Saint Lucy, whose beautiful name signifies light, by the light of faith which God bestowed upon you increase and preserve His light in my soul so that I may avoid evil and be zealous in the performance of good works, and abhor nothing so much as the blindness and the darkness of evil and sin. Obtain for me, by your intercession with God perfect vision for my bodily eyes and the grace to use them for God’s greater honor and glory and the salvation of souls. St. Lucy, virgin and martyr hear my prayers and obtain my petitions. Amen.
December 12, 2016
O Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, look upon us with pity, teach is to go continually to Jesus, and if we fall help us to rise again and return to Him through the confession of our faults and our sins in the Sacrament of penance, which gives peace to the soul. We beg you to grant us a great love of all the holy Sacraments, which are, as it were, the signs that your Son left us on earth. Thus, Most Holy Mother, with the peace of God in our consciences, with our hearts free from evil and hatred, we will be able to bring to all others true joy and peace, which come to us from your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Taken from a prayer by St. John Paul II.
December 11, 2016
bLord our God, the heavens are the work of your hands, the moon and the stars you made; the earth and the sea, and every living creature came into being by your word. And all of us, too. May this tree bring cheer to this house though Jesus Christ your good and holy Son, who brings life and beauty to us and to our world. Lighting this tree, we hope in his promise. Amen.
December 10, 2016
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour, I beseech You, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
December 9, 2016
Father in Heaven, You have blessed us with many gifts. You chose us before the world began, To be Your adopted sons and daughters, And to live through love in Your presence. Give us wisdom and insight to know Your purpose; Give us courage to follow where Your Spirit leads us, Give us generosity to serve You in our brothers and sisters. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.
December 8, 2016
O most Holy Virgin, immaculate in body and spirit, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, receive my prayers as I present them to God. O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, you intercede for us with your Son. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to You. Amen.
December 7, 2016
Father, you prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of Your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in Your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
December 6, 2016
O good St. Nicholas, you who are the joy of the children, put in my heart the spirit of childhood, which the gospel speaks, and teach me to seed happiness around me. You, whose feast prepares us for Christmas, open my faith to the mystery of God made man. You good bishop and shepherd, help me to find my place in the Church and inspire the Church to be faithful to the gospel. O good Saint Nicholas, patron of children, sailors and the helpless, watch over those who pray to Jesus, your Lord and theirs, as well as over those who humble themselves before you. Bring us all in reverence to the Holy Child of Bethlehem, when true joy and peace are found. Amen.
December 5, 2016
Glory to you, O Lord our God, Your love calls us to be your people. By sharing our many and diverse gifts we share in your mission. We ask you, Lord, to shape us into a community of faith. Nourish us by your word and sacraments that we may grow into the image of Jesus. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, heal us that we, in turn, may heal the wounded. Form us to be instruments of love, justice, and peace in our land, and send us to proclaim your saving work. Renew us, Lord, that we may renew the face of the earth. Amen.
December 4, 2016
Glorious Prince of the heavenly hosts and victor over rebellious spirits, be mindful of me who am so weak and sinful and yet so prone to pride and ambition. Lend me, I pray, Your powerful aid in every temptation and difficulty, and above all do not forsake me in my last struggle with the powers of evil. Amen.
December 3, 2016
Give me Yourself, O my God. Behold I love You, and if my love is too weak a thing, grant me to love You more strongly. I cannot measure my love to know how much it falls short of being sufficient, but let my soul hasten to Your embrace and never be turned away until it is hidden in the secret shelter of Your presence. This only do I know, that it is not good for me when You are not with me. I want You in my very self. All the plenty in the world which is not my God is utter want. Amen.
December 2, 2016
Dear Jesus, Help me to see the things that get in the way of loving and serving You and my neighbor. My selfishness, pride, desires for comfort and praise, are all obstacles to following You. They lead to false paths. Guide me to truly appreciate the good with which You have gifted me. Your love has made me. In turn I grow by loving. Teach me Your way. Amen – Columban Fr. John Comiskey
December 1, 2016
Dear God, I spend so much time reliving yesterday or anticipating tomorrow that I lose sight of the only time that is really mine, the present moment. You give today one moment at a time. That's all I have, all I ever will have. Give the faith which knows that each moment contains exactly what is best for me. Give the hope which trusts You enough to forget past failings and future trials. Give the love which makes each moment an anticipation of eternity with You. We ask this in the name of Jesus Who is the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen.
November 30, 2016
O merciful God, take pity on those souls who have no particular friends or intercessors to recommend them to You, who, either through the negligence of those who are alive, or through length of time are forgotten by their friends and by all. Spare them, O Lord, and remember Thine own mercy, when others forget to appeal to it. Let not the souls which Thou hast created be parted from thee, their Creator. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
November 29, 2016
Lord, open our hearts to receive Your Holy Spirit. Teach us to await His coming, just as You did for Mary on the day of the Annunciation, and again on Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, when she was transformed into our Mother. Show the new generation that Your Son Jesus Christ remains always and forever the one and only Savior of the world. Help us proclaim in a loud and bold voice that He is "the way, the truth and the life." The way that leads us to our final destiny. The truth that illuminates our passage through the darkness of life and the world. The life that enriches us with profound peace. May we approach the Lord, united, radiant with His light, without somber faces, so that the whole world may know and recognize Jesus Christ living in His disciples. Amen.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.