Mary Sullivan

Jesus will sustain us with His holy Bread.
No life without His flesh and blood.  This to us He said.
To us He gives the Spirit.  The flesh is of no avail.
For if we live by our own flesh, then we will surely fail.

Jesus, we believe in You, and in the Holy Ghost.
We know that You come to us, in the Sacred Host.
Come to us now dear loving Lord, that new life we will find.
Penetrate our hearts and souls.  Penetrate our minds.

Dear Jesus, grant to those we love a very special grace:
To believe the holy truths, You teach to the human race.
Remove doubt from each loved one. Of doubt, leave not a trace.
May they love Your Sacred truths, and Your Sacred Host embrace.

Cleanse souls through confession.  Wipe from souls, iniquity.
May we worthily receive Your Body, Blood, Soul and Your Divinity.

Dear Saint Monica, you know our plight,
You know how, with prayer alone we fight,
For loved ones lost in Satan’s snare,
We know you understand and care.

For thirty years, you wept and prayed.
Did not despair, were not dismayed.
To our Church teachings you adhered.
Pray God helps us too, to persevere.

Pray for loved ones now confused.
With hearts battered, beaten and quite bruised.
Through your prayers, your son returned,
To God.   For Him alone He yearned.

With holy armor, righteous sword.
Pray our loved ones seek the Lord.
Pray they seek His Holy Face,
Pray they leave behind all trace

Of sin and error and derision.
May God guide each of their decisions.
Let them know that God is near,
That on Him we can cast all fear.

Help us race toward heaven’s prize,
Help loved ones know, that in God’s eyes,
They’re precious jewels and sparkling gems.
Mother of Augustine, pray now for them.

Saint Augustine, you who lived a wretched sinner’s life.
You 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 are feeling quite 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.

“God Leads Every Soul by a Separate Path.”  (St. John of the Cross)

Each soul is on a journey, Lord, a journey that’s guided by You.
There’s a different path for each soul to walk, a different road which each soul must pass through.
May we surrender dear Lord to the journey, the journey You destined we trod.
The journey which leads us home to You, which will take us one day back to God.

Our loved ones too have a journey.  Their journey is different from ours.
We wish they would seek to follow You, Lord, like the Magi followed the star.
We see them lost and gone astray on paths filled with evil and danger.
We think that it would all be solved, if they’d just seek the Babe in the manger.

Grant us the grace to let them go, through their path of sorrow and pain.
Grant us the grace to watch them walk through life’s storms and torments and rain.
Grant us the grace to trust in You, to reject any despair.
Grant us the grace to surrender them all, into Your loving and tender care.

Grant us the grace to accept Your plans, of which we can’t possibly know.
Grant us the grace to know when to hold tight, and when we just need to let go.
Grant us the grace to bow our heads, call out to You through night and day.
Grant us the grace to understand when all we can do is pray.

Grant us the grace to live out our journey in a way that is pleasing to You.
You gave our loved ones to us, Lord.  We surrender them now to You.

As we trust in You, Lord, lead us to Your light.
Help us, Lord, to know You, and to do what is right.
Help us through this dark night, until light breaks through at dawn.
From faith in You, we pray, Lord, that good fruit will be borne.

Dear Lord, give us a true peace, give us wisdom to see
That walking with steps full of faith, will at last set us free.
In this dark and painful valley, which You ask us to trod,
May strength come to us through faith in You, our ever-faithful God.

Go now, Lord, to those we love.  Help our loved ones too.
May they love the true faith and love the truth in You.
Guide them along this rough road, this often painful way.
Lead them home to You, Lord, and to Your truth today.

(Based on Sir. 11:20-21a, 22)