Memorial Day Weekend
Ascension Sunday
Ascension Sunday
In my mind, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord will always be on Thursday. If I move it completely to Sunday as the Ordo declares for most dioceses of the United States, it messes up the timing of the annual Pentecost Novena. That is one novena I never want to miss. Those nine days of prayer put us with the early Church in a very profound way.
This year it is difficult to tell one day from another, but please don't miss out on the culminating days of the Easter Season. These are powerful days leading us to Pentecost. Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit into your life to bring you renewed fervor and zeal.
I have a few prayer requests that I would like to bring to your attention. Please pray for the man who was brutally beaten in the nursing home in Michigan. I cannot even imagine being completely helpless and enduring such treatment. So sad.
Please pray for all those struggling with mental health issues. Doctors in California reported seeing a year's worth of suicide attempts in four weeks. Domestic violence rates are up in many locales. The repercussions of the prolonged lock down of society are really starting to come forth. These effects will not disappear any time soon.
Please pray for all those who have lost their livelihoods. Millions and millions of people have lost their jobs, their income, their health insurance, their purpose, and their hope. Even if they have a job to go back to once things open up, it will take years to recover the losses. Some will never recover.
MEMORIAL DAY
I wish to offer a word of gratitude to all military families. The sacrifices you make are many. Some families have made the ultimate sacrifice when their loved one did not return home. A few of the photos I have seen on social media say more than words can ever convey. One in particular broke my heart. It was a young widow laying on a blanket on top of her husband's grave with a small child in a stroller next to her. That single photo communicates a message that my words are unable to capture.
Freedom has come at a price. Please offer a prayer for all of our deceased service men and women. I also invite you to offer a prayer for their families who grieve and mourn the loss.
Recent months have demonstrated the fragility of our freedom. Please pray for our country. May we truly become "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
This year it is difficult to tell one day from another, but please don't miss out on the culminating days of the Easter Season. These are powerful days leading us to Pentecost. Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit into your life to bring you renewed fervor and zeal.
I have a few prayer requests that I would like to bring to your attention. Please pray for the man who was brutally beaten in the nursing home in Michigan. I cannot even imagine being completely helpless and enduring such treatment. So sad.
Please pray for all those struggling with mental health issues. Doctors in California reported seeing a year's worth of suicide attempts in four weeks. Domestic violence rates are up in many locales. The repercussions of the prolonged lock down of society are really starting to come forth. These effects will not disappear any time soon.
Please pray for all those who have lost their livelihoods. Millions and millions of people have lost their jobs, their income, their health insurance, their purpose, and their hope. Even if they have a job to go back to once things open up, it will take years to recover the losses. Some will never recover.
MEMORIAL DAY
I wish to offer a word of gratitude to all military families. The sacrifices you make are many. Some families have made the ultimate sacrifice when their loved one did not return home. A few of the photos I have seen on social media say more than words can ever convey. One in particular broke my heart. It was a young widow laying on a blanket on top of her husband's grave with a small child in a stroller next to her. That single photo communicates a message that my words are unable to capture.
Freedom has come at a price. Please offer a prayer for all of our deceased service men and women. I also invite you to offer a prayer for their families who grieve and mourn the loss.
Recent months have demonstrated the fragility of our freedom. Please pray for our country. May we truly become "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
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