Mary Sullivan

Saint Augustine, you who lived a wretched sinner’s life,

Turned back to the Lord, away from sin and strife.

Pray that we be filled with God—not place Him on some shelf.

You said if we are filled with love, we are filled with God Himself.

 

Let us now fill ourselves with God; and fill ourselves with love.

That grace may flow into our souls, from heaven above.

When we feel unloved; start making a big fuss.

May we know God loves each of us, as if there be but one of us.

 

Saint Augustine, in your mercy, pray for loved ones lost.

As Christ, Himself, for us all has hung upon the cross.

No matter what lost souls have done, no matter where they’ve been,

Pray we may love the sinner, while we hate the sin.

 

May we be granted patience, with the good Lord as our guide,

To listen to their story, to hear the other side.

Saint Augustine, pray loved ones, will now truly see,

Our hearts will be so restless, until they rest in Thee.

Saint Augustine, we beg of thee, on this grace-filled day,

Pray for all our loved ones.  St. Augustine do pray.

“O soul, whoever you may be in this world even if your sins were black as night.
Do not fear God, weak child that you are for great is the power of God’s mercy.” [Diary of Saint Faustina (1652)]

Sometimes our sin can feel, as black as the dark of night.
As if sin dwelt beyond God’s love, lived in condemning sight.
As if we lived with no hope, no chance of reconciliation.
As if we’d thrown away our lives, were destined for damnation.

Father, sometimes we feel our sins You can’t forgive,
We ponder them over again. Our failings, we relive.
Dwelling on our errors, can keep us from Your light.
We tell ourselves there’s just no way, at last to set things right.

This beating ourselves up is living Satan’s sneaky lie.
Christ came to suffer for us.  For us, He came to die.
He came to free us from our sins, that from sin we might fly.
This unforgiveness feeling is forgiveness gone awry.

May we recognize Christ’s suffering, lest He died in vain.
Know His scourging and His agony, and all of His pain.
By suffering we’ve been redeemed, and salvation gained.
It is only through Christ’s suffering; eternal life has been obtained.

May we trust You, Lord, as a child trusts his loving Father, and draws near.
May we reach for You, with open arms, abandon thoughts of fear.
Lord, help our loved ones know, help them now to see,
Their sins can be washed away.  From sin, they can be free.

There is no sin or pain Lord and no darkness of the night,
That is beyond Your healing hand, when brought into Your light.
Those made weak and frail by sin, may approach You without fear.
In Your mercy is great power, Your heart of mercy—always near.

Go to our loved ones now, Lord.  Help them at last to know,
That sins, though they be scarlet, can be made as white as snow.

Lord, we know we ought not fear,

if it’s Your voice we seek to hear.

To You our fears, we seek to give,

In righteousness, we seek to live.

 

You call to us, no need to fear,

You whisper softly: I AM here,

You uphold us in this foreign land,

With Your mighty and victorious hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

 

With thankful hearts, fears will decrease,

and You will bring to us Your peace.  (Phil. 4:6-7)

Peace is what, with us You left.

that we’d not feel so bereft.

 

Peace, the gift will see us through,

You said: “My peace I give to you.” (John 14:27)

No fear in us, true love is here,

and “perfect love casts out all fear.”  (1 John 4:18)

 

We pray in peace through death’s shadows,

In this dark valley we have knelt,

We pray in peace until we find,

Our final blow at last is dealt.

 

Yet, no evil, do we fear,

for You our Lord, are ever-near.

In Your mercy, we abound;

in thy rod and staff, our comfort found.  (Psalm 23:4)

 

No worries for unknown tomorrows,

They may bring joys, they may bring sorrows.

It matters not what comes our way,

Today’s troubles are plenty, for one day.   (Matt. 6:34)

No matter the sorrow, or the things that pain us,

Our Lord will defend us, and He will sustain us. (Psalm 55:22)

 

On You, dear Lord, we cast off our fears.

Anxieties built through the years.

Take our fears, give us peace too.

Care for us all our lives through. (1 Pet. 5:6-7)

 

We say to those feeling fear, feeling blue.

“Be strong, fear not! Your God is with You.” (Isaiah 35:4)

Be strong, of good courage, God has every detail.

Your God goes before you.  You, He will not fail. (Deut. 31:6)

 

No fear of those who kill bodies, once bodies are gone,

our souls shall go forth, our souls shall live on.

We shall live in heaven, if in faith we persist,

Where there are no worries, where no fear exists.

 

Someone does want us trembling, with knocking knees.

It’s the enemy, the liar, the one who deceives.

At this very moment and at this very hour,

He’s prowling the earth seeking souls to devour.

 

With temptations, he’s causing sin to increase.

The thief is at work, to steal our peace.

Christ warned we’d have trouble, but the battle He’s won.

The world, and its troubles, He has overcome.

 

In coming days, and in coming years,

May we cast off our deepest fears.

With quiet minds, and souls quite still,

May we seek only to do the Lord’s will.

 

May we trust in the Lord, His peace we receive.

May we “take heart,” and “only believe.” (John 16: 33; Mark 5:36)

Dear Father up in heaven, You hear our prayers below,
May You with love and mercy, upon us all bestow,
Repentant tears of sorrow, tears to wash our guilt away;
Tears to free our burdened hearts, set captives free this day.

May each of our lost loved ones pray a true repentant prayer.
May this prayer be the path by which they escape Satan’s snare.
The lying thief lures us to sin, then says, as if he’s won,
Now aren’t you despicable? Look at what you’ve done!

Repentant hearts can heal the soul, on this conversion’s built.
“Repentant tears,” said Augustine, can wash away our guilt.
And freed from guilt we’re truly free, to love Him who gave His life.
We’re free at last to seek out Truth.  We’re free to follow Christ.

We’re free to be with the Lord, with Him be quiet and be still.
We’re free to follow the Lord’s path; we’re free to do His will.
Let us take repentant tears to Christ, that we be freed from all oppression,
Let’s find freedom through the sacraments.  Let’s all go to confession.