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Prayers and Reflections
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"Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men."
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TEACH ME TO SEEK YOU
and reveal yourself to me as I seek,
because I can neither seek you
if you do not teach me how,
nor find you
unless you reveal yourself.
Let me seek you in desiring you;
let me desire you in seeking you.
Let me find you in loving you;
let me love you in finding you.
St Anselm
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To consider:
- If Christ were to call you, would you be prepared to leave your family,
occupation, etc?
- What would you find it difficult to sacrifice?
- When and why would it be an adventure or a difficulty for you to
continually seek and find the Lord?
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"I shall be with you...
and this is the sign by which you shall know that
it is I who have sent you..."
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I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year:
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied:
"Go out into the darkness
and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way."
Unknown
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To consider:
- Do you feel apprehension and a lack of confidence in accepting and
accomplishing God's will for you, whatever it might be?
- How has, or how do you think God would reassure you?
- What is, or what are the signs from which you could discover what God's
mission for you is?
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"...you are precious in my eyes..."
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I AM SPECIAL
I am special.
In all the world there is nobody like me.
There has never ever been another person like me.
Nobody has my smile.
Nobody has my voice.
I'm special.
In all of time there has been
no one who laughs like me,
No one who cries like me.
No one will ever look, talk, walk, or think like me.
I
I'm special.
It is not by accident that
I am special.
God has made me special.
He has a job for me
that no one else can do.
All because I'm special.
Thomas Merton
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To consider:
- Do I believe that I am special in God's eyes?
- Have I spoken to God about the job that He has for me that no one else
can do?
- How willing am I to accept and embark upon my mission?
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"..love tenderly, act justly, walk humbly with your God.."
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Day by day
O dear Lord
Three things I pray:
To see thee more clearly,
Love thee more dearly,
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day
By day by day.
A prayer from "Godspell"
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Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you
for the cruel pains and insults
you have borne for me,
and for the many blessings
you have won for me.
Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may I know you more clearly,
Love you more dearly,
And follow you more nearly.
Based on an ancient prayer of St Richard
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To consider:
- Do you truly believe that Christ is your Redeemer and forgives all your
sins?
- How do you communicate with Christ as Friend and Brother?
- What can you do daily to follow Christ more faithfully?
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"Do not be afraid; from now on it is people you will catch."
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Christ has
no BODY now on earth but yours,
no HANDS but yours,
no FEET but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion looks out on the world;
yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good, and
yours are the hands with which He is to serve and bless us now.
St Teresa of Avila
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You dare your "Yes"
and experience a meaning.
You repeat your "Yes"
and all things acquire a meaning.
When everything has a meaning
how can you live anything but a
"Yes".
D. Hammersjold
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To consider:
- How much are you willing to give up to follow Jesus?
- Are you willing to trust Jesus and put your fears in His hands?
- How worthy are you of the task God sets before you?
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"..Let it be done to me according to your word."
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THE REED
She is a reed,
straight and simple,
growing by a lake in Nazareth:
a reed that is empty,
until the Breath of God
fills it with infinite music:
and the breath of the Spirit of Love
utters the Word of God
through an empty reed.
The Word of God
is infinite music
in a little reed:
it is the sound of a Virgin's heart,
beating in the solitude of adoration;
it is a girl's voice
speaking to an angel,
answering for the whole world;
it is the sound of the heart of Christ,
beating within the Virgin's heart.
Caryll Houselander
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To consider:
- Are you sufficiently open and prayerful to hear the inspirations of the
Spirit of God in your heart?
- In what way would you seek clarity about what you think God might be
asking of you?
- What might be your feelings if you were willing to say, "Let it be done
to me according to your word!"?
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"...We are to love then, because he loved us first..."
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WHAT DO I LOVE
when I love my God?
It is a certain light that I love,
and melody and fragrance and embrace
that I love when I love my God -
A light, melody, fragrance, food,
embrace of the God-within,
where for my soul that shines
which space does not contain;
that sounds
which time does not sweep away,
that is fragrant
which the breeze does not dispel
and that tastes sweet
which fed upon
is not diminished,
and that clings close
which no satiety disparts -
This it is I love when I love my God.
St Augustine
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To consider:
- How does it make me feel to contemplate the immensity of the fact that
God is the source of all love in the world, given and received, including
mine?
- In what ways do I fail to love and what is the underlying motive of my
refusal to do so?
- Can I abandon myself to the Love of Christ and be His disciple of Love
in the world?
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O GOD
you chose the Apostles to preach the good news
and establish your kingdom throughout the whole world.
We pray you to choose from among us,
many priests and deacons, brothers and sisters,
who will gladly and generously
spend their lives to make you known and loved,
so that CHRIST OUR KING, may reign in every heart.
Amen.
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God our Father, in baptism you called me by name,
and made me a member of your people, the Church.
I praise you for your goodness. I thank you for your gifts.
Father, bless your Church and make it a loving community.
Raise up from among us dedicated and generous
priests and deacons, sisters, brothers and lay ministers.
