Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy Christ, have mercy Christ, have mercy Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy
God our Father in heaven have mercy on us God the Son, Redeemer of the world have mercy on us God the Holy Spirit have mercy on us Holy Trinity, one God have mercy on us Heart of Jesus, Son of the eternal Father have mercy on us Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, inmost being of the incarnate Son and his love, both divine and human * have mercy on us
Heart of Jesus, natural sign and symbol of the boundless love of Christ *
Heart of Jesus part of Christ’s holy risen body, *
Heart of Jesus, inseparable from the Son of God who assumed a human body forever *
Heart of Jesus, beating, real, alive, loving us *
Heart of Jesus, receiving our love in return *
Heart of Jesus, our friend *
Heart of the same Jesus who for love of us, was born in Bethlehem, passed through Galilee healing the sick, embracing sinners and showing mercy, who loved us to the very end, opening wide his arms on the cross, rose from the dead and now living among us in glory. *
Heart of Jesus, centre and source from which salvation flowed for all humanity *
Heart of Jesus, profound unifying centre of his body, expression of the totality of his person *
Heart of Jesus, signifying the divine love of Christ, united forever and inseparably to his wholly human love transformed by his Divine love *
Heart of Jesus, beating with the most tender and human affection *
Heart of Jesus, in whose human love, we encounter his divine love *
Heart of Jesus, the Holy Spirit’s masterpiece *
Heart of Jesus, heart of the world *
Heart of Jesus, nourishing our lives with the strength of the Eucharist *
Heart of Jesus, pierced, gushing living water, a flowing fountain, outpouring of a spirit of compassion and supplication, wellspring of new life for us *
Heart of Jesus, warm and tender *
Heart of Jesus, who feeds us from his own breast
Heart of Jesus, in which we rest in contemplation *
Heart of Jesus, source of life and interior peace *
Heart of Jesus, open to all *
Heart of Jesus, in whom our names are carved *
Heart of Jesus , thinking of me, even the smallest hair of my head *
Heart of Jesus whose intense love is fire and light *
Heart of Jesus, free of anger, free of bitterness, filled with genuine compassion towards its enemies *
Heart of Jesus, infinite in mercy *
Heart of Jesus, living in us *
Heart of Jesus, our only Treasure *
Heart of Jesus, all love, forgiveness and justice *
Heart of Jesus one in solidarity with those who are poor and rejected by the world *
Heart of Jesus, consoling us that we might console others *
Heart of Jesus, thirsting for our love *
Heart of Jesus, transforming our hearts *
Heart of Jesus, loving and serving in us *
Heart of Jesus, consoled by our service and love of Christ *
Let us pray.
Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who glory in the Heart of your beloved Son and recall the wonders of his love for us, may be made worthy to receive an overflowing measure of grace from that fount of heavenly gifts. Through Christ our Lord. R/. Amen
Dilexit Nos is an encyclical written by Pope Francis
As the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is, at this writing, tomorrow, (Friday June 27th in 2025), and June is traditionally the month of the Sacred Heart, I’ve been pondering the heart’s virtues, such as love, compassion, mercy, solidarity, and empathy especially. This seems an urgent topic to write about right now as so many seem to glory in cruelty, others going so far as to call empathy a supposed “sin”.
I’ve had somebody say to me in response to a plea for compassion for migrants, that we “aren’t supposed to be the Church of ‘nice.” “No, I said, “we are supposed to be the Church of radical love.”
The argument that there is a “sin” of empathy, I likely don’t have to tell most of you, is antithetical to the Gospel. At best this argument is coming from people who are trying to protect their hearts from the pain of empathy or their conscience telling them to do something about it. Maybe it’s to justify the hardness of their hearts. God knows what it is. In any case this is the work of the devil. It’s ugly and contrary to love. Love, remember, is what God is and what we are supposed to be doing. Maybe they’ve re-interpreted what that was supposed to mean to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. It’s hard to understand how that is possible. However here we are hearing anti-empathy declarations.
This belief that empathy is to be quashed and not nurtured or respected is mostly found in certain corners of ultra-reactionary or hyper-rationalist “theology.” The argument usually goes something like:
“Empathy clouds judgment. It leads us to condone sin in others. It makes us sentimental and irrational.”
