The Lord God invites us to hold His hand and not fear (Isaiah 41:13). In the morning, we might consider scriptures we have read, studied, memorized, or meditated on in recent days and apply them to current struggles. Lord God, you are always with me. 2) I will give peace in their families. O Lord, hear our prayer. As people worldwide have contended with the coronavirus pandemic, many turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We need to seek Him through His Word, will, and ways. On Sept. 14, I recommended Catholic schools . Fear of the chaos held at the gate. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. The First Friday devotion is done to make reparation to and honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus. During those visions, He taught her devotion to His Sacred Heart. When we speak of a person's heart, we refer not just to his sentiments, but to the whole person in his loving dealings with others. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Take a deep breath. According to this devotion, the first Friday of each month was designated by Jesus himself as consecrated to honoring his Sacred Heart, to increase our love for him and to make reparation for past and present offenses against his love. 1. Marian Library archivist Kayla Harris has taken on a project that she would never have considered six months ago: archiving websites and collecting personal stories of the ways people are practicing devotion to the Blessed Mother during the global COVID-19 pandemic. There were only two of us, and yet we were confessing the sins of all Christians across the centuries. ", 2. 4. Today we pair the meditation below with Verses by lafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott. Such restful confidence in the Lord gives us strength to face whatever comes. Street art in Madrid depicts the Virgin Mary with a face mask and a representation of the coronavirus. In England, the re-dedication of England as Marys dowry, included a live-streamed event that crashed the website as half a million people tuned in. Amen.. During one apparition of Our Lord to Margaret Mary, He promised that The all-powerful love of My Heart will grant to all those who shall receive Communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they shall not die under my displeasure, nor without receiving their sacraments; My heart shall be their assured refuge at that last hour., That promise was one of 12 made by Jesus for those faithful who would devote themselves to His Sacred Heart. We find peace! . In case you missed them, here are the devotions that have been shared so far. We pray for the shadows of night to pass and a new day to dawn. "And, of course I would end by saying 'no,'" said Rudnick, senior minister-elect at DeWitt Community Church in Syracuse, N.Y. which, out of love for men, he allowed to be pierced by our sins." 2. (Song embedded below. He invites us to lie down and sleep in His peaceno matter our circumstancesand dwell in His safe refuge. While the Lourdes Baths and Shrine closed for the first time in history, they encouraged visitors worldwide to pray a novena together. SHARE Many churches stay dark, but Sunday devotion carries on around the world. In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, we have the power to choose our response. . I pray for those who are concerned about what may come in the next uncertain hoursthat you will grant them peace as they trust You. It is also wise to ensure the sources of the information we consume are credible. To be human is to stand suspended over a chasm. And if they dont know You, I ask You to use their tough circumstances to draw them and show them their need for salvation in Jesus. She was declared Blessed by Pope Pius IX in 1864, and canonized a saint by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. The following are strategies to encourage looking to, counting on, and resting in the Lord during these long quarantine difficult days. Pope Francis has prayed to the Virgin Mary on multiple occasions to call for an end to the pandemic, and is depicted in front of Salus Populi Romani at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Trusting in His Love. explore how you can help further Concordia's mission through giving. We will embrace our wounded One, whose hands and feet ungodly men have nailed; we will cling to his side and to his heart. "I promise thee in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in my disgrace nor without receiving the sacraments; my divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.". Using your imagination in prayer: Compass 95, Getting a grip on fear, worry and anxiety, Welcoming Prayer: The spiritual interruption your day needs, 2022 Virtual Racial Justice Prayer Service, A Prayer: Turning to God in Days of Trouble, How a photo-a-day transforms holiday seasons. Print. As people worldwide have contended with the coronavirus pandemic, many turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary. "I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death." 5. He wants to strengthen and help usbut first, we must seek Him and allow Him to transform our thinking. But it was Good Friday, and we worked at a church. "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. / Answer me.. At all times, especially during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is comforting to hear Gods enduring words found in Scripture. 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A reproach expresses deep hurt or blame, and such a statement can be used for good or for ill. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of . And the affliction stretches swiftly across the land like a darkening tide. We, who are made of flesh, will repay love with love. I sat in the back pew listening to Dan sing, and after a few minutes I began to join in on the Trisagion, sung after each stanza of the Solemn Reproaches as a congregational response: Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us. We sang together for a while, starting again from the beginning when wed reached the last stanza. Amen. One way is to look for action words. Ive heard people blame globalization, secretive governments, unequal access to health care, an unregulated market that made it easy for a virus to jump across the animal-human barrier, the narcissism and denial of world leaders, people who dont cough into their elbows, climate change, delayed test kits, cruise ships, handshakes, pangolins, political appointments motivated by loyalty instead of competence, overcrowded prisons and detention centers, open work spaces, communion by intinction, and asymptomatic carriers. Photo Schoffr via Creative Commons license. News Jeff Brumley | October 30, 2020. i. First, lets remember to let faith rule our hearts and not fear. Phone: 414-256-3200 Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Use wisdom and listen to sound advice. You walk with us even where the shadows are deep, and your voice calls each of us by name. This year, we seek the assistance of Our Lady all the more earnestly as we face together the effects of the global pandemic. What COVID-19 should have taught us is that "no man is an island;" i.e., the overall well-being of humanity requires that each of us behave in such a way as to maximize the good of the whole . To mark the day, the Holy Father offered a reflection and prayer to the faithful in the . [CDATA[// >. We are not lions on the high rock. Take a moment to settle. As COVID-19 has swept across our nation and the world, the Duke Divinity community has engaged in theological reflection and conversation about faithfully responding to this global challenge. Cyprian, who was the bishop of Carthage at the time, wrote these words: How pertinent, how necessary, that pestilence and plague which seems horrible and deadly, searches out the righteousness of each one, and examines the minds of the human race, to see whether they who are in health tend the sick; whether relations affectionately love their kindred; whether masters pity their languishing servants; whether physicians do not forsake the beseeching patients; whether the fierce suppress their violence. Within hours entire state school systems closed, employees mandated to work from home, businesses closed, and grocery stores emptied. 4) I will be their refuge in life and especially in death. There is a lot of false information circulating about the coronavirus that can be harmful by leading people to make unwise decisions based on information that is simply untrue. 3. Pray to God along your way.Dear Lord, as I continue through this day, help me look to Jesus, my Overcomer, and find strength in Him. All rights reserved. . 1. Use these to pray healing and protection over those affected by COVID-19. In that somber space, Dans voice and mine resonated only with stone, bricks, concrete, and wood. ", 12. You may start any month or may decide to do this as a yearly novena and begin every first month of the year, in January. Since its founding, the Marian Library has documented diverse expressions of popular devotion to Mary. I will give you rest do to protect yourself, do it this guide remain helpful and relevant LCMS... For it that it was already ours each of us, and as the body of and! One-Year anniversary of the coronavirus pandemic, many turned to the Blessed Mother, youre creating a valuable for... The possible negative outcomes that can take place thank everyone who participated this. 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