Grace flows through you Oh Mary our Mother
You are the living channel through which God came to save the world
Take us all into your arms and bathe us in the living water of Christ
Make us a channel of His love and peace
Through which the world comes to know Him
Bless us Mary for we are your children
Watch over us, protect us, pray for us and bless us
Help us not forget to honor you with the respect and care you deserve
Oh Mother of the world and Queen of Heaven
Come to our aid, we implore you
In our prosperity we have forgotten your son
And we are paying the price today
Have mercy on us and intercede on our behalf
In the Eucharist, we are channels of God’s presence
In a physical and spiritual way
Our hearts are a dwelling place for the Most High
We become as Christ-bearers
You bore Christ within yourself for 9 long months
When you were chosen and filled with the Holy Spirit
You said let it be done unto me according to Your will
Help us to say yes to God and his Will and trust that he will see us through
Lend us your grace and strength Holy Mother Of God
That we may reflect and imitate your virtues
Lead us ever into an ever deeper and more intimate relationship
With your son our Lord Jesus Christ
And by your grace obtain the fruits of the promises
Especially in the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary
We ask this and all things through Jesus’ name and through your intercession Mary.
Amen.

Go back to baby steps back to one foot at a time
Live in the moment and you are in your prime
Remember that before we walk we have to crawl
And before we can stand, sometimes we fall
It’s not how often you fell it’s how often you got back up
It’s not the mistakes you’ve made it’s the lessons learned
Baby steps start small and uneasy
But they get there just the same
Before we run we have to walk
Before we fly we have to run
It might look bad now, but one day you’ll be lifted up to soar
Free from what binds you, clips your wings
You were born to be free,
to sing and dance and play
With faith in yourself and our faith in you
You’ll be there soon one day
You’ve been shaken and you’re frightened
You feel the scars it left behind
They don’t define you they remind you
Just how far you have come
Find once more that inner light
The fire inside your heart
Let me remind you how it looked to me
I saw the strength, I saw the hope
I saw the courage and the pain
I saw the love I saw the caring
I saw what life had done and what remained
And I loved it. It was beautiful, it was raw
It was real: this I saw.
It is special just like you
a treasure through and through.
What you see before you is not a fixed thing
It may be part of your story so learn and grow
Please remember we are here and you are not alone
We may not be able to carry your burden
But we can carry you
The line between space and too much space
Is often gray and hard to find
We worry because we care, we care because we love
If we can be faulted for anything it’s loving you too much
Although I don’t know that it’s possible
Before we walk, we have to crawl
Before we stand we sometimes fall
Step by step we’ll see it through together
Because we are your friends forever

Lord, in my humanity I am weak. I am pulled between the devil’s twisted images and the divinity I have through you. So often I fall prey to these temptations and do what I know is not good for me. Forgive me, a poor sinner. I ask for the courage and strength to come before you humble and broken just as I am. I am coming home Lord, run out to meet me! I know that I am more than my faults and failings. I can do better, I can be better with your help. Let me be content in my suffering and weakness because I know that my strength is found in you. It is in my weakest moments that you can truly show your strength. I know what I need to do Lord, by your grace and strength, help me act promptly upon this knowledge and so Glory in Your strength. 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! (Your Word and Your presence in the Blessed Sacrament) And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. You are my strength Lord. Help me be content in my weakness so to testify more powerfully to Your strength.

When Jesus is performing miracles
He often says “Have faith” “Your faith has saved you”
Do we believe that this is really true?
Do we believe that Jesus has the power
To cure our every ill?
Even if we aren’t healed, do we trust Him still?
Have faith that God is close
Have faith that He is listening
Have faith and be persistent
Pray always without relent
Have faith, my child do not fear
In time, all will be made clear
If we have true faith, mountains can be moved
Waters can part, God’s presence is proved
Not all will move mountains or turn sea into dry land,
But all will see the power of taking Jesus’ hand.
Have faith that where you are
Is where you’re supposed to be
Have faith and shine like a star
Bearing light for all to see

