Lord, guide our feet in the way of peace.

This booklet of prayers was prepared by Fr. Phil for the Parish Pilgrimage to Santa Fe, New Mexico in October 2024. May they be useful to you on your own pilgrimage. The booklet is formatted for 8-1/2 x 14" paper. The texts of the prayers follow below.

Pilgrim Prayers.pdf

On this journey of faith, we should remind ourselves of the reasons for our resolve to go on this holy pilgrimage. The places we intend to visit are monuments to the devotion of the people of God. They have gone there for centuries in great numbers to be strengthened by Christ and to become more determined to devote themselves to the works of charity. We must also try to bring something to the faithful who live there: our example of faith, hope, and charity. In this way, both they and we will be enriched by the prayers we offer and the compassion we give each other.

Father and Guide

Loving Father. you guided the people of Israel

with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Lead and be present on our pilgrimage.

Be for us the guide at the crossroads,

Our breath in our weariness,

Our protection in danger,

Our true home where we stay,

Our shade in the heat,

Our warmth in the cold,

Our light in the darkness,

Our consolation in our discouragements,

And our strength in our intentions.

Fill us with the grace of the Holy Spirit

to see your actions in this journey.

Hear the prayers we send up in the holy places,

offered for the Church, the world, our family, friends and enemies.

So that with your guidance we may arrive safe and sound

at the end of the road, and enriched with grace and virtue

return safely to our homes filled with joy.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christ be my companion

Lord Jesus Christ, set our hearts aflame as you did when walking with your disciples on the road to Emmaus and then made your presence known to them in the breaking of the bread.  Be our companion on this pilgrimage, enlighten our hearts to know you more deeply, and fill us with the fervor of the Holy Spirit.  May we experience you in the hearts of all we meet.  Finally, when this pilgrimage on earth has ended, gather us all into the kingdom where you live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Inspire us with the gifts of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers to the Mother of God

Mother of God, Our Victorious Leader

O most holy Mother of God,

Protection of Christians,

Intercessor to our Holy Maker, unwavering,

Reject not the prayerful cries of those who love you.

Instead, come to us, for you are good;

Your loving help bring unto us,

Who are crying in faith to you:

Hasten to intercede

And quickly now go to your Son,

Be a protection for all time,

Mother of the Savior, for those who honor you.  Amen.

Mother of God, She who shows the way

O Blessed Lady, who in giving birth

to Christ our God offered us the hope of salvation,

Your Son and God is the way, the truth and the life.

Show us always the way to your Son.

Help us to always live in his truth.

Walk with us in the life he gives.

As champion and companion of the Christian people,

Defend us and hide us under your mantle,

So we may reach our destination in safety in this life,

And in the world to come know the joy of our eternal home.  Amen.

Mother of God, Queen of Peace

I entreat you, O Virgin of Peace,

Disperse the storms of my life,

and the soul's inward confusion,

Scatter it far from me;

You are the Bride of God,

For you have brought forth the Christ,

the Prince of Peace;

Only, all-blameless Mother.

Having brought forth unto us

the cause and giver of every good,

From your great abundance of kindness,

Pour forth upon us all;

For all is possible

For you who carried the Christ,

Who is mighty in power; You, who are blessed of God.  Amen.

Mother of God, Our Refuge

Beneath your compassion

We take refuge, O Mother of God:

do not despise our petitions in time of trouble:

but rescue us from dangers,

only pure one, only blessed one.  (2^nd century)

For the companionship of my Guardian Angel

Lord God, send my angel to protect me and deliver me from every evil assault of enemies both visible and invisible; may my guardian angel help me to fulfill your commandments, guiding me on my way peacefully, profitably, and soundly, and bringing me back again safely and in peace. Grant that I may fulfill all my good intentions for your honor and glory and that of your holy Church. For yours it is to be merciful and to save us, and to you do we send up glory, to you, O Father, with your only begotten Son and your most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

St. Michael, defend us and pray for us!

Guardian Angels, defend us and pray for us!

Questions for Reflection on a Pilgrimage

When you reach the destinations of your local pilgrimage, consider the following questions that you can pray with or think about.

• What is important or special to you about this particular pilgrimage site?
• Why have you made this journey?
• What are your intentions for this pilgrimage?
• Do you have any hopes motivating you to go on this journey?
• What kinds of sacrifices have you made to be on pilgrimage?
• Are there habits, idols, or other areas of your life that you can offer to the Lord as you make this pilgrimage?
• Who inspired you in your faith life? Who was your mentor? Who introduced you to Christ, the Church, and/or your Catholic faith? Think of these people as your spiritual companions on the journey today. What do you imagine they would say to you at this moment on your pilgrimage journey?
• What motivates you to keep active in your faith life?
• What Scripture passages do you return to often? Why those passages?
• Is there a longing in your heart you wish to bring to the Lord today? Something that seems so far off or impossible that you may doubt that it could come to reality?

