Prayer Resources
International Solidarity Reflection: May 2019
"Both Mother Theresa and Mother Caroline understood the power of education to energize human beings, especially young women, assisting them to gain independence, to grow in self-esteem and personal freedom and, thus, to transform society."
In communities designated as Shalom Centers of Prayer for Peace, sisters throughout the world pray each day of every month for peace and commit to being actively involved in peace building.
Join us as we pray for peace in ourselves, in our homes, and in our world.
Join our sisters of the Hungarian Province as they pray Lauds.
Peace Prayer
O God, you are the source of life and peace. Praised be your name forever. We know it is you who turns our minds to thoughts of peace in this time of war.
We pray that enemies begin to speak to one another; that those who are estranged join hands in friendship; that nations seek the way of PEACE.
Strengthen our resolve to give witness to these truths by the way we live. Give to us: understanding that puts an end to strife; mercy that quenches hatred; and forgiveness that overcomes vengeance.
Empower all people to live your law of LOVE. Amen
In Solidarity with All Creation
Oh how beautiful are your ways, O God, the works of your creation.
Raise our consciousness to know and feel deeply in our hearts our connectedness to all that is.
Instill in us the gift of being co-creators and sustainers of LIFE.
Teach us new and unsuspected ways of living so that current and future generations can walk humbly in beauty, love all compassionately and live justly in solidarity with all creation.
Loving and gracious God, give us the courage to seek this transformation of self and society and the strength to see it through.
Amen
(Shalom, School Sisters of Notre Dame Green Team, Prayers for a Just & Sustainable World)
Prayer for an End to Human Trafficking
O God, our words cannot express what our minds can barely comprehend and our hearts feel when we hear of children and adults deceived and transported to unknown places for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor because of human greed.
Our hearts are saddened and our spirits angry that their dignity and rights are being transgressed through threats, deception, and force.
We cry out against the degrading practice of trafficking and pray for it to end.
Strengthen the fragile-spirited and broken-hearted.
Make real your promises to fill these our sisters and brothers with a love that is tender and good, and send the exploiters away empty handed.
Give us the wisdom and courage to stand in solidarity with them, that together we will find ways to the freedom that is your gift to all of us.
Amen.
(Gen Cassani, SSND)
Prayer for the Congregational Novitiate
Loving God, you have blessed our congregation in countless ways throughout our history.
May all our women in initial formation, especially those preparing for their canonical year in Rome, grasp deeply and live joyfully their call to consecrated life.
Fill them with zeal for the struggle for unity in the spirit of Mother Theresa.
Deepen in them passion for the Eucharist, Gospel poverty, transformative education, and the dignity of women – the challenging facets of our charism that people everywhere so deeply need and long for.
Help each of us to support the new Novitiate by our own daily efforts to live faithfully the enduring vision of You Are Sent.
Amen
Spirit of Shalom
Ignite us with the fire of your love.
Enflame our hearts with courage
to embrace dialogue that transforms
and truth that frees.
Kindle our love with kindness
to heal divisions
and reconcile relationships.
Light our imaginations with insight
to envision and create a world
where all are one.
Stir our actions with justice and peace
to engage critical concerns
and cherish all of life.
Fire our lives with audacity and hope
to risk all for God’s mission,
for love cannot wait.
Litany to Blessed Theresa of Jesus
Blessed Theresa of Jesus:
Pray for us.
Blessed Woman of Vision:
Pray that we may learn to hope against hope.
Blessed Foundress of the School Sisters of Notre Damę:
Help us to risk innovative responses to the needs of our times.
Blessed Resourceful Pioneer Woman:
Help us discover unsuspected ways of sharing what we have, especially with the poor and marginalized as we search for new channels of service in the universal Church.
Blessed Woman of Decision:
Help us to be attentive to God’s will, ready to discern direction through reflection, prayer and dialogue.
Blessed Woman of Vitality:
Help us foster wholeness of life through reverence and acceptance of ourselves and others as we grow to maturity in Christ.
Blessed Woman of Patience and Perseverance:
Help us to take time to choose ways of living and ministering that call to growth so that our roots will be more sturdy and our flowering more lovely.
Blessed Woman of Fidelity:
Help us fulfill our mutual responsibility of being sister to one another.
Blessed Woman of Unity:
Remind us daily how Eucharist calls us to deeper communion with God and among people wherever we are, in every place, in every time, in every situation.
Blessed Woman of Apostolic Zeal:
Teach us how uncompromising are the demands of selfless love.
Blessed Woman of Poverty:
Continue to show us how to stand before God empty, accepting our humanness, clinging to nothing, and contented with what we receive.
Blessed Woman of Simplicity:
Help us to live so simply that others can also enjoy the gifts of God to this earth.
