0 Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth
whom nothing can encompass or limit,
who enfolded and held all under Your loving power,
remember the very bitter pain You suffered
when the Jews nailed Your Sacred Hands and Feet
to the Cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails,
and not finding You in a pitiable enough state
O blessed Mary Magdalen, mold of penitents,
obtain for me the grace of perseverance
in the practices of self-denial according
to the spirit of my vows:
From time to time, priests in our rural parts of Fiji are asked to officiate at funerals, where the catechist makes a special request, or the priest himself finds himself free to go.
Almighty God,
for the glory of Your Name
and the salvation of souls,
You conferred upon St. Lawrence,
the spirits of counsel and fortitude.
Grant us, in the same Spirit,
to know what we are to do,
and through his prayers,
to do what we have come to know.
We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
O eternal God and Ruler of all creation,
You have allowed me to reach this hour.
Forgive the sins I have committed this day
by word, deed or thought.
Purify me, O Lord,
from every spiritual and physical stain.
Grant that I may rise from this sleep to glorify You
by my deeds throughout my entire lifetime,
I can still remember that feeling when I first applied to join the Columban lay missionaries. I was not certain of anything, but I definitely pushed myself for it. I was arguing with myself whether or not I should join, but I found myself saying, “Well, nothing’s going to happen if I do not even try.” It was at that moment that I took a leap of faith. When the orientation program started, I was not really expecting much from it. I was telling myself the whole time,
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless
and the treasury of compassion - inexhaustible,
look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy
in us, that in difficult moments we might not
despair nor become despondent, but with
great confidence submit ourselves to Your
holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen.
Most merciful Father, in many ways
you have shown your love and care to your people,
especially to the poor and the sick.
Because your servant St. Camillus has shown
your compassion in an admirable manner,
you have welcomed him among your saints.
We graciously put in St. Camillus’ hands
ourselves and our loved ones, and through his intercession
God, our Father,
I turn to You seeking Your Divine help and guidance
In a world suffering from unemployment,
I need Your wisdom to guide my footsteps along the right path,
and to lead me to find the proper things to say
and do in this quest.
I wish to use the gifts and talents You have given me,
O most blessed and Immaculate Virgin,
ornament and beauty of Mount Carmel,
you who beholds with special kindness
those who wear your blessed Scapular,
look lovingly upon me, and cover me
with the mantle of your motherly protection.
Fortify my weakness with your power,
enlighten the darkness of my understanding with your wisdom,