Hej allihopa,

 

Igår morse vaknade jag till de senaste nyheterna från Irland om prästers barnövergrepp och kände mig lite bedrövad.  Givetvis känner jag starkt medlidande med alla offer. Samtidigt är det väldigt svårt för de många oskyldiga prästerna och alla djupt troende katoliker. När sådana saker händer är det lätt att bli nedstämd och tvivla. Jag fick lite tröst från gårdagens läsningen från Daniels bok.  Många dåliga saker händer, men Guds rike kommer att stå för evigt.

 

 

Some thoughts on today's scripture from Sacred Space.   Friday 27th November

 

 

In the middle of all sorts of natural and economic and other disasters, the word of God offers truth and a strong place. It is a rock on which we stand, and on which we withstand forces of evil in the culture and in our own lives. There is something about Jesus which never passes away. We find that in prayer.

 

Några tankar om dagens bibelord från Heligt Rum.  Fredag 27e November 

Mitt ibland natur- och ekonomiska katastrofer och alla andra slags förödelser, ger Guds ord oss sanning och säkerhet. Det är en klippa som vi befinner oss på och på den står vi emot de ondskefulla makterna i vår kultur och våra liv. Det finns något hos Jesus som aldrig förgår. Det finner vi när vi ber.

 

Fr. Johnny´s brev var också uppmuntrande.

 

Det är väldigt glädjande att Anna i Luleå översätter Fr. Johnny´s brev.  Nu när det översätts till svenska finns det kanske flera som vill ha brevet mejlat. I   fall är det bra om jag får deras emailadress. 

 

Ha en fin vecka och en fin Första Advent.

 

Varma hälsningar;

Colette                                          

 

 

Fr. Johnnys brev hittar du på svenska här.

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Johnny Doherty

To: Murphy, Eoin ; McCarroll, Andrew ; Curran, Paddi ; Hickey, Michael ; Johnnson, Colette ; parish, Ardmore

Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2009 12:20 AM

Subject: Advent 1

 

 

Dear friends,

 

And so we begin another year of journeying with each other and with the Lord.  I thank God for this past year with you and with so many wonderful people.  Please God this next year will be a very good one for all of us in our life of faith.  I attach the Couple Prayer/Newsletter piece for the First Sunday of Advent.  I hope it will be of service to you and to those you share it with.  You are in my prayers that God may be with you and bless you.

 

Johnny

www.eskercommunity.org

 

 THE COUPLE THAT PRAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.

 

Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R.

 

November 29th – December 5th    Our liberation from fear. 

 

 

Jesus said to his disciples: “hold your heads high, for your liberation is close at hand”.  Over the past few years, with all the revelations of scandals in the Church and society, there is a lot for us to be ashamed of and repent for.  However, the resulting despair that some people have experienced is not necessary because there continues to be so much goodness in the Church and society that we can be proud of.  This week we begin a new year in our journey of faith with Christ.  It is an opportunity to once again have confidence in his presence with us, and his power in us.  Without in any way being unrealistic, this is a time to look towards him to save us and to set us free.  We will find that freedom in how we are with one another in our homes and in our parish community as we approach Christmas and beyond with love rather than selfishness. 

 

Morning Prayer, when together

 

All-powerful God,

increase our strength of will for doing good

that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming

and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

 

During the day, when apart.

 

Father, from all you give us

we present our love for one another in marriage.

As we serve you now, accept our offering

and sustain us with your promise of eternal life.

We ask this through Christ Our Lord.

 

Evening/Night Prayer together.

 

Father, may our marriage and family life

teach us to love heaven.

May its promise and hope

guide our way on earth.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Questions for Action for the week.

 

For your marriage:  In what ways would you like to have greater freedom in your relationship with your wife/husband?  Share these this week.

 

For others:  Do you know anyone who is ‘imprisoned’ in any way?  Contact them this week.   

 www.loveisforlife.com

PRAYER REQUESTS

 

 

1.      Please pray for my daughter Sinead who is very sick at the moment after an operation. She needs all your prayers to recover full health.

 

2.      Pray for Jim & Mary - thank you for your prayers.

 

3.      Please pray for the restoration of my marriage and my family. Please help me pray for my husband's enlightenment, guidance and healing and that he may come to accept God in his life.