One time I came home from work and my teen and pre-teen were playing seriously inappropriate music loudly in the house. I turned it off and made them stand in front of a picture of Our Lady and recite the lyrics to her. They couldn’t. I wonder if people who discourage or disdain empathy can look into the face of Jesus and tell him that nonsense they say to other people. Lacking empathy, campaigning against it is the more likely sin.
The “sin of empathy” crowd say they feel manipulated by calls for empathy. They put labels on goodness like “virtue signaling.” rather than being inspired to act with mercy. Maybe they think the man beset by robbers deserved what he got, that the Good Samaritan was weak, stupid, being taken advantage of. Perhaps they would say that the priest and the levite who passed by without helping were the real heroes of the story. Maybe these are people who have been put-upon too much in life, or feel used when they do something for someone, or they have trouble with boundaries and they threw the “baby out with the bath water,” as my mom would say. I don’t know but they’re wrong and they try to deceive others as well.
How could empathy erase moral clarity? It can only deepen it and fill it out. As Pope Francis said in Dilexit Nos, his encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the human heart brings together fragments of ourselves into cohesion. The heart brings together soul, spirit, mind and body, enabling true discernment and understanding. We can’t attempt to cut off parts of ourselves and call that “clarity” or “judgement.” To do that only mutilates us as people, distorting our judgement and endangering our salvation.
Being “cruel to be kind” is an oxymoron when it comes to the suffering of another. It is merely mean, dumb, and contrary to the Gospel.
Empathy is the ability to enter into another’s experience — to “weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15), to “bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2), to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). Jesus constantly showed empathy:
He wept over Lazarus (John 11:35) and over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41)
He touched lepers, (Matthew 8:22-26) embraced children, (Mark 10:13-16) noticed the suffering no one else saw and did something about it every time.
His Incarnation was an act of ultimate divine empathy — “He took on our infirmities and bore our diseases” (Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:17)
Toward the lowly he never used “tough love.” He reserved that for the powerful alone. He was angry with them for their oppression of others, for their hypocrisy, their legalism that got in the way of mercy, and for their lack of compassion. (See Matthew 23 for some serious rage from Jesus toward religious leaders for these very things).
He healed a woman with a crooked back and was angry when the Pharisees and Scribes confronted him with doing this on the Sabbath. He hated the way they put strict observance of rules over care and compassion for people. (Luke 13: 10-17)
To reject empathy is to reject Christ’s own way of loving. Our Lord never condemned anybody for being too soft hearted; quite the opposite. People were condemned by him for being legalistic without mercy (the Pharisees), for being indifferent to suffering (the priest and Levite in the Good Samaritan story Luke 10:25-37), for being harsh and arrogant instead of humble and compassionate (Luke 18:9–14).
Clearly the “sin of empathy” assertion is a serious distortion of the Gospel – anathema to it. People asking “yeah well who IS my neighbor” and trying to redefine that as people they agree with, like or approve of, are on the wrong path. Don’t listen. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Do not be carried away by strange teaching (Hebrews 13:8 and Ephesians 4:14). If anyone preaches to you a different Jesus than we (the apostles) have, said St. Paul, let them be accursed (Galatians 1:8-9, 2 Corinthians 11:4).
You cannot love God and hate your brother or sister. That would make you a liar. (1 John 4:20)
The intentions of Pope Leo XIV for the month of June are “that the world will grow in compassion.” He says, “Now is the time for love.”
It seems to me there is a battle of good and evil happening, a fight for the soul of the world. I don’t think I usually talk like this. But this anti empathy stuff is the devil. Resist him, solid in your faith. (1 Peter 5:8)
Jesus teaches us that it’s not enough just to resist evil. We have to pray for, bless and love those in the grip of it. We have to shine our light of love and compassion for all to see. And we need to grow in the virtues of the heart ourselves.
Jesus, gentle and humble of Heart, make our hearts like unto thine.
My sweet friend Julia, of the Focolare Movement, (the official name is “The Work of Mary”), mentioned to me once the practice they have of stopping to pray for peace at noon. Looking into this, I found out this was something a young Focolare Blessed, who had died at the age of seventeen in 1990, of bone cancer, had done every day. Her name is Chiarra Luce (meaning “clear light”). She took one minute daily at noon to pray for peace in silence.
