I’ve been blessed recently to be able to spend time with Jesus every morning at Holy Ghost. I begin the day with morning prayer at 6:00 a.m. led by Fr. Orr in the church and followed by Mass at 6:30. After Mass is a holy hour until just before the 8:00 Mass. It’s been wonderful to start my weekdays in prayer in this way and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have the time do so.
The view from my pew during holy hour.
I highly recommend a daily prayer regime of some sort for everyone as it keeps you grounded and helps you maintain perspective on the matters of daily life. Many parishes offer daily Mass and adoration, but if your schedule doesn’t permit that, even 10-15 minutes in prayer before the tabernacle is a great spiritual help. Possibly you might consider stopping by your church on your way to or from work for some quiet time with Jesus.
In today’s post I thought I’d share the prayer I offer each day at the beginning of my holy hour. It’s one I’ve compiled over the past few years and hope you might be able to use some of it in your daily prayer time.
Morning Offering
Abba! Father! Lord, teach me how to pray.
It is so wonderful to be here with you. I adore you and love you with all my heart. I thank You for having created me, for having made me a Christian. I thank you for all your benefits and for having preserved me during the past night. I thank you for this day. I thank you for my being able to see, to hear and to walk this morning.
You created us to share the fullness of divine life with you and with everyone who responds to your call. You’ve created us all to live with you for eternity as members of Your body. Each day you call us to follow and serve you through the working of the Holy Spirit. You’ve done so much for us and you continue to bless us. I pray that you will use me today to do your will so that I might always reflect your love and be a blessing to others.
Christine with a Mr. Grinch balloon creation.
I pray for my lovely wife. May you bless Christine today with patience to deal with my failings. Help her to love and follow you with all of her heart. Increase her faith so that her life may always be pleasing to you. She is such a blessing to me and I thank you for sending her to live by my side.
Our grandkids, the children of my oldest son.
I pray for my children. I lift up each and every member of their households. I pray that you will keep them safe and in good health. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes, that they are out of debt, and that all their needs are met.
My dad with my children on the beach of Lake Michigan. May God rest his soul.
I pray for the repose of the souls of Mom, Dad, Steve and my beloved grandparents. I also pray for Aimée Bengivengo and for all the souls I have known who have passed from this temporal life into the timelessness of eternity. May you bring them all into the light of your face and grant them eternal rest. May we all be one with you in eternity.
The Handmaids of the Precious Blood with Jeff Cavins.
I pray for Pope Francis, our bishops, priests, deacons and all your religious throughout the world, with special intentions for Cardinal Rigali, Bishop Stika, Fr. Dowling, Fr. Orr, Fr. Richard, Fr. Mark, Fr. Gilbert, Deacon Dan, Deacon Pat, Deacon Jim, Deacon Joe, Deacon Tim, the priests, deacons, seminarians, candidates, the Handmaids and all the religious sisters in the Diocese of Knoxville and for Pope Emeritus Benedict.
I pray for all those I’ve offered to pray for, especially for … N.
I pray for those who are lost and can’t find their way.
I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood.
I pray for those who don’t know you intimately and for my prayer time to increase that I might know you more intimately.
Please keep me safe from all danger and harm and help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day and clear my mind so that I can listen to you. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not complain about those things I have no control over.
Give me a constant attitude of prayer so that I might offer everything I do and say to the glory of your name.
The Holy Face of Manoppello, believed to be a “photograph” of Jesus’ face at the resurrection.
Forgive me this day for everything I do, say or think that is not pleasing to you. I ask now for your forgiveness. I thank you for being so patient with me and for always being willing to forgive me when I’m truly sorry for having offended you. Help me to be aware today of anything I do that offends you so that I may ask for your forgiveness and make immediate restitution for the wrong I’ve committed.
Help me today to strive to do both the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy:
The Corporal Works of Mercy
* Feed the hungry
* Give drink to the thirsty
* Clothe the naked
* Shelter the homeless
* Visit the sick
* Visit the imprisoned
* Bury the dead
The Spiritual Works of Mercy
* Admonish the sinner
* Instruct the ignorant
* Counsel the doubtful
* Comfort the sorrowful
* Bear wrongs patiently
* Forgive all injuries
* Pray for the living and the dead
By doing these, help me to avoid the deadly sins of pride, envy, sloth, greed, anger, gluttony & lust.
Rather, let me practice the seven virtues of humility, admiration, mission, generosity, forgiveness, asceticism & chastity.
May these virtues produce the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).
Keep me strong that I may help the weak.
Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.
I thank you for giving me the gift of faith and I pray for those who don’t believe. I pray that you will help my faith become stronger today. Assist me in my unbelief.
I believe that you change people and you change all things as you will in your infinite goodness.
I pray that I will remember today that there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than You. Every battle is in your hands for you to fight and you are always victorious. I am weak but you are strong. Be my strength.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus
I offer you all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the intentions for which He pleads and offers Himself in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in thanksgiving for your favors, in reparation for my sins, in humble supplication for my temporal and eternal welfare, for the needs of our holy Mother Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for the relief of the holy souls in purgatory.
Lord, my God and my loving Father, you have made me to know you, to love you, to serve you, and thereby to find and to fulfill my deepest longings. I know that you are in all things, and that every path can lead me to you. But of them all, there is one path especially by which you want me to come to you. Since I will do what you want of me, I pray you, send your Holy Spirit to me: into my mind, to show me what you want of me; into my heart, to give me the determination to do it, and to do it with all my love, with all my mind, and with all of my strength right to the end. Jesus, I trust in you.
I offer you these prayers, Heavenly Father, through Our Lord Jesus Christ in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.