Blessed Woman of Courage:
Help us learn that God’s power is at best in our weakness.
Blessed Woman of Obedience:
Help us live our vow of obedience that binds us together to pray, to probe, to listen and to reflect in order to know and carry out God’s will.
Blessed Woman of Reconciliation:
Help us identify so deeply in the pattern of Christ1s life that we may daily grow in our ability to speak the truth in love, to forgive freely, and to welcome all into our hearts.
Blessed Woman of Prayer:
Teach us to listen and live in reverence for all life.
Blessed Woman of Mary:
Help us practice that truest of all devotion to Mary is doing whatever God tells us.
Litany of Blessed Sister Maria Antonina
(for private use)
Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison
Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven … have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world …
God the Holy Spirit …
Holy Trinity, one God …
Holy Mary … pray for us.
Mother of our congregation …
Blessed Sister Antonina … we thank you
Example of unceasing union with the Father …
Courageous follower of Jesus …
Whole-heartedly surrendering to the Holy Spirit …
With eyes directed on the gentleness and humility of Mary …
Fervent lover of Saint Joseph …
Filled with simple goodness and love … intercede for us.
Obedient to God in everything …
Radiating with your own authority …
Simple and poor in spirit and in life …
Unshaken in your trust of God …
Filled with joy and serenity of spirit …
Devoted to children and youth …
Loving and creative in the ministry of education …
Striving for unity in the community of sisters …
Open and sensitive to the needs of the poor …
Lovingly dedicated to the young members of the congregation …
Shining with an attitude of heroic faith …
Seeking God in everyday prayer …
Fervent in your concern for reconciliation and harmony …
Firm in accepting cross …
Spiritually supporting your co-prisoners …
Authentically loving the enemies …
Full of forgiveness for all people …
Overcoming evil with true love …
Fearlessly risking in faith …
Committed until the end to the Will of God …
A worthy daughter of Blessed Mother Theresa … pray for us.
Pride of our congregation …
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world … spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world … graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world … have mercy on us.
Let us pray:
Almighty, faithful God, on the threshold of the Third Millennium, you gave to our congregation a great gift in the person of Sister Maria Antonina, who proclaimed the Good News of your Kingdom, and gave her life out of love. Grant that we, who are abundantly filled with your graces, and with our eyes fixed on the testimony of Sister Antonina’s life, might sing a hymn of gratitude in your praise. With your help, may we ever morę courageously and faithfully follow the example of the life of our blessed Sister. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
With the permission of the Diocesan Chancery, Opole, April 30, 1999, No. 404/99/I
Translated from Polish.
Liturgical Texts
Approved for the celebration of the Liturgy on the occasion of the Feast of Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger. (May 9)
(Probatum et confirmatum Sacra Congregtio pro Culto Divino Prot. 1381/85, October 20, 1985).
Opening Prayer
Almighty and merciful God,
you chose Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus, virgin, as gifted educator to contribute to shaping Christian life in family and society.
Through her intercession enable us to proclaim the good news of salvation and to work together for the coming of your kingdom of love in its fullness.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts (Common for Teachers)
Lord, accept the gifts your people bring in memory of Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus.
May our sharing in this mystery help us to live the example of love you give us.
Grant this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Prayer after Communion (Common for Teachers)
All-powerful God,
May this holy meal help us to follow the example of Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus by showing in our lives the light of truth and love for our brothers and sisters.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
(Probatum et confirmatum Sacra Congregtio pro Culto Divino Prot. 1381/85, October 20, 1985).
Litany of Blessed Theresa
Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus … pray for us.
Graced foundress of the Congregation of the School Sisters of Notre Dame …
Untiring apostle in the service of God’s reign …
Courageous missionary with a world vision …
Humble servant of the Lord …
Faithfiil follower of the poor Christ …
Spirit-filled leader of your sisters …
Woman of deep faith …
Gentle mother of poor children …
Patient sufferer …
Woman of prayer …
Enlightened educator…
Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus … we ask your help
That we may treasure and love the life of the spirit …
That we may take the following of Christ seriously …
That we may continually draw strength from a deep prayer life …
That Christ in the Eucharist may become morę and morę the center of our life …
That daily we may be open to conversion and penance …
That we may be attentive to the voice of God in our times …
That we may have compassion for the poor and share with them gladly …
That we may be one with Mary in her spirit of obedience and fidelity …
That those whom God is calling to religious life may respond generously …
Together: God, you know our needs and concerns Hear us through the prayer of Blessed Mary Theresa of Jesus and strengthen us to continue Christ’s mission. We ask this in the name of Jesus and in the power of your Spirit.
Amen.
Printable pdf of these prayer cards on either A4 or letter size page.