January 2015 Prayers

PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7R. (see 18b) From all their distress God rescues the just.I will bless the LORD at all times;his praise shall be ever in my mouth.Let my soul glory in the LORD;the lowly will hear me and be glad.R. From all their distress God rescues the just.Glorify the LORD with me,let us together extol his name.I sought the LORD, and he answered meand delivered me from all my fears. R. From all their distress God rescues the just.Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,and your faces may not blush with shame.When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,and from all his distress he saved him.R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

Ez 17:22-24 Thus says the Lord GOD:I, too, will take from the crest of the cedar,from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot,and plant it on a high and lofty mountain;on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it.It shall put forth branches and bear fruit,and become a majestic cedar.Birds of every kind shall dwell beneath it,every winged thing in the shade of its boughs.And all the trees of the field shall knowthat I, the LORD,bring low the high tree,lift high the lowly tree,wither up the green tree,and make the withered tree bloom.As I, the LORD, have spoken, so will I do.

Mark 4:35-4135 With the coming of evening that same day, he said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.'36 And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.37 Then it began to blow a great gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped.38 But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep.39 They woke him and said to him, 'Master, do you not care? We are lost!' And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Quiet now! Be calm!' And the wind dropped, and there followed a great calm.40 Then he said to them, 'Why are you so frightened? Have you still no faith?'41 They were overcome with awe and said to one another, 'Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.'

Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-7569 and he has established for us a saving power in the House of his servant David,70 just as he proclaimed, by the mouth of his holy prophets from ancient times,71 that he would save us from our enemies and from the hands of all those who hate us,72 and show faithful love to our ancestors, and so keep in mind his holy covenant.73 This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,74 that he would grant us, free from fear, to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,75 to serve him in holiness and uprightness in his presence, all our days.

Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-191 Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of realities that are unseen.2 It is for their faith that our ancestors are acknowledged.8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going.9 By faith he sojourned in the Promised Land as though it were not his, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.10 He looked forward to the well-founded city, designed and built by God.11 It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise was faithful to it.12 Because of this, there came from one man, and one who already had the mark of death on him, descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore which cannot be counted.13 All these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth.14 People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of a homeland.15 If they had meant the country they came from, they would have had the opportunity to return to it;16 but in fact they were longing for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has founded the city for them.17 It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He offered to sacrifice his only son even though he had yet to receive what had been promised,18 and he had been told: Isaac is the one through whom your name will be carried on.19 He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he was given back Isaac from the dead.

Hebrews 10:32-3932 Remember the great challenge of the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days;33 sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to humiliations and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way.34 For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you accepted with joy being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting.35 Do not lose your fearlessness now, then, since the reward is so great.36 You will need perseverance if you are to do God's will and gain what he has promised.37 Only a little while now, a very little while, for come he certainly will before too long.38 My upright person will live through faith but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him.39 We are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faith until our souls are saved.

Mark 4:21-2521 He also said to them, 'Is a lamp brought in to be put under a tub or under the bed? Surely to be put on the lamp-stand?22 For there is nothing hidden, but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light.23 Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'24 He also said to them, 'Take notice of what you are hearing. The standard you use will be used for you -- and you will receive more besides;25 anyone who has, will be given more; anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.'

Hebrews 10:19-2519 We have then, brothers, complete confidence through the blood of Jesus in entering the sanctuary,20 by a new way which he has opened for us, a living opening through the curtain, that is to say, his flesh.21 And we have the high priest over all the sanctuary of God.22 So as we go in, let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our hearts sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.23 Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is trustworthy.24 Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works.25 Do not absent yourself from your own assemblies, as some do, but encourage each other; the more so as you see the Day drawing near.

Mark 4:1-201 Again he began to teach them by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the water and sat there. The whole crowd were at the lakeside on land.2 He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them,3 'Listen! Imagine a sower going out to sow.4 Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up.5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and at once sprang up, because there was no depth of earth;6 and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away.7 Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop.8 And some seeds fell into rich soil, grew tall and strong, and produced a good crop; the yield was thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.'9 And he said, 'Anyone who has ears for listening should listen!'10 When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what the parables meant.11 He told them, 'To you is granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables,12 so that they may look and look, but never perceive; listen and listen, but never understand; to avoid changing their ways and being healed.'13 He said to them, 'Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?14 What the sower is sowing is the word.15 Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard it than Satan at once comes and carries away the word that was sown in them.16 Similarly, those who are sown on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word, welcome it at once with joy.17 But they have no root deep down and do not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, at once they fall away.18 Then there are others who are sown in thorns. These have heard the word,19 but the worries of the world, the lure of riches and all the other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing.20 And there are those who have been sown in rich soil; they hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.'