The Itinerarium

 Prayer before travel  (Roman Breviary)

The non bolded is said by the superior or presider

The bold is said by the people

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 Save us from all evil and guide our feet on the ways of peace.

Blessed be the Lord, + the God of Israel;

He has come to His people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,

Born of the house of His servant David.

Through His holy prophets He promised of old

That He would save us from our enemies,

From the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

And to remember His holy Covenant.

This was the oath He swore to our father Abraham:

To set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship Him without fear,

Holy and righteous in His sight

All the days of our life.

You, My child, shall be called

The prophet of the Most High,

For you will go before the Lord to prepare His way,

To give his people knowledge of salvation

By the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our Lord

The dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

And the shadow of death,

And to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

Save us from all evil and guide our feet on the ways of peace.

Lord, have mercy.    Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.    Lord, have mercy.

Taught by our Savior's command and formed by the word of God we dare to pray

Our Father…

Save your servants who trust in you, O God. (Psalm 86:2)
O Lord, send help from the holy place. Support us, we beseech you, from Zion. (Psalm 20:2)

You have been a refuge for us, a tower of strength in the face of the enemy.  (Psalm 61:3)
Let not the enemy prevail against us.  (Psalm 13:3)

Or the sons of iniquity dare to harm us. (Psalm 13:4)

Blessed be the Lord.
Day by day he bears our burdens. He is the God who saves us. (Psalm 68:19)

Your ways, O Lord make known to me.
Teach us your paths. (Psalm 25:4)

If only our ways were unwavering in keeping your commands! (Psalm 119:5)
The uneven way shall be made level, and the rough places smooth. (Isaiah 40:4)

He will give a command to his angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)

O Lord, hear my prayer,
and let my cry for help come unto you. (Psalm 102:1)

The superior or presider prays

Let us pray.

O God, you made the children of Israel walk dry-shod through the midst of the sea, and by the guiding of a star you showed the wise men from the east the way that led to you. Grant us a safe and quiet journey. Let your holy angel accompany us during our earthly pilgrimage, that in the end we may attain the haven of eternal salvation. Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Or

O God, you called your servant Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, and you kept him from evil on all the paths of his journey. O Lord, keep us, be our help when we go forward, our comfort by the way, our shadow from the heat, our covering from the rain and the cold, our chariot when we are weary, our refuge in trouble, our staff on uncertain paths, our safety in disaster. Lead us that we may happily reach our destination and return home safely.  Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Beneath your compassion

we take refuge, O Mother of God,

turn not away our supplications in our necessity,

but deliver us from perils,

O only pure and blessed one.  (Sub Tuum, 3^rd century)

The Lord be with you.

and with your spirit.

Bow your heads to the Lord

May the almighty and merciful Lord lead us into the way of peace, and may his holy angels be with us on our way so that we may come to our destination in peace, health, and happiness.  Amen.

May Almighty God bless you….

Let us go forth in peace.
In the name of the Lord. Amen.

Mass Intentions  (Part 2)

The History of 0ffering Masses for loved ones, friends or specific needs

 We are meant to have a relationship with Christ through His Church.  While other Christians may also enter into the presence of God for all eternity, the Catholic Orthodox Churches have the assurance of the Lord that all the necessary “means” of salvation are present in these Churches.  Since we are not God we cannot simply say, “Grandma is with God in heaven.”  We don’t know this for a fact.  Our prayers offered for them are signs of our love.

 “Because we considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them.  Therefore, it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they might be loosed of their sins.”   2 Maccabees, 12, 45-46

 Please keep in mind that the tradition of offering Masses for others living or dead, or for particular needs, originates in the very early Church. Inscriptions discovered on tombs in Roman catacombs of the second century offer evidence of this practice: for example, the epitaph on the tomb of Abercius (d. 180), Bishop of Hieropolis in Phrygia, (now Turkey) begs for prayers for the repose of his soul. Tertullian (c. 200) attested to observing the anniversary of a spouse with prayers and sacrifices, i.e. the Mass:

 “Indeed, she prays for his soul, and requests refreshment for him meanwhile, and fellowship with him in the first resurrection; and she offers her sacrifice on the anniversaries of his falling asleep.” (On Monogamy, X)

 The Canons of Hippolytus (c. 235) explicitly mentions the offering of prayers for the dead during the Mass. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386), in one of his many teachings offered to catechumens, explained how at Mass both the living and dead are remembered, and how the Eucharistic Sacrifice of our Lord is of benefit to sinners, living and dead.  St. Ambrose (d. 397) preached, “We have loved them during life; let us not abandon them in death, until we have conducted them by our prayers into the house of the Lord.” St. John Chrysostom (d. 407) stated, “Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.” St. Augustine (d. 430) recorded the dying wishes of his mother, St. Monica in his Confessions: “One thing only I ask you, son, that you remember me at the altar of the Lord wherever you may be.” Finally, Pope St. Gregory (d. 604) said, “Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.”

