Sign of the Cross
The Lord's prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen
Hail Mary
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Doxology
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they will be created. And you will renew the face of the Earth.
Reading
I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-17, 24-25)
Meditation
What part of the body is most likely to get out of control?
James 3 tells us it is the tongue: "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. it defiles the whole body ... The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God."
There is a little saying we used to recite as children: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."
In reality, however, the wounds administered by the tongue often hurt far more and longer than physical wounds. This is so often the case in the marriage relationship.
"The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly" (Prov. 26:22).
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. 18:21).
The U.S.News &World Report (Feb. 21, '94) reported on a long-term study of married couples to identify the factors that predict divorce. The most significant factor during both early and later years of marriage was the frequency of insults and putdowns hurled at each other.
May the Holy Spirit help each married couple to control their tongues, to choose their words carefully, and to use their powers of speech to build up, rather than tear down the marriage.
May we learn these lessons from Solomon: "A soft answer turns away wrath ... A word spoken in due season, how good it is!" (Prov. 15:1,23).
Decade of the Rosary
Praying for self-control
Prayer for the Marriage renewal
Father in Heaven, You called Louis and Zélie Martin to holiness through their married life. You gave them as Mother and Father to St. Therese of Lisieux. Through their intercession, we ask you to bless the married couples of our diocese and those who are preparing for marriage. Bless our children and our grandchildren. Guide us by your Holy Spirit to bear witness in our lives to the beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage. Guide us as citizens to make the kind of decisions that will support family life, protect marriage and respect the dignity of children. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord.Amen.
Day one of the Novena for the Marriage Renewal
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