 

4.      I ask for prayers for my marriage. Please pray that God will give us the graces we need to restore the love, trust and commitment that we need to fulfil this sacrament.  Please pray for healing for us and reunite us. Amen.

 

5.      Please pray for my marriage, my husband will give back his love to me and our child. He will remove his love and attention to his mistress. Hoping that our marriage life will be full of love and God's love.

 

6.      Please pray for a husband and wife who are going through a marriage separation; pray for the hurt and pain to ease, communication to open up and healing to begin between them.

 

7.      Prayer to St. Gerard for my husband Christopher who says his love for me is gone. He says it is not like when we first met. He feels he is an awful person and does not deserve to be loved. I pray to God every day to hold his heart in his hands.

 

8.      My marriage is on the brink of separation and financial ruin because of a (serious) lack of honesty and commitment from my husband.  We are in desperate need of God's miraculous grace to save us!  I have five children who are affected by this.  "St. Michael the Archangel, defend us...."

 

9.      I kindly ask you to pray that God will grant me grace to see my wedding day. I also pray that God will pour out His blessing bountifully on my fiancé. I pray also for safe travel for my spouse.

 

10.  Please pray for a Church of Scotland couple who have asked us to keep them in our hearts.  They are in love but have distance and financial difficulties making it hard for them to plan a future.  They sound like a very beautiful couple.  Their email was lengthy so I am summarising it here.

 

11.  Please pray for my daughter and her husband. They have two children she is going through a bad time, he tells her to leave as he doesn’t love her any more. He doesn’t want counselling. Please pray that things will change. I’m very worried about her. Thank you.

 

1.      Please pray for the restoration of marriage for a couple I know.

 

2.      Prayers for someone who has heart and chest trouble. stomach trouble and back problems

 

3.      Healing prayers for someone with cancer please

 

4.      Please Lord God put the right man in my life soon I’m so lonely, and help everyone in our three families not be lonely in Jesus name I pray.  Amen

 

5.      Please pray for our marriage. Pray that we can be more loving and considerate, understanding towards each other, and also that my husband realises that his family should be more important than work. Help us keep our home a happy home.

 

6.      Can you, please, fervently pray For COMPLETE RECONCILIATION with my loved one That we MEET and TALK, THAT GOD FORM LINES OF GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US,KEEP US IN HIS CARE and HELP US TO WORK OUT ALL PROBLEM That my love DOES NOT GET INVOLVED IN ANY NEW RELATIONSHIP, but THAT WE START AGAIN, continue OUR WAY TOGETHER and officially get married! God gives promises, and I know He is FAITHFUL! I am sure when your prayers join mine we will surely receive a miracle. I am praying with Faith and please help me in this. Thank you very much. God bless you. I pray for you. Praise the Lord for He hears prayers and answers them.

 

7.      Please help heal my husband’s heart through enlightenment. He is in a heart mind struggle and he lost. Bring my family back please. A friend needs help and fast; he’s drifting away.

 

8.      Please save our marriage w/ my husband that our love, patience, understanding and trust will last forever...And we're praying also for a baby...Hope we can have one beautiful baby soon. Thank you so much and Godspeed! Please pray for my marriage. Trust has been broken. Husband is a recovering addict and relapsed. Draining the bank account and my trust in him. Give us strength to do God's will.

                

 

New Publications: Veritas has published a new book by Fr. Johnny Doherty, C.Ss.R. called Do you want to be well again? Thoughts and prayers at times of sickness.  It can be purchased from any Veritas bookshop. ISBN 1 85390 862 2 or from their website www.veritas.ie Another book by the same author together with Fr. Oliver Crilly, Paddi Curran and Frank Dolaghan, which has been published more recently, is called Think Big, Act Small – Working at Collaborative Ministry Through Parish Pastoral Councils ISBN  1 85390995 5

 

One of our major undertakings in Love is for Life Trust is working with couples preparing for marriage.  It is a great joy and we have a very good residential programme for it.  These weekends are held in Esker Retreat House, Athenry, Co. Galway.  If you know of couples getting married in Ireland please encourage them to look up our website for dates for this year: www.loveisforlife.com