 Given this understanding, we can add some specifics. When a priest offers Holy Mass, he prays in union with the whole Church and for the good of the whole Church. Also, the priest  offers the Mass for a particular intention, such as the repose of the soul of someone who has died or the good health, peace or wellbeing of a living person.

 The laity are also called to offer the Masses they attend for the intention and good of others, living and dead.

Therefore, the effects of the Mass bring certain benefits or fruits. The general fruits of the Mass are the effects upon the whole Church — to the living faithful as well as the souls in purgatory. For this reason, in the Eucharistic Prayer, a special mention is made for both the living and the dead.

If you have a loved one who has died, do not abandon them in the next life, offer prayers, sacrifices and especially Mass intentions to continue this bond of love which is not destroyed by death.

 If you have a special intention you are praying for, have a Mass offered.  Whether it is a child who has wandered from the Church, a sick grandbaby, peace in the world or the anniversary or birthday of a loved one.

If you want to have a Mass offered, please call the parish office (580.536.6351) to request a Mass. Normally we can schedule a time that is convenient for the one who offers the Mass to be in attendance to pray.

A $10 stipend is suggested but not necessary.  No one “pays” for a Mass. Mass will still be offered with or without a stipend. The grace of God is free.

Fr. Phil has written a beautiful prayer for Dinner on Thanksgiving Day. Below is the text. You can also click to download the Dinner Prayer on Thanksgiving Day .

Dinner Prayer on Thanksgiving Day

Great and Most High God,

We gather together to praise Your majesty,

to bless You, to glorify You, to adore You,

the only true God, and to offer thanks to You with grateful hearts.

Who can proclaim your might,

to make known all your praises,

or to recount all your mighty deeds in every age?

Yet, You, O God of our fathers and mothers,

are always willing, ever faithful and ready to hear.

As we are about to sit down and partake of these gifts

you have set before us, we raise our hands to You.

In Your great goodness we ask You to accept our prayer of thanksgiving.

First for the gift of Your Son, our Lord God and Savior, Jesus Christ

and sending us Your Holy Spirit, the Lord and creator of life:

-for the faith of the Church you have given to us

-for our families, near and far

-for this country, mercifully keep her always under your care

-for the beauty of creation

-for those who serve and protect us.

(-here add anything else for which you wish to offer thanks)

We ask, in Your goodness to remember, the poor, the sick, those in captivity or any need giving us generous and grateful hearts to serve them.

For all these good things we thank you, for all that we know and that we do not know, for the evident and hidden benefits bestowed on us.  For You are the Giver of all good gifts and to You we give glory, together with Your Only Begotten Son, and your all holy and life-creating Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Beloved in the Lord,

Last week’s celebrations for our new Deacon, Jim Cerrone, and his wife, Betty, were beautiful and joyful.

Many thanks to all who made the weekend so enjoyable, the Deacons, Cyndee and the Choir, the Cantors, the Catholic Daughters, the Ladies Guild and the Knights of Columbus.

There are so many more individuals who helped and I thank you all!

God has blessed our parish!

Mercy and peace,
Fr. Phil

St. Nicholas, how did he become so popular?  Nicholas never sought the limelight. He didn't try to achieve fame. All he did was try to fulfill the command to love God with all his heart, and to love his neighbor as himself. It was his service to God and man that gained for him such universal esteem.

In a hymn sung on the feast day of St. Nicholas (Dec. 6), we have the key to the character of this man.  

The sincerity of your deeds

has revealed you to your people

as a teacher of moderation,

a rule of faith, and an example of virtue.

Therefore, you attained greatness through humility,

and wealth through poverty.

O Father and Archbishop Nicholas,

ask Christ to save our souls.

- Troparion of St. Nicholas

In this song, St. Nicholas is called:

1.      "The Rule of Faith." - He was a man of deep and abiding faith in Christ. It is said that even as a child he showed remarkable faith in the Lord. He became a priest and entered a monastery. He strived to "seek first the kingdom of God."

