Sr. Sue's Thoughts on Prayer

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!