Mary Sullivan

“God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

If we could love like You love Lord,

With hearts that are divine,

If we could share Your sacred love,

From hearts which were sublime.

 

If we knew just the words to say,

When those we loved felt gloom.

If we could tend their hurting hearts,

If their hearts for You found room.

 

If we could love like You love Lord,

Then love would surely spread,

From You, through us to others,

In each act we did and word we said.

 

If we could love like You, dear Lord,

Then others on this day,

Would see mercy and forgiveness,

When they chanced to glance our way.

 

We are Your fallen creatures, Lord.

But in You we believe.

May other hearts find the love,

our hearts from You receive.

 

We ask You now, sweet Jesus,

On loved ones to bestow,

The love and grace which over time,

We have come to know.

 

Use us to show our loved ones,

The love they do not see.

We are all in some way blind,

To love which flows to us from Thee.

 

Use us to bring to others,

When life’s trials fail to cease,

Some of Your great mercy,

And some of Your peace.

 

Let sacred love flow through us, Lord.

No more, let hearts delay,

The search for truth and pure love,

Transform all hearts today.

 

 

 

“The saints did not all begin well; but they all ended well.” (St. John Vianney)

One need not be a perfect soul, to one day be a saint.

Many saintly souls once had lives of little self-restraint.

Forgive us, Lord, for the times we acted as if blind;

For the times when we offended You, left sanctity behind.

 

Put us on the narrow path, which leads to life abundant.

Keep our feet upon this path, our minds off sins redundant.

May all we say, and all we think, and all the things we do,

Be said and thought and done, in a way that pleases You.

 

Some of our sons and daughters now march as if abducted,

Along a path of willful sin, where pure love becomes destructed.

In sync with fallen culture, its depraved, degrading drum,

Of sin they seem oblivious.  To sin, they now seem numb.

 

The enemy has launched on those we love a dangerous attack.

Lord, mine the demons from their souls.  Hold the devils back.

Send holy saints to help them, from every saintly region.

Send angels and archangels, send multitudes of angel Legions!

 

Make haste, send aid, dear loving Lord, to this earthly land of sorrow,

We beg Thee, Lord, do this today.  Wait not until tomorrow.

Make the devils powerless.  Let confusion be dispelled.

Dispatch the devils from this land.  Send them back to hell.

 

May we now, with those we love, lift our crosses with You,

To be victor in this battle, there are things we need to do.

May we don our Godly armor, bravely stand our royal ground.

In every word we speak henceforth, may truth alone be found.

 

Let no one steal the truth from us, thus leaving us debased.

May truth be buckled firmly, and secure around our waists.

May righteousness protect our hearts from every evil and all greed.

Righteousness is the breastplate, of which we are in need.

 

With feet now, forever shod, in the Scriptures of peace,

May arguments, hostilities in our lives now cease.

May we live the faith.  May faith we humbly acclaim.

May our holy shield of faith extinguish every evil flame.

 

May pondering our last end, inspire penance and oblation.

The helmet which protects our minds, is the truth of our salvation.

May love of Thy Holy Word, be our heartfelt goal.

Thy Word is the sword, which plunged forth, can pierce the hardened soul.

 

O Lord, we are imperfect.  Yet we strive to lift this cross.

We beg You, Lord, for mercy.  Save loved ones who, about on waves, are tossed.

Receive our sacrifices.  We offer them without complaint.

One day, may we greet loved ones, in paradise, as fellow saints.

Amen+

Our steps now seem so shaky.
We need steps sure and firm.
Put a new song in our hearts.
For Your truth may we yearn.

Lord, we are afflicted.
Deliver us from all distress.
We turn to You as our sure help.
Increase our faithfulness.

Go to our loved ones now Lord.
They know not Your steady ways.
Help all embrace Your teachings.
Help us, dear Lord, today.

(Based on Psalm 40)

“For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.”  (2 Cor. 4:17-18)

Dear Father in heaven, stay beside us from the start.
Help us to ever persevere, and never to lose heart.
Our outer self is fading.  It is wasting away.
But our inner self is renewed with each passing day.

This affliction seems so heavy.  But in truth it is light.
In a moment it will pass from us—and be gone from our sight.
Affliction has a purpose.  For us it does prepare
An eternal weight of glory, beyond any compare.

May we see more than what is seen by human eyes.
For what we see with human eyes will soon find its demise.
Let us look to what is unseen.  For angelic sight, let’s yearn.
The eternal unseen things, may we no longer spurn.

Fill us, Father, with Your truth.  For truth, let us strive.
Fill our souls with faith.  Let Your will direct our lives.
Fill our hearts with love of You.  Help us now to cope.
Help our minds to trust in You.   In You, we place our hope.

 

 

 

 

Jesus made His disciples get in a boat to ride,

To go to Bethsaida, sail to the other side.

He went up a mountain in the light of day.

He climbed up that mountain.  There He went to pray.

 

By night, the boat had traveled quite far out to sea.

Jesus alone, back on shore, was calm as He could be.

The disciples’ boat tossed about.   Against strong wind they rowed,

They’d probably much rather been, in some safe, secure abode.

 

It was the fourth watch of the night, which means three in the morning.

When a miracle would happen.  It happened without warning.

Someone walking on the water; they thought it was a ghost,

They knew not they were looking at the blessed Lord of Hosts.

 

Then spoke the Lord: “Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid.”

The disciples were astounded; most likely quite amazed.

He got into the boat with them.  The wind then died down too.

There’s nothing that our good Lord Jesus cannot for us do.

 

We can feel like inept boaters, rowing on a stormy sea.

The boat is wildly rocking.  So tossed about are we.

We struggle to persevere, against strong winds, to row.

How we will get through all of this—at times we do not know.

 

Lord Jesus, walk now to us on our stormy seas.

Calm the fears within.  Help us, in You believe.

Climb into our boats.  Help us be not afraid.

Never leave us, Jesus.  Bring us comfort.  With us stay.

 

Our loved ones too are on rough seas.  It’s quite a wild ride.

Deceiving waves crash over them.  Lies strike from every side.

Go to them, dear Lord Jesus.  May it be Your love they know.

Calm the stormy seas.  The truth on them bestow.

 

Help each loved one love the truth.  Help each one flee from sin.

Help them begin to row with faith.  Give to them strength within.

Be with us sweet Lord Jesus, wherever we may go.

Keep us united in the truth.  Towards heaven, help us row.

 

(Based on Mark 6:45-52)