Inspiring Prayer Resources
from Holy Week 2020
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A Prayer in Time of Extraordinary Suffering
Lord, we come to you in our suffering
As one faith community
We lift our prayers
You alone can sustain us
Hear the longing.We drop to our knees humbled by this suffering
We turn to you, our heavenly Father, pleading
Bring healing to your people
Help us grow closer to you in our needWe are helpless without you, fragile beyond recognition.
We admit our smallness, ingratitude, and indifference
Worshiping the things of this world
Serving ourselves and not others
We’ve stripped bare the richness you intended
Lord, you call us day and night to be one
Help us serve your people in need
May we bring only love and goodness in your name.Change us Lord, you have our attention
Our eyes are open
Renew us, awaken us
We thirst for you, LordTouch us in our suffering.
Anonymous SJE Parishioner
April 7, 2020
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With all that’s going on today, it’s important that we seek inspiration to sustain a balance in our daily lives in order to keep our mind and spirit open to the message of God. This page is provided to help you do this.
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Links
- Listen to Fr. Ethan on Relevant Radio
- Kid's Mary Mother Prayer with Fr. Dave
- Seven Last Words
- Las Siete Palabras Finales (Spanish)
- Stations of the Cross (English)
- Stations of the Cross for Kids
- El Viacrucis (Spanish)
- National Prayer in Good Friday
- Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday
- Visit Franciscan Media for Inspiring Insights
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A Excerpt from an Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
“I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.
“I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.
“For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.
“Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.
“See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.
“I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.
“But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.
“The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages.”