Most of us are at work at that time of day as I am. However if we can’t stop for a whole minute we can stop for a second or two.
The Church provides us with a couple of traditional prayers for noon so that we are all joining together in spirit then. One of these is The Angelus, a Marian prayer prayed for centuries at 6am, noon, and 6pm. This is why the bells of so many Catholic Churches and monasteries ring “Angelus Bells” in a pattern of three times in a row three times. These are a reminder to pray the Angelus. I love the Angelus Prayer and I try to pray it every day. If I can’t, I at least touch foreheads with Our Lady or squeeze her hand or at least pray one Hail Mary at that time. It’s a great way to touch base with her. We can dedicate the Angelus to Peace. After all Mary is the Queen of Peace.
The Angelus
The Angel of God declared unto Mary
R/. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit
Hail Mary…
Behold the Handmaid of the Lord
R/. Let it be done unto me as you have said.
Hail Mary…
And the Word was made flesh (genuflect here)
R/. And dwelt among us.
(stand) Hail Mary…
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts: that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The other prayer traditionally prayed at noon is Noon Prayer (or “Sext’) from the Liturgy of the Hours. Lest this sound complicated, there are apps for your phone so you can access this simple prayer break in this middle of the day. The Divine Office App or the Universalis App are both good. You can also access the Liturgy of Hours free online at Universalis. It’s made up of a hymn (I usually skip it), three Psalm selections, a short Scripture reading, and a brief closing prayer. It sounds long but it only takes a few minutes in practice.
I sometimes stop for a minute, and look at Jesus residing in my heart. Once I have greeted him I will tell him I am asking him for peace. Sometimes we talk about it. Other times we are quiet and I occasionally say mentally, “Peace, Lord, Peace,” or I imagine us going around the world calming fear, protecting those in danger, reconciling peoples, stopping bombs. I know I can’t stop anything but he can and he likes to have me along I think. He seems to love sharing his work with us. I see imagination as a way to focus intention and express prayer in the same way words do. We don’t need words in order to pray. Neither do we need imagination to pray, but I find it nice.
Of course you can pray for peace in whatever way you like and for however long or briefly you like. These ideas are only suggestions for anyone who wants them.
The important thing is to take time each day, preferably at noon so we can join together by heart, and the Lord will enjoy the prayers for peace crossing his earth with the sunlight like the movements of a song.
My late husband, Bob, during our engagement, had been deeply moved by his first Holy Thursday mass. Watching the priest wash parishioner’s feet impressed him profoundly.
One time we were talking about Vigils the night before Catholic funerals. He wondered if the same thing happened before a wedding – a service with readings, prayers and a rosary. I said no but I wish that there was a tradition like that.
Bob thought we should have one. Well why not? We found out this was something that had to be a private thing we did at home rather than in the Church. We started planning our at home wedding vigil.
We looked at books like The Blessing Cup and a Catholic wedding prep book called Marriage, Sacrament of Hope and Challenge, for ideas since both contained little rituals that could be done at home, and then we wrote our own.
We invited friends over for the night before our wedding (we had our bachelor and bachelorette parties earlier in the week).
Bob definitely wanted us to wash each other’s feet, and he wanted a way to include my kids from my first marriage (their dad had died in a car crash when they were little). He felt he wasn’t just marrying me but becoming family to them too. So he bought them both necklaces as tokens of his commitment to them too.
Bob was not Catholic (yet). Most of his friends weren’t either. So while we Catholics prayed the rosary, the non- Catholics could go to the back yard where Bob would have a fire going and could play guitar and sing and people could talk or join him. We rosary pray-ers would join them when we finished.
Our ceremony included an opening prayer, a Scripture reading, intercessions, and an exchange of words of commitment before we washed each other’s feet. We included Bob’s gifting the necklaces to the girls, the sharing of a “Blessing Cup” we passed around, an Our Father and a closing prayer and plus lots of hugs.
I mostly remember that just as he finished washing my right foot, he gave my toes a squeeze with those big warm calloused hands of his.
I think a wedding vigil is such a beautiful idea, a wonderful thing to do. A couple needs as many prayers and as much support as they can get!