Hebrews 10:11-1811 Every priest stands at his duties every day, offering over and over again the same sacrifices which are quite incapable of taking away sins.12 He, on the other hand, has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his seat for ever, at the right hand of God,13 where he is now waiting till his enemies are made his footstool.14 By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all who are sanctified.15 The Holy Spirit attests this to us, for after saying:16 No, this is the covenant I will make with them, when those days have come. the Lord says: In their minds I will plant my Laws writing them on their hearts,17 and I shall never more call their sins to mind, or their offences.18 When these have been forgiven, there can be no more sin offerings.

Hebrews 10:1-101 So, since the Law contains no more than a reflection of the good things which were still to come, and no true image of them, it is quite incapable of bringing the worshippers to perfection, by means of the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year.2 Otherwise, surely the offering of them would have stopped, because the worshippers, when they had been purified once, would have no awareness of sins.3 But in fact the sins are recalled year after year in the sacrifices.4 Bulls' blood and goats' blood are incapable of taking away sins,5 and that is why he said, on coming into the world: You wanted no sacrifice or cereal offering, but you gave me a body.6 You took no pleasure in burnt offering or sacrifice for sin;7 then I said, 'Here I am, I am coming,' in the scroll of the book it is written of me, to do your will, God.8 He says first You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the cereal offerings, the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them;9 and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to do your will. He is abolishing the first sort to establish the second.10 And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ made once and for all.

Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-61 [Psalm] Sing a new song to Yahweh, for he has performed wonders, his saving power is in his right hand and his holy arm.2 Yahweh has made known his saving power, revealed his saving justice for the nations to see,3 mindful of his faithful love and his constancy to the House of Israel. The whole wide world has seen the saving power of our God.4 Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth, burst into shouts of joy!5 Play to Yahweh on the harp, to the sound of instruments;6 to the sound of trumpet and horn, acclaim the presence of the King.

Hebrews 9:15, 24-2815 This makes him the mediator of a new covenant, so that, now that a death has occurred to redeem the sins committed under an earlier covenant, those who have been called to an eternal inheritance may receive the promise.24 It is not as though Christ had entered a man-made sanctuary which was merely a model of the real one; he entered heaven itself, so that he now appears in the presence of God on our behalf.25 And he does not have to offer himself again and again, as the high priest goes into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own,26 or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. As it is, he has made his appearance once and for all, at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself.27 Since human beings die only once, after which comes judgement,28 so Christ too, having offered himself only once to bear the sin of many, will manifest himself a second time, sin being no more, to those who are waiting for him, to bring them salvation.

Jonah 3:1-5, 10The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, "Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you." So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

Mark 3:20-2120 He went home again, and once more such a crowd collected that they could not even have a meal.21 When his relations heard of this, they set out to take charge of him; they said, 'He is out of his mind.'

Mark 3:7-127 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeside, and great crowds from Galilee followed him. From Judaea,8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea and Transjordan and the region of Tyre and Sidon, great numbers who had heard of all he was doing came to him.9 And he asked his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, to keep him from being crushed.10 For he had cured so many that all who were afflicted in any way were crowding forward to touch him.11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, would fall down before him and shout, 'You are the Son of God!'12 But he warned them strongly not to make him known.

Psalms 110:1, 2, 3, 41 [Of David Psalm] Yahweh declared to my Lord, 'Take your seat at my right hand, till I have made your enemies your footstool.'2 Yahweh will stretch out the sceptre of your power; from Zion you will rule your foes all around you.3 Royal dignity has been yours from the day of your birth, sacred honour from the womb, from the dawn of your youth.4 Yahweh has sworn an oath he will never retract, you are a priest for ever of the order of Melchizedek

John 1:43-51The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

Psalms 78:3, 4, 6-7, 83 What we have heard and know, what our ancestors have told us4 we shall not conceal from their descendants, but will tell to a generation still to come: the praises of Yahweh, his power, the wonderful deeds he has done.6 that a generation still to come might know it, children yet to be born. They should be sure to tell their own children,7 and should put their trust in God, never forgetting God's great deeds, always keeping his commands,8 and not, like their ancestors, be a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation weak of purpose, their spirit fickle towards God.

Psalms 95:6-7, 8-9, 10-116 Come, let us bow low and do reverence; kneel before Yahweh who made us!7 For he is our God, and we the people of his sheepfold, the flock of his hand. If only you would listen to him today!8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as at the time of Massah in the desert,9 when your ancestors challenged me, put me to the test, and saw what I could do!10 For forty years that generation sickened me, and I said, 'Always fickle hearts; they cannot grasp my ways.'11 Then in my anger I swore they would never enter my place of rest.