For those that fight for the rights of others
For those that stand up against injustice
For those who defend the faith
For those who seek the truth and fairness
For those with wisdom and eyes to see
Bless and keep them safe Lord
Remind them of your presence
Let them act with Justice and yet be merciful
Let them not judge too hastily but look for the good inside
Protect their minds and hearts
Against discouragement and cynicism
Let your love fill them, the Holy Spirit guide them
They have great power, help them use it responsibly
On this day we celebrate St. Thomas More
Patron saint of lawyers, adopted children, those who work in the courts
By your grace and strength may they too be
The “king’s” good servant, but God’s first
The work they do is often hard and difficult to see an impact
Please remind them that they are making a difference
That what they do DOES matter
Put people in their lives to give them encouragement and support
People to turn to on the hard days to carry them
Bless all those in the court system as they work to bring peace
For they are the children of God
May we all be like children living with faith hope joy and love
Grant them and all of us Oh Lord the spirit of Wisdom and Understanding
We ask this and all things in Jesus the Christ your son who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. One God forever and ever Amen.

St. Thomas More: pray for us!

Gaze into the heart of love
Pierce the veil of the inner chamber
To find a treasure more precious
Than all the riches of the earth
Sacrifice and pain are there
As are pure joy and blessed life
In the heart of love is loss and gain

A heart of love does not leave because you tell it
It carries you when you can’t go on
Gives you strength when you are weak
And helps you find the path you seek
It reaches out to catch you
It gives comfort and warmth in the cold dark place
And sometimes it stays near, but gives you space

The heart of love is selfless seeking the other’s good
It does not take, nor ask more than it should
It requires no reward, but a happy heart is riches outpoured

How I wish that I could help you; make you whole again
But even if I could make it better, what then?
I wish I could give you comfort; tell you it’s alright
But it’s not right now and you are stuck in the night
I wish I could give you hope; that all will be well soon
But I don’t know when life will be back in tune
There are many things I don’t know lots that I can’t do
If you let me I might help, but that is up to you
There are some things I can do promises I can make:
That I will be here however long it takes
I can offer you my shoulder I can offer you my ears
I can offer you my hand, and a hug to calm your fears
I can offer you my patience and offer you my time
I can offer you my friendship and all that is mine
I would offer you the world the very sun if I could
I’d go to any length to hear and know you were good
Forgive me if I come on a little strong
It’s just that I get anxious when I hear something is wrong
I internalize, I empathize, and yes I slightly obsess
It’s a blessing and a burden though I must confess
I would not have it another way it is a part of me
It is my heart of love a part of my identity
And so it is and here we are: the most unlikely of friends
And may the parts we play in each other’s lives...
Never find their end!

Love one another as I have loved you
I came to the world to speak the truth
Sinners all and fallen; death should be the reward
Your eternal life: proof that Jesus Christ is Lord
Justice demands retribution mercy pays the cost
Love has come to be a light for the ones who are lost
Justice doesn’t solve the problem, doesn’t make it right
It can’t heal the hurt and it’s often done in spite
Mercy forgives and mercy loves, it stops hate in its tracks
It is disarming as a weapon and confuses potential attacks
Forgive them for they know not what they do
Forgive us our sins and help us return to you
You opened your arms to take us in one and all
Quietly you knock and softly do you call
What will be our answer as we quest for peace
Beyond Justice to Mercy can the violence cease
Our vision is clouded in the heat of the moment
Help us Lord to reconcile to seek atonement
Beyond Hurt to Healing beyond Sadness to Joy
Beyond Death to New Life to create not destroy
When we try to understand we build a bridge to span
The river raging fast and wide and cross it if we can
Beyond Justice to Mercy in the Sacred Heart Of Jesus
It is with eyes of love and compassion that He sees us
In all our sin and death, still he found us worthy to save
We should cherish the undeserved gift He gave
And strive in gratitude to do the same
To forgive and to love in Jesus’ name
Beyond Justice to Mercy is the key takeaway
And we can improve if we work together and pray