The following  prayer was composed by Mary Ryan, Past President, St. Dunstan Parish Council, Fredericton, New Brunswick:

Lord, season after season,

You continue to renew the face of the earth,

“For the greatness and beauty of created things

Comes a corresponding perception of their Creator.” (1)

Teach us, Lord,

As members of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada,

To become attuned to our need to protect

The beauty of our common home.

May our efforts lead us to sustain its natural order

So that, the words of Pope Francis,

Our heritage is never “deprived of physical contact

with nature.” (2)

Amen.

(1)  The Wisdom of Solomon 3:5

(2) Francis.”Decline in the Quality of Human Life and the Breakdown of Society” Laudato Si, 24 May 2015: 44. Web.

by St. Francis of Assisi

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,

All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.

To you alone, Most High, do they belong,

and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,

especially Sir Brother Sun,

Who is the day through whom You give us light.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,

Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,

In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,

And fair and stormy, all weather’s moods,

by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,

So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,

through whom You light the night

and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister,

Mother Earth who sustains and governs us,

producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord, through those who grant pardon

for love of You and bear sickness and trial.

Blessed are those who endure in peace,

By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Death,

from whom no one living can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin!

Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.

No second death can do them harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,

And serve Him with great humility.

The Franciscans of Canada

Heavenly Father, Lord and Maker of all that is good,

fill our hearts with joy before the wonders of Your creation.

Open our eyes to the presence of Your beloved Son Jesus in all those we encounter

and especially in the weakest and most vulnerable among us.

Where we see life threatened,

at its beginning or at its end, or by poverty and deprivation,

inspire us with love and mercy, so that, empowered by Your Holy Spirit,

we may work together to defend human dignity.

Help us to build a culture of life: a culture in which each and every person

is loved and valued as Your child,

from conception to natural death, and in every circumstance of life.

Amen.

Blessed are those who sleep poorly because they’re worried about their loved one or because their loved one wakes in the middle of the night and needs help, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn because their loved one, though still alive, is slipping away because of dementia, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek who force themselves to speak up and speak out to make sure their loved one receives the help he or she needs, for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for answers to why this is happening to their loved one and how much longer it will go on, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are those who show mercy, kindness, and compassion to their loved one, for they will be shown mercy, kindness and compassion.

Blessed are those who keep clean a loved one who is physically or mentally unable to keep himself or herself clean, for they will see God.

Blessed are those who help their loved one find moments of peace, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are misunderstood, not appreciated and taken for granted in their role as caregiver, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those whose caregiving efforts are unjustly criticized—or who are falsely accused of not caring about others—because of your love for your care-receiver and your love for God, who has asked you to help His beloved son or daughter. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.

• Monica Dodds – catholicherald.com