reflections

Prayer Healing
Lord, You know the disease that inhabits my body. You know the thoughts that fill my mind with unrest and make me feel unsure of myself. Comfort my busy mind. Heal my broken heart. With you near, may my hope deepen and my joy be abundant.
Amen

God. For those who are lonely or overwhelmed, may we bring them the Good Shepherd’s friendship. For all those who are poor and destitute, may we bring them the Good Shepherd’s protection. For the sick and the dying, may we bring them Good Shepherd’s healing love.

We celebrate the gift of the Body and Blood of Christ and we hear Jesus ask his disciples, “why do you not give them something to eat”? He then shows them how by the multiplication of the five loaves and two fishes. At St. Vincent de Paul we know that the multiplication of the loaves and fishes will happen again, and the hungry will be fed.

We are called to place gospel values before any other values and to be willing to put our lives on the line for them. Taking care of God’s poor is indeed living gospel values. Service to the poor can bring love and peace to those who live in fear and doubt, loneliness and dread.

Every day, God gives us signs of his love so we can respond in faith and trust. Our service to St. Vincent de Paul becomes a sign of God’s love to those who are suffering and gives them reasons to believe and to trust.

Lord, we praise you for your loving-kindness. Lighten our loads when we are burdened and refresh us in your wellspring of living water when we are thirsty. Help to turn our hearts to you, and kindle in them the fire of your Spirit, so that we may be steadfast in faith.

Lord, we pray that we may see you with fresh eyes, and a new vision of who you are. We are thankful that you are living in us and that one day we will see you face-to-face. Teach us to be humble so that we can serve you by serving other people in our community.