"Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live."  Psalm 116:2

"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6-7

“All the works of the Lord are good, and He will supply every need in its time.” Sirach 39:33

"God speaks in the silence of the heart.  Listening is the beginning of prayer."  Mother Teresa

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties."  Oswald Chambers

In the words of Alfred Tennyson, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."   Quiet time with God spent thanking Him, seeking His will, listening . . . is a gift that you give yourself!   Never doubt the power of prayer!

As parishioners of St. Christopher, we are a caring faith community.  You are invited to contribute your intentions so that we may all join in lifting them in prayer, for we know His promise:  "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."  Matthew 18:20  May our relationship with God be strengthened, and may our capacity to love and be loved increase as our hearts reach out to each other. 

Lord, thank You for the unique gifts of every child as they transition into a new school year.  Fill each student with fresh enthusiasm and a heart that is excited to learn and grow.  Cover them with Your enuring love, give them confidence and grace, and equip them with the ability to persevere through trials.  
Bless their teachers with wisdom, understanding, and a heart to serve, as they embark on the journey together!  Amen.

We pray for the elderly, who represent the roots and memory of a people.  May their experience and wisdom help young people to look towards the future with hope and responsibility.

2/25:   Please pray for all couples' being granted the grace to have a stronger marriage, to truly listen and hear, to recognize their own faults, to forgive one another, and to show sincere love and respect for each other.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

2/13:  Please pray for Josephin, for God to enfold her with His care, for her and her loved one to be reconciled, for his eyes to be opened to see the beautiful person she is, and for his heart to be softened and able to love her in return.  Lord, bless this woman for her great faith and trust in You.  And thank You, Lord, for being our strength and granting each of us the grace to hope in Your mercy.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

2/8:  Please pray for Nia to perform well on her SAT exam in March, that she will have great focus and recall of all the information that she has studied in preparation for this exam.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

1/31:  Please pray for Margaret and her husband to have their first baby.   Lord,  remove any physical impediments and grant this loving couple's prayer, as you did for Abraham and Sarah and for Hannah.  May they know the joy of this precious gift from You and raise this child to know and love You.  “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.”  Luke 1:37  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

1/15:  Please pray for Parker’s daughter to overcome her drug addiction and depression, loneliness, emptiness, and fears. Please pray that she will distance herself from all temptation and people using or selling drugs and that God will send her a godly minded husband and friends who will uplift her.  Above all, pray that she will have a personal relationship with God and accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior.  We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

1/9:  Please pray for  Casey and ask God to grant her true contrition for her sins and the grace to make a good confession.   May we all pray, in the words of Psalm 51:10-12:  "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit."  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

1/7:  Please pray for Shannon's daughter.  She suffers from mental illness and was hit by a car, breaking and crushing many bones. Please pray for her safety, health, well-being, and salvation.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

1/1/23:  Please pray for Anuar, who has suffered from a stroke.  May God restore his health in body and mind and him through the therapy ahead to regain any lost function.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

12/5:  Please pray for the special intentions of Lucia, for healing and aid with difficulties with her family.  May God bless her and grant her peace.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

11/29:  Please pray for Andres for sanctification; blind faith, unshakable trust, and ardent charity in the face of life's challenges.  Lord, may we all receive Your grace to love You with our whole heart, and may that love manifest in all our words and deeds.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

11/1:  Please pray for  Magdalena and all those battling mental illness.  May our merciful Lord grant them healing and peace from emotional trauma, grief, lonliness, and sleeplessness.  May we all look to Jesus, who has promised He will never leave us.   "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  1 Peter 5:7.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

8/7:  Please pray for Matthew, who is suffering from schizophrenia, that God will bring real healing and recovery into his life and will foster and strengthen his faith and connection to God.  Please also pray for his girlfriend, Amanda, that she may find strength, courage, and healing in her own life as well.  Pray the prayer of St. Patrick for him and us all:
               Christ be with me, Christ within me,
               Christ behind me and before me,
               Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
               Christ to comfort and restore  me.
               Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
               Christ in hearts of all who know me,
               Christ in the mouth of friend and stranger,
               Christ in quiet and in roar.

