Thursday, February 27, 2014

Prayers for Lent

Ways to Pray during Lent


   Tonights blog continues the discussion of Prayer for Lent that was discussed in yesterdays blog. We all need a prayer life. Prayer is that connection that we have to the Trinity. It is that exchange between our soul to God and God to our soul. Prayer is very personal and sometimes private. 

    I must admit my prayer life has had many highs and lows. There are times where I seem to pray for hours a day and other times where I say what I call my go to quick prayers. I bet we all have them and I would bet they are the same.... The Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. There are those other times where it is just a conversation between God and myself. Below I will list different ways that anyone can pray. These of course are just suggestions. No form of prayer is better then another. Well, Mass I would say is the ultimate prayer to be honest. Also if you have any other suggestions please let me know and I will add them to the list.

  1. Mass. Try and go more then just on Sundays. Many churches have night mass during     Lent. 
  2. Pray the Rosary. 
  3. Get up early to Pray and start the day with prayer.
  4. Before bed say some prayers or give thanks for the day.
  5. Go to Adoration. I find Adoration to be one of my favorite ways to pray.
  6. Read the Bible.
  7. Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
  8. Do the Liturgy of Hours. Even once a day or several times. Try it out. Click here to do it online. 
  9. Instead of listening to music in the car, pray or just talk to God.
  10. Listen to Christian Music. 
  11. Go for a walk and talk to God or Pray.
  12. While walking take notice of what God created around you.
  13. Learn about a Saint and Pray about what you can learn from them. 
  14. Join a bible study.
  15. Attend a Parish Mission.
  16. Learn some new prayers.
  17. Read Religious Books.
  18. Attend a day or weekend retreat.
  19. Just take 10 min and stop. Turn off the noise and just listen.
  20. Pray before a Crucifix. 

These are just a few ideas and I hope that they give you some thoughts and inspire other ones for you as well. Tomorrow I will talk about our next topic for Lent and that is Fasting. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and remember talking to God is a prayer. 


Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 345
Reading 1
JAS 5:9-12
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged.
Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates.
Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters,
the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of the perseverance of Job,
and you have seen the purpose of the Lord,
because the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear,
either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath,
but let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No,”
that you may not incur condemnation.
Responsorial Psalm
PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8-9, 11-12

R. (8a) The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Gospel
MK 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”

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