Mark 1:21-2821 They went as far as Capernaum, and at once on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and began to teach.22 And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.23 And at once in their synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit, and he shouted,24 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.'25 But Jesus rebuked it saying, 'Be quiet! Come out of him!'26 And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him.27 The people were so astonished that they started asking one another what it all meant, saying, 'Here is a teaching that is new, and with authority behind it: he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.'28 And his reputation at once spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

Mark 1:14-2014 After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the gospel from God saying,15 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.'16 As he was walking along by the Lake of Galilee he saw Simon and Simon's brother Andrew casting a net in the lake -- for they were fishermen.17 And Jesus said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you into fishers of people.'18 And at once they left their nets and followed him.19 Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending the nets.20 At once he called them and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

Luke 4:14-2214 Jesus, with the power of the Spirit in him, returned to Galilee; and his reputation spread throughout the countryside.15 He taught in their synagogues and everyone glorified him.16 He came to Nazara, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day as he usually did. He stood up to read,17 and they handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll he found the place where it is written:18 The spirit of the Lord is on me, for he has anointed me to bring the good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,19 to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the assistant and sat down. And all eyes in the synagogue were fixed on him.21 Then he began to speak to them, 'This text is being fulfilled today even while you are listening.'22 And he won the approval of all, and they were astonished by the gracious words that came from his lips. They said, 'This is Joseph's son, surely?'

Psalms 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-81 [Of Solomon] God, endow the king with your own fair judgement, the son of the king with your own saving justice,2 that he may rule your people with justice, and your poor with fair judgement.3 Mountains and hills, bring peace to the people! With justice4 he will judge the poor of the people, he will save the children of the needy and crush their oppressors.7 In his days uprightness shall flourish, and peace in plenty till the moon is no more.8 His empire shall stretch from sea to sea, from the river to the limits of the earth.

John 1:1-18 or 1:1-5, 9-141 In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God.2 He was with God in the beginning.3 Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him.4 What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men;5 and light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it.6 A man came, sent by God. His name was John.7 He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that everyone might believe through him.8 He was not the light, he was to bear witness to the light.9 The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world.10 He was in the world that had come into being through him, and the world did not recognise him.11 He came to his own and his own people did not accept him.12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in his name13 who were born not from human stock or human desire or human will but from God himself.14 The Word became flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.15 John witnesses to him. He proclaims: 'This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me has passed ahead of me because he existed before me.'16 Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received -- one gift replacing another,17 for the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.18 No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

Psalm, Psalms 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-2012 Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem, Zion, praise your God.13 For he gives strength to the bars of your gates, he blesses your children within you,14 he maintains the peace of your frontiers, gives you your fill of finest wheat.15 He sends his word to the earth, his command runs quickly,19 He reveals his word to Jacob, his statutes and judgments to Israel.20 For no other nation has he done this, no other has known his judgments.

Are you devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Will you like to learn more about the devotion to the Sacred Heart? Join in for prayers, devotion and inspiration. You may request a copy of the Daily Prayers, learn more about the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and submit prayer request by visiting http://sacredheartjesus.org

Let us pray to Christ the King of kings. S life of constant devout prayer is a truly full life.

Are you devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Will you like to learn more about the devotion to the Sacred Heart? Join in for prayers, devotion and inspiration. You may request a copy of the Daily Prayers, learn more about the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and submit prayer request by visiting http://sacredheartjesus.org

There are times when we cannot find the words to ask Christ for forgiveness. Perhaps this prayer can serve you as a stepping stone towards full repentance.

Spend an hour in prayer with Jesus Christ every first Friday of the month. Although we can hone be in the air for 45 minutes at a time, you can request a copy of the handbook containing Holy Hour so that you can complete the prayer on your own. Visit http://sacredhearjesus.org to request your copy.

Is liturgical prayer a bunch of nonsense? Are spontaneous personal prayers the only valid ones?Perhaps you should give liturgical prayer a second look.

Some think liturgical worship is useless and gets on the way of salvation. Are they right? Come and explore the power of liturgical prayer with this short teaching.

Are you devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Will you like to learn more about the devotion to the Sacred Heart? Join in for prayers, devotion and inspiration. You may request a copy of the Daily Prayers, learn more about the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and submit prayer request by visiting http://sacredheartjesus.org

Are you devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Will you like to learn more about the devotion to the Sacred Heart? Join in for prayers, devotion and inspiration. You may request a copy of the Daily Prayers, learn more about the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and submit prayer request by visiting http://sacredheartjesus.org

Are you devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Will you like to learn more about the devotion to the Sacred Heart? Join in for prayers, devotion and inspiration. You may request a copy of the Daily Prayers, learn more about the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and submit prayer request by visiting http://sacredheartjesus.org

Are you devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Will you like to learn more about the devotion to the Sacred Heart? Join in for prayers, devotion and inspiration. You may request a copy of the Daily Prayers, learn more about the Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and submit prayer request by visiting http://sacredheartjesus.org