3/3:  Please pray for my dear brother and sister-in-law, both of whom have failing health.  Lord, please watch over them and bless them with healing, hope, and renewed strength to meet each day, knowing Your promise:  "I am with you always."  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

3/1:  Heavenly Father, Your word says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  We know that you are a God of peace, and that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. So we pray for the people of Ukraine who find themselves in the midst of a fearful conflict.  Draw near to them, O Lord, and protect them.  We pray for the people and nation of Ukraine.  Protect the innocent, the families, and children.  Give courage to those who fight to defend their faith, their freedom, and their homeland.  We pray for pastors, missionaries, and Christian workers throughout Ukraine.  Grant them wisdom as they minister hope in your name.  In Jesus' name we pray.  Amen.

11/3:  Please pray for Brian Lousteau and his family.  Pray for healing of Brian.
Lord, please minister to this beautiful family, who have such love for each other and for You; let them keenly feel Your presence and their hearts be uplifted by Your love.  Lead the work of Brian’s doctors and nurses.  May the words of the hymn, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine,” be their comfort.  Jesus, we trust in You, and in Your holy name, we pray.  Amen.

6/11:  Please pray for my professor and his beautiful wife, who has cancer and is hospitalized.  They were high school sweethearts and have been married for 41 years.  Pray for complete healing and much time ahead together.  May they feel His presence as He walks beside them throughout each day.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

12/28:  Please pray for relationship of a very special couple.  Let their love grow each day in an unshakeable union that will shine Your light on all who know them, eliminating selfishness and misunderstanding from their relationship.  May they support each other and lay all differences aside and quiet the ego that wants to make the other wrong in any way.  Please help this husband to be loyal to his wife and not be tempted to turn away from all the trials and tribulations that lie ahead.  May they share life's challenges together as a strong, unified, and loving couple.  May they feel the love and support of all who surround them.  Please continue to protect them from negat  ive influences and renew their love for each other every day.  May the Lord bless their relationship, and may they always keep Him a part of their love for each other.  Amen.

10/23:  Please pray for family healing and unity, for all who are separated to be reunited, for all who are at odds to find common ground and  forgiveness, with God's grace. 

My Jesus, 
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. 
I love You above all things, 
and I desire to receive You into my soul. 
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, 
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.

Loving and faithful God, the coronavirus reminds us that we have no power and we are dependent on You.  We place ourselves in Your loving hands.  Give eternal rest to all who have died from the virus.  Place Your healing hand on those who are ill, and give Your protection to us in this time of fear and uncertainty.  Calm our fears and help us to trust You as our faithful God.  Enlighten our government and church leaders as they are faced with important decisions.  Give blessing to those who work in the healthcare professions and protect them.  We ask this through Christ, our Lord.  Amen. 
Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. 
Blessed Francis Seelos, pray for us.

For the LORD loves justice
and does not abandon the faithful.
God’s teaching is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD, 
their refuge in a time of distress.
The LORD helps and rescues them,
rescues and saves them from the wicked,
because they take refuge in him.

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shade of the Almighty,
say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
Surely He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare,
from the destroying plague.
He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you may take refuge;
His faithfulness is a protecting shield.
You shall not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that roams in darkness,
nor the plague that ravages at noon.
Because you have the LORD for your refuge
and have made the Most High your stronghold,
no evil shall befall you,
no affliction come near your tent.
For He commands His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their hands,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.

Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
because he knows My name, I will set him on high.
He will call upon Me, and I will answer;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and give him honor.
With length of days, I will satisfy him,
and fill him with My saving power.

O Lord, I thank You for the gift of my children.  I know that they are not really mine, but Yours, given to me in trust.  Protect them, Lord, I pray, from all that is evil.  Help them to see the truth and beauty of all that is good.  Help them to see it first of all in me, and in my spouse, in the way we live.  Guide them each to the vocation You have chosen for them.  Lord, by Your grace, may I be a good parent to these children.  Help me to fulfill my mission, to "train them in the way that they should go" (Proverbs 22:6).  Help me to
reflect the wisdom and mercy that is Yours as heavenly Father.  But may I also be unafraid to challenge and discipline them when necessary.  Above all, may my children never doubt how precious they are to me, how deeply they are loved.  Amen.