Mary Sullivan

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

 Dear God, grant us the grace to draw near to You.
Draw near You on our bright days; our days of sorrow too.
Help us, Jesus, to know that You are our loving Lord.
May You be the One we worship, the One Whom we adore.

May we draw near You in this trial.  It’s a tough trial we face.
How hard it seems to persevere, to run this holy race.
We can’t keep running on our own, on our own can’t keep up pace.
But in Your will, we can run well, when we run with Your grace.

May loved ones draw near to You, Lord, near to Your holy ways.
In the dark nights of their souls, and in the brightness of their days.
Help sons and daughters run to You, help them at last to see,
If they can but draw near You, near to them You will be.

Amen +

Saint Mary Magdalene, outside the tomb, with such sorrow wept.
What had happened to the Master, was hard to accept.
She looked into the tomb, and who should Mary greet,
But two angels.  One was at the head and one at the feet,

Of where our dear Lord’s body had just been laid down dead.
“Woman why are you weeping?” is what the angels said.
She thought the Lord was taken.  She knew not where He was laying.
He had been crucified.  So complete had been His slaying.

Someone was standing near her.  When she turned around, she’d see,
That a man was standing there.  The gardener this must be.
Mary spoke these words: Sir if you have taken Him away,
Tell me where you laid Him…, she asked this on that day.

She offered to take the Lord, wanted the Lord protected.
But this gardener was the Lord Himself Who had been resurrected.
Jesus would then call her name.  Mary! is what He said.
And Mary was so startled.  She’d thought the Lord still dead!

Rabbouni, she cried out!  To Jesus, she grabbed hold.
The truth of the resurrection would begin to unfold.
But Jesus said: Stop holding on to me.  To His Father, He must ascend.
This was told to Mary by our Lord, upon Whom she could depend.

Jesus was going to His Father, and to her Father as well,
Jesus was going to His God, and Mary’s God, the Scriptures tell.
Jesus asked that Mary tell His brothers what she’d seen and heard this day.
And Mary did what Jesus asked, did this without delay.

She told them she had seen the Lord.  This truth she’d not distort.
She told them what He said to her.  She gave them her report.|
May we weep like Mary Magdalene for what was done, dear Lord, to You.
And may we seek to find You, as You wait for us anew.

May we protect Your Holy words, Your truth and follow Your commands.
May we do all You ask of us, Your will—may we understand.
Dear Jesus, help our loved ones, to seek You as well.
May they find You in their fellow men, and in what the Scriptures tell.

May they find Your healing hand.  Heal all of their confusion.
May Your truth be the remedy to each false belief or delusion.
Jesus, bring Your truth to life in each one we love.
Appear now to our loved ones.  Teach them of all things above.

Help each loved one cling to You, God’s only Son begotten.
Help them to know the promise.  Let them be not forgotten.
Do this now sweet Jesus.  There is no time to waste.
Go to them now sweet Jesus.  Make haste, dear Lord, make haste.

(Based on John 20:11-18)

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!

Dear Lord, may we seek You
in the places You are found.
In the Scriptures may we seek You,
where Your Word and truth abound.

May we seek You in those places
Where You are in our midst.
In the source and summit of our lives,
The Most Holy Eucharist.

We cry out to You for mercy, Lord.
Knowing You are near.
You care for us and love us.
Of You we need not fear.

Your ways are not our ways, Lord.
Your thoughts are not our thoughts.
May we and all our loved ones know
Our wills have led to naught.

Heavens so high above the earth,
Your ways above ours too.
May we seek Your holy will,
In all we think and say and do.

Lord, mighty and majestic,
In splendor are You robed,
Your throne stands fixed and firm,
as it was, from of old.

Your love is always steadfast,
for all of us to see.
We trust in You, our dear Lord,
Trust all of Your decrees.

You’re the Alpha and Omega,
You are full of mercy, Lord.
You are the final Victor.
Your Spirit is our sword.

You’re our freedom from all sin,
to which we have succumbed.
You are the One who is,
Who was, and Who is yet to come.

Dear Jesus, it’s to You we turn
To You we humbly speak;
For we’ve been taught, it is the lost,
You came to save and seek.

Our sons and daughters are now lost,
so far off have they roamed.
Won’t you seek and save them Lord?
And bring each one home?

Grant each of our loved ones,
All the grace they need,
To turn and listen to Your voice.
May it be Your voice they heed.

May their hearts grow, to love Your Word.
For Your Words may they long.
May each one humbly seek the truth;
henceforth to Truth belong.

Have mercy on us, Jesus.
To You, we now cling.
Save our loved ones Master,
Our true and loyal King.

(Based on Psalm 93; Rev. 1:5-8, John 18:33)

Our Lady of the Rosary, our true and loving Queen,
You see from heaven many things, which to us are unseen.
To the weapon of your rosary, may we in haste now run.
For through the holy Rosary, this battle can be won.

There’s a battle waging, Mary.  It’s not fought with swords and guns.
It’s a battle for the human soul.  At times we feel outdone.
Yet with your holy rosary, as we lift our prayers to you,
You can crush the enemy.  We trust that is what you will do.

Our Lady of the Rosary, we ask of you this day.
Make haste now to our loved ones.  Keep all evil at bay.
Touch their hearts now, Mary.  As our rosaries we pray.
Bring them back to Jesus; back to His love today.