Be at Peace
Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
Blessed Virgin Mary
O Blessed Virgin, dear mother of mine, I salute
O my tender Mother, obtain that I may be loved by your Son.
Sweet hope with Jesus, sweet refuge of sinners, I throw myself at your feet. Cause me to experience the effect of the power which you possess with the Holy Trinity, O glorious Virgin Mary. Amen.
Before Communion
Divine Saviour, we come to Your sacred table to nourish ourselves,
not with bread but with Yourself, true Bread of eternal life.
Help us daily to make a good and perfect meal of this divine food.
Let us be continually refreshed by the perfume of Your kindness and goodness.
May the Holy Spirit fill us with His Love.
Meanwhile, let us prepare a place for this holy food by emptying our hearts. Amen.
Special Need
Say not, merciful Virgin, that you cannot help me; for your beloved Son has given you all power in heaven and on earth. Say not that you ought not assist me, for you are the mother of all the poor children of Adam, and mine in particular.
Since then, merciful Virgin, you are my mother and you are all-powerful, what excuse can you offer if you do not lend your assistance? See. my mother, see, you are obliged to grant me what I ask, and to yield to my entreaties.
An Act of Abandonment
O my God, I thank you and I praise
you for accomplishing your holy
and all-lovable will without any regard for mine.
With my whole heart,
in spite of my heart,
do I receive this cross I feared so much!
It is the cross of Your choice,
the cross of Your love.
I venerate it;
nor for anything in the world
would I wish that it had not come,
since You willed it.
I keep it with gratitude and with joy,
as I do everything that comes from Your hand;
and I shall strive to carry it without letting it drag,
with all the respect
and all the affection which Your works deserve. Amen.
Direction of Intention
My God, I give you this day. I offer you, now, all of the good that I shall do and I promise to accept, for love of you, all of the difficulty that I shall meet. Help me to conduct myself during this day in a manner pleasing to you. Amen.
Confidence in God
It is good to mistrust ourselves, but how would that advantage us were we not to throw all our confidence on God, and to wait on His mercy?
If you feel no such confidence, cease not on that account from making these acts and from saying to Our Lord: “Yet, O Lord, though I have no feeling of confidence in You, nevertheless, I know that You are my God, that I am all Yours, and that I have no hope but in Your goodness; so, I abandon myself entirely into Your Hands.”
It is always in our power to make these acts; although we have difficulty in performing them, still there is no impossibility. Thus we testify faithfulness to our Lord.
My Cross
The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that He now presents to you as a gift from His inmost heart.
This cross He now sends to you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you.
He has blessed it with His holy Name, anointed it with His consolation, taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you, an alms of the all-merciful love of God.
(Prayers By St Francis de Sales)
… St Francis de Sales, Pray for Us …