Bob was already fighting brain cancer by the time we did this. Our marriage was far from long enough but it was a beautiful one. I am extra glad we started it this way.
I’ve found myself having trouble writing about Pope Francis since his death but I feel I should. It has been hard because I grieve him as so many do, in a deep, personal way, as well as with the Church and the world.
However, I thought with May coming up in a few days, the month the Church has dedicated to Mary, I could honor Pope Francis’ profound love of Our Lady.
Pope Francis turned to Mary the way a child turns to his mother. One of his first acts as Pope was to visit the ancient icon of Salus Populi Romani in Rome, in the Church of St. Mary Major, the oldest church dedicated to Mary. And he returned to that image again and again—before every apostolic journey, and after, to thank her. He entrusted the whole Church to her care and often encouraged us to do the same. In the Byzantine icon, Mary holds the Child Jesus, who holds the book of the Gospel. To me, since his view of Our Lady was centered in the Gospel, much as everything else about him was, that icon seems especially appropriate for him.
He has requested to be buried in St. Mary Major, near that icon where he prayed so often. He said to the coadjutor of that church, Rolandas Mackrikas, Mary appeared to him there asking him to arrange to be laid to rest in that place where Francis had so often come to visit her. He said “I’m so glad she has not forgotten me!”
Francis’ daily prayers included the Rosary, and his heart was especially close to the Marian devotions of Latin America—like Our Lady of Luján, the patroness of Argentina. Mary was not a “plaster saint” to him. (He cautioned against seeing her that way). She was a presence in his life. She was a real person to him.
The Holy Father spoke often of Mary as the “Mother of the People,” especially the poor and suffering. This view of Mary is prominent in Latin American spirituality. Mary walks with the people, accompanies them in their suffering and joy. This is what Franics himself was like. He wanted to be near people, to accompany them, love them, stand up for them, listen to them. Maybe he took after his Blessed Mother.
Pope Francis reminded us that in her Magnificat, Mary praises the God who casts down the powerful and lifts up the lowly, who feeds the hungry and sends the rich away empty. (Luke 1:46-55). Mary stood for, rejoiced in, justice for the poor and the oppressed, and we should too.
In Our Lady, he said, the Church sees what it means to be humble and brave at once.
Mary was little, and saw herself as lowly, but she was bold in faith and love.
My favorite Francis quote on Mary is about her brave humility at the Annunciation; in her response to the message of the Angel Gabriel.
“She recognizes that she is small before God, and she is happy to be so.” (Angelus December 24, 2017) He saw her humility as joyful, open to God, and brave.
And she was brave. Look at her life, so often turned upside down. But she always put Jesus and his mission, and put the Church, first, every time, even when she didn’t understand what was happening. She trusted, doing the will of God as soon as she knew it, no matter what it was, because she was great of heart.
Pope Francis is the Pope who gave us the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost. She is the Mother of Jesus, involved in our salvation and in the life of the Church, united with us in prayer as she was on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 1:14)
He also called Mary the first disciple —the one who listened deeply, believed without having all the answers, and followed her Son to the cross.
Francis loved that she was a woman of deep prayer as well as action.
Immediately after the Annunciation, “Mary arose and went with haste” to visit Elizabeth and assist her in her need. After the most intense and important mystical experience anybody on earth had ever had or ever would have, Mary immediately dives into service and love, helping her relative Elizabeth who is pregnant at an advanced age. (Luke 1:39-56) In the same way, Francis, and we, draw strength from prayer and contemplation. Then we immediately become servants of love. That is what Mary did, and it is what Francis did too. He thought of her as an evangelist, carrying Jesus to others wherever she went. To me this describes Pope Francis well.
In times of crisis, Francis always turned to Our Lady. During the pandemic, he asked the world to pray with him under her protection. In war, hunger, and fear, he encouraged us to say simply: “Mother, help us.”
In a time of grief, it feels right to turn to Mary—because that’s what Pope Francis would have done. He trusted her with his life and his Church. In this month of May, maybe we can do the same. We can pray the Rosary, light a candle, sing the Salve Regina, or simply say, “Stay with us, Mother.”
If we want to carry his spirit forward, we might start by walking with her.