Send your Spirit to guide and strengthen me,
that I may serve your people in living the vocation to which you have called
me,
following the example of your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name I offer this
prayer.
Amen.
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Mary, Mother of God and our Mother,
you show us how to answer God's call
and how to live it in faith.
Help us to discern God's call in our lives
and give us the courage to respond to it
with generosity and love.
Amen.
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Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world,
we humbly ask you to revive in your Church that spirit
which you so abundantly bestowed on the Apostles.
Call, we pray, many to your priesthood and the religious life.
May zeal for your glory and the salvation of souls
inflame those whom you have chosen;
may they be saints in your likeness,
and may your spirit strengthen them.
O Jesus, give us priests and religious after your own heart.
Amen.
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THAPELO EA HO KOPA LIPITSO!
* MORENA RE FE BAPRISTA, LE BAITLAMI
Oho Molimo ea matla 'ohle, le oa bo-sa-feleng.
Uena ea romeletseng Mor"a hao lefatseng ho re pholosa.
Hopola hore kotulo e kholo, empa bakotuli ha ba bakae. *
Rea u rapela hle, u nehe ba bangata 'Mishoneng oa rona, grasia ea pitso e
halalelang.
Hlohonolofatsa malapa a rona, "me u kenye lipelong tsa bacha ba bangata,
takatso ea ho ba baromuoa ba hao, ba tle ba tsebise bohle litaba tse monate
tsa pholoho. *
U re nehe Baprista, ba tla nehela Sehlabelo sa 'Missa "me ba tlise Kriste
bophelong ba rona.
U re nehe Baitlami ho ruta ba bacha, ho hlokomela bakuli, le ho thusa ba
hlophehileng. *
'Me ha pitso ea hao e utloahetse, neha bana ba rona, grasia ea ho araba ka
pelo tse tsoeu.
Ba tlohele tsohle ho latela Mora oa hao, Jesu Kriste Morena oa rona. *
Maria ea se nang sekoli, Mofumahali oa Baapostola,
Re fumanele ka lithapelo tsa hao tse matla, palo e kholo ea lipitse
'mishoneng oa rona.
AMEN. *
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GEBED VIR ROEPINGS
Almagtige Vader,
deur die mag van U Heilige Gees het U U Seun gestuur
om die hele mensdom te verlos.
Ons bid U dat U dieselfde Gees
oor die jeug van ons land sal uitstort
sodat hulle, soos Jesus,
sal instem om die boodskap van vryheid en vreugde
aan almal te verkondig.
Sodoende mag hulle
die verbryselde hart genees,
vryheid aan gevangenes verkondig,
die blindes se gesig herstel;
en verklaar dat die tyd aangebreek het
dat die Here Sy Volk sal verlos.
Vader,
lê dan die harte van ons jeug bloot
dat hulle, net soos Maria,
U roepstem vrywillig sal beantwoord,
en Christus hier en nou
die wêreld inbring.
AMEN.
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UMKHULEKO WOMNDENI WOKUCELA AMABIZELO *
NKOSI SIPHE ABAPRISTE, NEZINDELA
Nkulunkulu somandla, Simankade
Wena owathumela Indodana Yakho emhlabeni ukuzosisindisa,
isivuno sikhulu, kodwa izisembezi izingcosana. *
Ngakhoke siyakucela, ukuba uphe abaningi eMission yakithi,
IGrasiya lebizelo eliyingcwele,
Busisa imideni yethu, ukhuthaze abasha bethu
Ukubababe nomdlandla babe yizithunywa zakho,
Ezizobika izindaba zosindiso kubantu bonke. *
Siphe abaPriste, abazonikela umhlabiso oyingcwele wemisa.
Nokuthi basilethele uKriste empilweni yethu.
Siphe amaKhozasana azofundisa abasha bethu
banakekele iziguli, bancede abahluphekile. *
Uma ubizo Iwakho lufika, nika abantwana bethu,
IGrasiya lokuba baphendule ngokungathandabuzi,
Bashiye konke balandele Indodana yakho, Inkosi
Yethu uJesu Kristu. *
Mariya Ongenasici,
Nkosikazi yabaPhostole,
Sizuzele ngemikhuleko yakho enamandla,
Ukwanda okukhulu kwamabizelo eMission yethu.
AMEN *
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ORAÇÃO PARA AS VOCAÇÕES
Pai,
no poder do Teu Espirito,
Tu mandaste o Teu Filho
para trazer salvação todas as pessoas.
Nós rezamos que tu tragas
esse mesmo Espirito
para os jóvens do nosso Pais;
para que eles, como Jesus,
possam responder ao teu chamamento,
para poderem trazer a boa nova aos pobres,
unir os corações que estão partidos,
proclamar liberdade aos prisioneiros
dar vista aos cegos;
e anunciar que o tempo jã chegou
quando o Senhor vai salvar o Seu povo.
Então Pai,
abre os corações da tua Juventude,
para que eles possam responder, como Maria,
com grande generosidade
em trazer Cristo para ao mundo no nosso dia.
AMEN.
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