Jesus is the Naked – to be clothed.
Jesus is the Homeless – to be taken in.
Jesus is the Sick – to be healed.
Jesus is the Lonely – to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted – to be wanted.
Jesus is the Leper – to wash his wounds.
Jesus is the Beggar – to give him a smile.
Jesus is the Drunkard – to listen to him.
Jesus is the Little One – to embrace him.
Jesus is the Drug Addict – to befriend him.
Jesus is the Prostitute – to remove from danger.
Jesus is the Prisoner – to be visited.
Jesus is the Old – to be served.
Jesus is my Everything. Amen.

A Saint Teresa of Calcutta Daily Prayer

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Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance
everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly
that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us and be so in us
that every soul we come in contact with
may feel your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.
Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise you in the way you love best
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach you without preaching,
not by words, but by our example;
by the catching force –
the sympathetic influence of what we do,
the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you. Amen.

For the Family

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Heavenly Father,
you have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family another Nazareth
where love, peace and joy reign.
May it be deeply contemplative,
intensely Eucharistic,
revived with joy.

Help us to stay together in joy
and sorrow in family prayer.
Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families,
especially in their distressing disguise.
May the Eucharistic heart of Jesus
make our hearts humble like his
and help us to carry out our family duties
in a holy way.
May we love one another
as God loves each one of us,
more and more each day,
and forgive each other’s faults
as you forgive our sins.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to take whatever you give
and give whatever you take with a big smile.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, cause of our joy: Pray for us.
St. Joseph: Pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, be always with us, guide and protect us. Amen.

(By St Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

… Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Pray for Us …

Petition to Saint Teresa of Calcutta

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Saint Teresa, you who have seen Christ Himself in the
Poorest of the Poor and had compassion on them, please help us.

Glance upon… [Name], who is in need of help, with your
compassionate eyes and see Christ within (them/him/her).

As you loved and served Jesus through your work upon earth,
we humbly ask that you continue your work in heaven and intercede
for us in our needs. Having looked upon… [Name],
please turn your compassionate eyes to Jesus, as you adored
in the Holy Eucharist, and present our request.

While we are not as materially destitute as those you served on earth,
we reach out to you in the poorness of our souls and seek Jesus
through you. Kindly Mother Teresa, help us. Amen.

… Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Pray for Us …