Mary Sullivan

Jesus Himself was teaching, and from every village people had come,

From Judea and Galilee; some from Jerusalem.

Some men brought on a stretcher, a man who was paralyzed.

To get him before the Lord, they’d need to improvise.

 

There seemed no way to bring him in.  The crowd’s size was so great.

So, they made their way up to the roof.  They didn’t want to wait.

He was lowered through the roof, and then placed in front of Christ.

The Christ who came to die for us, and for us sacrifice His life.

 

When Jesus saw their faith, He told the man, forgiven were his sins.

The Pharisees had never heard, to such a thing akin.

The Pharisees erupted.  They may have become livid.

“Who is this who blasphemes? Who but God can sins forgive?”

 

Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he put them to a task

“Which is easier” was the question, which to them He asked.

Is it easier to say that sins have been forgiven?  With them, Christ had this little talk.

He inquired if perhaps it might be easier to just say “rise up and walk.”

 

But that The Son of Man can sins forgive, that all now might see and know,

He told the man paralyzed, rise, pick up your mat, and home you can now go.

The man no longer paralyzed, then did exactly that,

He rose and went home, after he’d picked up his mat.

 

With astonishment, all were completely seized.

And they gave glory unto God.  His healing helps us all believe.

Jesus, so many loved ones cannot see You in their midst.

And there are other loved ones who’ve been swayed You don’t exist.

 

In spirit they are paralyzed as they lay on unbelieving mats.

We cannot get them into church.  They think they’ve had enough of that.

They cannot comprehend Your ways, or understand Your love.

They don’t see Your blessed plans for them, from heaven above.

 

So, we bring them to You Jesus, through the roof, we lower them to You.

We ask You to touch their hearts, heal hearts through and through,

Show to them Your love that’s deeper than the depths of the deepest ocean.

Show them it’s You we ought to trust, and love with devotion.

 

If the man once paralyzed had faith, this story does not say;

But the men who brought him to You, had faith on that glorious day.

Our loved ones’ faith, may be lacking.  This we cannot deny.

Won’t You look upon our faith, as to ourselves we seek to die.

 

Use the grace of that faith, use all our sacrifices,

To forgive our loved ones’ sins, to wipe out all their vices.

Help them to rise above their sins, as the man rose up to stand,

Help them to pick up their mats, serve You in this foreign land.

 

Help them find the way to You, no matter where they’ve roamed.

Though their hearts be crippled, help them back to the Church, their home.

Help them now sweet Jesus.  The hour is running late.

Go to them now, dear Jesus.  Make haste dear Lord, make haste.

 

(Based on Mark 2:1-12)

A mighty God we serve—this much we know is true.

When Amalek waged war, God showed Moses what to do.

When Moses hands were raised in prayer, enemies had no chance.

But if his hands were lowered, the enemy advanced.

 

We faithful friends united form a prayer army each day.

Through our united prayers we keep the evil one at bay.

We think some things are pretty bad, but what we cannot see:

Without our constant praying—how much worse some things would be.

 

Our God is rich in mercy.  He feels the pain we feel.

Performing mighty miracles—when did Christ fail to heal?

He healed the paralytic whom friends lowered through the roof,

Jesus healed the lepers—of this there’s ample proof.

 

He healed the daughter of Jairus, whom all forsook as dead,

She came to life.  “Little girl, I say to you, get up” is what He said.

He healed the demon-possessed-daughter—who but Jesus could foresee,

This mom would beg mercy; and cry out: “Lord, help me.”

 

The disciples urged: “send her away.”  She had that Canaan label.

With faith, she preserved and said: “even… dogs eat from their Master’s table.”

Many pressing on Him, many voices getting loud,

with just her touch He healed the woman in the crowd.

 

He healed the blind. He healed the mute.   He healed the boy possessed.

Do we believe that somehow God for us would do less?

The truth is Christ healed everyone who came forth in faith to ask.

Not one soul did He miss, from the first until the last.

 

When we go before our Master, when on humbled knees we kneel,

Can we see we serve a God who answers prayer and longs to heal?

