Father, you confirm the true faith
with the crown of martyrdom.
May the prayers of St Thomas Becket
give us the courage to proclaim our faith
by the witness of our lives.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen
The Subanens are an indigenous people whose ancestral habitat is the highlands of northwestern Mindanao in the Philippines. When the Columban Fathers arrived in Mindanao in 1938 we took little noticed of the Subanens because we were so engaged in a full schedule of parish pastoral activities which included dozens of far flung barrio communities.
There is a certain rhythm in our life cycle
of birth, growth, aging and death.
With the pandemic, this passing of stages
in life has been abruptly changed for so
many people.
Lord, help us at this time when our brothers
and sisters are in pain and dealing
with sickness and loss due to the
corona virus
O Jesus, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father,
we most fervently implore You,
through Mary Your ever-blessed Mother
and St. Joseph Your foster father,
take our children under Your special charge
and enclose them in the love of Your Sacred Heart.
They are the children of Your Father in Heaven,
created after His own image;
they are Your possession,
O glorious St. Stephen, first Martyr for the Faith,
filled with compassion for those who invoke you,
with love for those who suffer,
heavily laden with the weight of my troubles.
I kneel at your feet and humbly beg you
to take my present needs under your special protection.
Recommend it to our Lord Jesus.
Dear Jesus,
At Christmas you come to us as the gift of God’s very self.
You embrace us with your love that never fades, diminishes, or weakens.
Help us all to reflect your love in acts of understanding and compassion
especially for the poor and all who have less in life.
This time of pandemic is deeply challenging.
Encourage, heal and support us.
O God, who made this most holy night
to shine forth with the brightness of the true Light,
grant we beseech You, that we who have known
the mystery of Your light on earth,
may attain the enjoyment of His happiness in heaven.
Who lives and reigns with You forever and ever.
These days there can be a feeling
of impending doom, O Lord.
Help us to trust that you will not
abandon us, while suffering flows
around the world.
Lord, let us trust in your goodness
to strengthen us in this time of pandemic
that we may know, love
and serve you with greater zeal
each and every day.
Lord, Your presence makes my life whole.
Take away my pride so that I have the courage
to change the attitudes, habits and behaviors
that prevent me from being more like you.
While the rest of the world shops and parties frenetically in December, the people in Fiji busy themselves too – in providing retreats, carol singing and charitable outreaches to the less fortunate. One such day (for the Spiritual Year community of Columban seminarians) was Saturday, December 14, 2019.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.
We go in the name of the Church to announce, by deed and word, the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Missionary Society of St. Columban
1902 N. Calhoun
St. Columbans, NE 68056
Phone: 877-299-1920
Fax: 402-291-4984
email: mission@columban.org