When the diocese of Myra in Lycia (modern day Turkey) became vacant, it was Nicholas who was selected to become the archbishop of the church. The story goes that the council was undecided whom to select. Then a plan was revealed to one of the older priests. He was told to go to church the next  morning, and then to select as archbishop the first priest who would come there to pray. It was Nicholas, as was his daily custom, who first entered the  church-temple for prayer.

He was a measure of faith, too, at the first Ecumenical Council in Nicea. It was here in the year 325 that he fought for the belief in Christ's divinity.  He is said to have slapped Arius the heretic when he blasphemed that Jesus Christ was not the Son of God.  Strong behavior, and uncharitable as well, but this act came from firm faith in Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God.

2.     St. Nicholas is called "The Example of Humility." - He was truly a man of great humility. The hymn of the Feast says of him: "By your lowliness you rose to great heights . . . by poverty you received riches. . . ." It is said that he refused at first the office of archbishop, because he was unworthy of such a dignity.

Many are the stories and legends of his life that depict the simple honesty, love, humility, and devotion of this shepherd. He saved sailors on the sea, and children from death. He saved three young women from being sold for a life of sin by throwing three bags of gold into the homes at night, hoping that none would see him perform this act of charity.

3.     St. Nicholas is also called "The Teacher of Moderation." - He denied himself that he might give to others. A strange story claims that even as a baby he refused to eat meat on certain fast days of the week. His mother was confused, thinking her child was sick. But then it was shown that Nicholas was simply adhering to the Church's rule of abstinence. Most importantly he worked by prayer, fasting and charity to abstain from sin.

When his parents died, Nicholas was left a considerable inheritance. He could have lived a life of leisure and pleasure. But he heard the call of Christ and gave his wealth to the poor and needy. He was truly a teacher of abstinence.

How do you practice the true Faith, humility and abstinence in your life?

How can you share these with family and friends?

St. Nicholas of Myra, pray to God for us!

During Lent, the Church invites us to make a sincere attempt to evaluate our calling as Christians; to listen to the voice of the Gospel and follow its commandments; to accept the constant invitation to enter Christ's Kingdom. It is an open invitation to everyone willing to enter, everyone who believes in Christ and desires to repent of sin.  Lent is the time when Christians turn from sin and make an "about face" directly to Christ.  Lent leads to the glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus at His Passover at Easter.

Year after year we hear the call of the Church to fast, to pray and to do acts of mercy and charity.

Read more ...

Beloved in the Lord,

Soon we will celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord. 

Is He truly Our Lord?  Is this simply a title we give to Him with no meaning?  Do we gather to celebrate His most merciful coming simply because it is that time of year?  Do we celebrate to get nostalgic feelings of past Christmases? 

If He is Our Lord, if we believe He became flesh and lived among us, if we believe He is God Incarnate then we must do as He willed and He taught.  To do otherwise is to lie every time we say the Creed, every time we tell others we are a Christian.

An ancient teacher of the Faith, one of the Fathers, stated well what we must do especially as we celebrate this Feast.

This Nativity night bestowed peace on the whole world;
    So let no one threaten;
This is the night of the Most Gentle One -
    Let no one be cruel;
This is the night of the Humble One -
    Let no one be proud.
Now is the day of joy -
     Let us not seek revenge;
Now is the day of Good Will -
    Let us not be malicious.
In this Day of Peace -
    Let us not be conquered by anger.
Today the Bountiful impoverished Himself for our sake;
    So, you who have been made rich in Him, invite the poor to your table.
Today we receive a Gift for which we did not ask;
    So let us give alms to those who implore and beg us.
This present day casts open the heavenly doors to our prayers;
    Let us open our door to those who ask our forgiveness.
Today the DIVINE BEING took upon Himself the seal of our humanity.
    In order for humanity to be decorated by the Seal of DIVINITY.

 -St. Isaac of Syria (c. 700 AD)

Let us celebrate with a will and desire to live the new life that the newborn King comes to give.  Let us make every effort to truly do as Christ our God did and taught.  Let us put aside those things that make us ungodly so that we might become godlike in Him whose birth we celebrate.  It all begins with a simple prayer,

“Lord, You became what I am; help me to become what You are.”

Let this prayer be a prayer each day of our lives!

I am blessed beyond words to be your priest.  Please forgive my sins and faults.

May Christ give you all that is good; may you have a joyous and blessed Christmas.

Fondly,
Fr. Phil

Panic or Peace?

This last year and especially these last few weeks have been very difficult for many of us. The virus continues to be a major problem. Getting the vaccines is not as easy as we were told and many of us know more people who are sick.