We can persevere, like the widow with the judge unjust.

The Lord hears our every prayer.  In Jesus, we can trust.

 

“Amen, I say to you,

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,

You will say to this mountain,

‘move from here to there,’

and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you.”

(Matt. 17:20)

 

Jesus, our Redeemer, the narrow path we seek.

A path full of believing, where Your words we speak.

A man among the crowd, brought to You, His son.

The disciples tried to help him, but he was helped by none.

 

The spirit would possess the son, by a spirit He was bound.

The spirit robbed him of his speech.  It threw him to the ground.

This grieving father cried to You.  The father found relief.

We are grieving too, Lord.  Heal now, our unbelief.

 

By faith, Noah built his ark, by faith, we all have read,

Abraham’s descendants had come forth, though he seemed as good as dead.

By faith, Lord Jesus, we believe.  And we are asking too,

That those we love, will rise from death, and find new life in You.

 

We need a greater faith, than that which moves solid rock.

We need faith to touch our loved ones’ hearts.  We ask, we seek, we knock.

We need a faith that’s full of trust, a faith that’s full of love—

A faith to move our loved ones’ hearts from this world to things above.

 

We bring You, Lord, our loved ones.  Free them from the devil’s snares.

We beg You for their healing.  Lord Jesus, hear our prayers.

 

(Based on Mark 9:17, Heb. 11:12)

At Fatima we were asked to sacrifice for others,

This request to save souls came from our Blessed Mother.

If we make sacrifices, pray for sinners as she asked,

If we embrace her daily rosary and her devotional tasks,

 

If we seek to love God with all our hearts and minds and souls,

If we place our lives in His hands; give to Him control,

If we perform works of mercy, and offer mercy too,

If we humbly ask the Lord to work through everything we do,

 

If we turn to Mother Mary, beg her prayerful intercession,

If we repent of all our sins, at first-Saturday confession.

If we give to God our suffering, all the ways that we’ve been hurt,

If we pray that by the grace of God, Russia will convert.

 

If we offer God our heartfelt love, and hopes now dead or lost,

If we give to Christ our sorrows, unite them with His cross,

If before the Lord we seek to be quiet and be still,

If we try to see Him in all souls, seek to do His Holy will.

 

If we lift our hearts to heaven, pray for souls who’ve strayed,

Can’t we have faith He’ll hear our pleas that loved ones might be saved?

If we pray can’t we believe that one day they’ll be whole?

That our dear Lord will hear our prayers, have mercy on their souls?

 

The heavens may be waging war.  There may be a brutal fight.

But the Lord can take our loved ones out of darkness into light.

Dear Lady, at Fatima, God worked the miracle of the Sun.

Beg God for His mercy, that His perfect will be done.

 

Our Lady of Fatima, make haste, do not delay,

Our Lady of Fatima, for us, make haste, do pray.

 

 

 

Jesus came to a town.  The town was known as Nain.

His disciples and a large crowd, journeyed there, the same.

As He drew near the city gate, a dead man was carried through.

This man’s mother was a widow.  He was the only son she knew.

 

The widow had been crying, at the gate of the city,

But Jesus told her not to weep.  His heart was moved with pity.

He stepped forward, touched the coffin.  At this the bearers stopped.

Jesus told the son Arise! All must have been in shock.

 

For the dead son had sat up.  And he began to speak.

God Himself had visited. Now things no more seemed bleak.

Through Judea to surrounding regions, reports of this would spread.

This once dead son was now alive.  Christ raised him from the dead.

 

Lord, our loved ones may be breathing.  In body they’re alive.

But their souls have been attacked.  Their souls no longer thrive.

Go to them now, dear Jesus.  Bring dead spirits back to life.

Heal them of every error, in this world immersed in death and strife.

 

Go to them now Lord Jesus.  Go now without delay.

Heal them with Your truth and love.  To truth, point out the way.

Open up their hearts, dear Lord, that they may clearly see,

The way to healing of the soul is through new life in Thee.

 

[Based on Luke 7:11-17]