Lost Prayers #14

Short Rosary of the Precious Blood

Incline unto my aid, O God.

O Lord, make haste to help me

Glory be to the Father...

First Mystery

Jesus shed blood in His circumcision.

Five Our Fathers, Glory be to Father...

We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Second Mystery

Jesus shed blood in the agony in the garden.

Five Our Fathers, Glory be to Father...

We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Third Mystery

Jesus shed blood in His scourging.

Five Our Fathers, Glory be to Father

We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Fourth Mystery

Jesus shed blood in His crowning with thorns.

Five Our Fathers, Glory be to Father...

We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Fifth Mystery

Jesus shed blood in carrying His cross.

Five Our Fathers, Glory be to Father...

We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Sixth Mystery

Jesus shed blood in His crucifixion.

Five Our Fathers, Glory be to Father...

We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Seventh Mystery

Jesus shed blood and water from His wounded side.

Five Our Fathers, Glory be to Father...

We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Prayer

O most precious blood, source of eternal life, the price and ransom of the entire world, refreshment and laver of our souls, which dost continually advocate the cause of man before the throne of the sovereign mercy, I adore thee profoundly, and wish, as far as in me lies, to compensate the injuries and the barbarous treatment which thou continually receivest from those, and especially those, who rashly dare to blaspheme thee. Oh! who will not bless this blood of infinite value? Who will not feel his heart inflamed with love for Jesus, that shed it? What would have become of me if I were not redeemed by this divine blood? But what has drained the sacred veins of my Lord of His blood, even to the last drop? Ah! it was surely His love. O infinite love, which has bestowed on us this all-healing balsam! O inestimable balsam, springing from the fountain of immense love! Oh! make all hearts and all tongues praise, glorify, and thank Thee, now and for all eternity. Amen.

Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, with Thy blood.

And hast made us a king to our God.

Let us pray.

O Almighty and eternal God, Who hast appointed Thy only begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and wouldst be appeased by His blood; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may so venerate, with solemn worship, this price of our redemption, as to be protected by its virtue from the evils of this present life, and enjoy eternal rewards in heaven; Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

From The Treasury of the Sacred Heart, 1877

Interacting with Samuel, Part 1

Many of us read the Bible often, but do we truly interact with what we read? Or more importantly, do we truly interact with God, Who is the Author of what we read? In the series that begins with this post, we'll be reading through the two Books of Samuel slowly and carefully. For each chapter, I'll provide a set of questions designed to help us enter into a conversation with the text and with God. These question sets will not replace a commentary (I suggest the Navarre Bible and/or the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible), but they will lead us to reflect more deeply on God's Word.

1 Samuel 1

* What do you think about Hannah's position as the childless wife? How does it affect her character? How is God using her situation? What is He trying to teach her?

*Why is Peninnah so nasty to Hannah?

*Why do Elkanah's attempts to comfort Hannah fail?

*What motives lie behind Hannah's vow?

*Why does Eli so easily misjudge Hannah's silent prayer? What do you think about Hannah's response to Eli? What does their interaction show us about them?

*What does it mean that the Lord “remembered” Hannah?

*How do you think Hannah must have felt when she left her son, Samuel, with Eli? Why did she do it?

1 Samuel 2

*What are some similarities and differences between Hannah's song and Mary's Magnificat?

*What evidence does Hannah provide about God's control over the lives of His people?

*How does Hannah act as a prophet?

*What is at the heart of the sins of Eli's sons?

*How is Hannah rewarded for her generosity?

*Why is Eli held responsible for the sins of his sons?

*How does God's punishment (as foretold by the nameless prophet) perfectly fit the crimes of Eli and his sons?

*Who is the faithful priest God predicts through the nameless prophet (as prophecy often has more than one level, there may be more than one answer)?

Psalm 37: The Do Not Fret Psalm

“Do not fret...” “Do not fret...” “Do not fret...” Three times the writer of Psalm 37 (mostly like King David) implores us to calm down and let go of our worry and upset. The Hebrew word he uses is charah, and in the form used in the psalm, it literally means to heat oneself up in vexation, to kindle a fire of distress deep within. Indeed, when we fret, we kindle a flame in our minds that easily burns out of control and, if we're not careful, could consume us and make our lives miserable.

But how do we stop fretting? When we look at the world around us, we see evil everywhere...violence, hatred, horrors. Sorrows and sufferings invade our lives and the lives of our loved ones. We never know what tomorrow will bring. We don't even know what the next minute will bring. All of these things frighten us, shake us, and make us aware of our fragility, and so we fret.

But David gives us some excellent reasons to put aside our fretting. God is in control. He knows exactly what is going on in the world and in each of us. He knows what is best, and He will solve each and every problem in His own time. The wicked will experience the consequences of their evil. The righteous, even though they may suffer long, will be vindicated in the end and live forever in the land of the Lord.

In the meantime, God gives us strength to cope day by day with whatever we must face. He makes our steps firm as we walk His path. He delights in our smallest efforts to reach out to Him. He picks us up when we fall. He holds us by the hand and guides us at every moment. He will never, ever forsake us, never abandon us. He will rescue us from our trials and save us in His love.

What then must we do? David gives us five specific ways to douse the fire of our agitations and worries:

*“Trust in the Lord, and do good”

*“Take delight in the Lord”

*“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him”

*“Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him”

*“Wait for the Lord, and keep to His way”

We should all post these five instructions in visible places throughout our homes and turn to them whenever we feel ourselves beginning to fret.

Finally, David assures us once more of God's protection and love: “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their refuge in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.”

If God is truly our refuge, our protector, and our savior, then why should we ever feel the need to fret?

(The Hebrew definition comes from Biblehub.com.)