Sr. Sue's Thoughts on Prayer

As we work our way through the month of November, we inch our way closer to the Thanksgiving holiday – a day which is often centered around food. Yet so many in our world, in our country, in our communities and in our neighborhoods are hungry. 

And so we pray:

~ For those who have to choose between purchasing needed medicine or visiting a doctor and purchasing food 

~ For those who have to choose between paying their utility bills so that they have heat and electricity and purchasing food

~ For the food pantries that struggle to have all they need to assist all those who are hungry

May God give us the grace and means to share what we have to help those who are hungry.

Be well and be at peace!

 How often have you heard or spoken the words "pay attention"? I usually think of it in terms of teachers and students, or parents and children or grandchildren. But paying attention is not only helpful for the body (so we don't trip and injure ourselves) but also very helpful for our souls, (so that we are present to God in this moment). And so we pray: 

~ God, give me the grace to pay attention to all that is around me using all of my senses - the color of the sky, the sound of a friend's voice, the smell of a favorite meal cooking, the taste of freshly baked bread, the touch of the breeze on my face. 

~ Give me the grace to recognize your presence in the midst of all it

~ May my “paying attention” help me to be fully in this very moment – right now - and may I become very aware that you are with me in it.

Be well and be at peace!

Today, in the Catholic tradition, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints – those persons that the church recognizes as living holy lives worth emulating. We believe in the communion of saints - that we are one with those who have gone before us...and that we are called to be saints!

One of my favorite stories goes like this:

A boy went to church with his mother on a sunny Sunday morning.  He was enthusiastic about the many colorful glass figures that the sun traced through the stained-glass windows onto the floor and he excitedly asked his mother what this and that meant.  She whispered that this was such and such a saint, and that was another.  Sometime afterward, in religion class, the teacher asked if anybody knew what a saint was.  The excited boy, raising his hand, said “I do”.  “A saint is someone that the light shines through!”

~ May we call on those holy ones who have shown us the light of God.

~ And may we pray for the grace to let God’s light shine through us.

Be well and be at peace!

Yesterday I gave myself the gift of sleeping in. There was nowhere I had to be, no meetings, no one I had to check in with first thing in the morning. So, I set no alarm and it was lovely! Sleep is, in itself, a prayer of restoration, renewal and healing. 

~ In the midst of a fast-paced productive world, pray for the grace to give yourself permission to get the sleep you need.

~ Pray for those who have difficulties sleeping because of worries, fears or anxiety.

~ Pray for new parents and caregivers who have to function after nights of interrupted sleep.

~ Pray for those who have no viable home and have no safe place to sleep.

May God, the giver of all good gifts, bless each of us with the restorative healing sleep that we need.

Be well and be at peace!

We recently celebrated the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux. One of her more famous quotes is:

“Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, or even at their difficulty, as at the love with which we do them.”

And so we pray that our loving Creator give us the grace to do the small things with great love!

Be well and be at peace!

Six years ago, our associates planted 2 Cortland apple trees on the property in honor of the tenth anniversary of the Dominican Associates of Peace. This fall we are experiencing the first fruits!

Sometimes the fruits of our hands and hearts are not immediately seen. 

Let us pray for all that we plant physically. May the fruits and vegetables nurture our bodies as the flowers, trees, grasses and shrubs nurture our souls with their beauty.

Let us pray for all that we plant in others. May the ideas, values, and beliefs we instill in others help our world to be a more kind, caring, compassionate, and respectful global community.

Let us pray for all who plant, knowing that they will never see the fruit of their work. May the dreams they have, bear fruit for others to enjoy in the future.

Be well and be at peace!

Pope Leo has invited all Catholics to take up the Rosary in a special way during the month of October.

“I invite everyone to pray the Rosary every day during the coming month—for peace—personally, with your families, and in your communities.”

We encourage you to join in this prayerful effort. Whether prayed quietly on your own, with loved ones at home, or gathered in parish and retreat communities, the Rosary draws us closer to Christ through the eyes of Mary and strengthens our prayer for peace in our world.

If you have never prayed the rosary before, the link below can aid you in doing so:

https://www.usccb.org/how-to-pray-the-rosary

If this is not part of your faith tradition, we invite you to intentionally pray for peace in your own way during these days of October.

Be well and be at peace!

While I was out in Great Bend, Kansas for a meeting, I had the opportunity to visit Cheyenne Bottoms. It is the largest inland wetland area in the US. Millions of birds use it as a stop in their migratory path. It was amazing to see, so it just made sense for it to be our prayer starter this week.

~ So we pray for all winged creatures that grace our skies, flying from one end of our country to another and beyond

~ We pray for all wildlife that migrate with the changing of the seasons

~ For fish and all water creatures of the seas and rivers that travel seasonally to warmer or cooler waters

~ For our brothers and sisters who find a need to migrate from one country to another seeking safety

May we do all in our power to sustain places of rest and refuge for all of God’s creatures.

Be well and be at peace!

Do  you ever wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time going  back to sleep? Or have you ever just had a restless night? I have found  that instead of being anxious that I am not asleep, I can let it be a  good time to pray.

Here are some ways to pray in the middle of the night:

~ Pray by name for all of those you are concerned about

~ Use a breath prayer – on the inhale breath in acceptance, and on the exhale, breath out surrender

~ Pray the rosary or some other form of repetitive prayer

~ Count your blessings instead of sheep

~ Make a mental gratitude list for all that happened the previous day

God gives us the sacred gift of rest – whether awake or asleep, may it be yet another form of prayer!

Be well and be at peace!