In one of his homilies, Pope Francis said, “A Christian without Mary is an orphan.” But none of us are orphans, even though a wonderful father and beautiful light in the world has gone from us. Mary holds us even now, and she holds her son’s faithful shepherd, Francis close. May she carry him to the arms of Jesus, and may she walk with us until we meet again.
“Mother, help our faith!
Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call.
Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise.
Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith.
Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature.
Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One.
Remind us that those who believe are never alone.
Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord!” – Pope Franics
Note: I will add to this novena daily until I have reached 9 days. Mary, Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States
Novena Intention:
For the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, for the protection of all who are unjustly detained, and for the conversion of our nation toward justice, compassion, and truth.
Day 1: Mother of the Lowly
Scripture:
“He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.”
—Luke 1:52
Reflection:
Holy Mary, you yourself fled as a refugee to Egypt. You know the fear of the innocent pursued by the powerful.
Today, we ask you to look upon your child, Kilmar Abrego Garcia—torn from his family and unjustly (mistakenly) sent to a gang prison in El Salvador infamous for its human rights abuses. Intercede for him that justice may be done swiftly and mercy shown boldly.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, hold Kilmar close under your mantle, in the crossing of your arms, safe in your Immaculate Heart. Protect him in that terrible place. Give hope to his wife and children. By your prayers may the light of the Holy Spirit of wisdom, courage, fortitude, righteousness and compassion SHINE into every courtroom, agency, and hardened heart. Inspire those in power to act with courage. And guide us, your children, to build a nation that defends the dignity of every life. Mary pray with us that the mighty will be humbled and the lowly lifted up.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to thee.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Patroness of the United States,
pray for us
Day 2 Mother of Immigrants and Refugees
Scripture
When an immigrant resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress them. The foreigner who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the immigrant as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:33-34
Reflection
Mary, you carry the hope of the refugee deep in your heart. You understand their desperation, how hard it is to leave community, family, and ones country behind. You always did what you had to do for Jesus, impelled by your love for him and for us too who are all your children.
Please forgive us as a nation, for how we have treated our brother, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. We bring Kilmar and his family to you , as well as all others unjustly detained and imprisoned. Draw them all into your Immaculate Heart full of tenderness and the protective love of a mother. Intercede for their release.
Intercede for the hard of heart, the stubborn, the arrogant and the cruel. May the Holy Spirit blow through their lives upending their schemes and granting them the highest of graces; repentance and humility. May those opposed to justice receive a strong desire to right their wrongs.
By the flames of the Holy Spirit that burn in your heart, Holy Mother, illumine every place and person handling this case and others like it with Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
.
The Memorare
Remember, O most compassionate Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your assistance, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, Our Mother. To you we come, before you we kneel, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer them. Amen.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Day 3 Mother of the Accused
Scripture
But Suzanna cried aloud, “Eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.Here I am about to die, though I have done none of the things for which these men have condemned me.”
The Lord heard her prayer.
Daniel 13:42-44
Reflection
Mother, the night your Son was betrayed and arrested, falsely accused, beaten, mocked and tortured, your heart felt every blow even if you could not see them. As his mother you wished you could take the abuse yourself instead of him. You prayed for him, burying your tear stained face in the Father’s chest.
Pray for Kilmar, for all of the unjustly detained and imprisoned now, for whom your Son gave his face to slapping and spitting with no resistance. Intercede for his release, intercede for his family and everyone fighting for him. Give them all strength and hope during this terrible time. Protect him in that terrible prison. He is your little son. Give him a mother’s presence.
Kontakion 4 (an Orthodox hymn to Mary)
A tempest of many misfortunes … doth beset me, and no longer can I endure its ragings.
But as Thou art the merciful mother of my Savior and God, lift up Thy hands to Thy Son,
beseeching Him to regard the bitter sorrow of my heart
and to raise me up from the abyss of despair, who cry to Him.
Day 4, Mother of Mercy
Scripture:
One of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, and immediately, blood and water poured out.
John 19:34
Reflection
Holy Mother, you stood at the foot of the Cross of your Son, your immaculate heart pierced through with trauma and grief. You suffered with your Son in profound solidarity and compassion. Help our entire nation to grow in compassion. May our leaders have their hearts opened and no longer mock empathy, but repent and receive mercy themselves. May the love and mercy expressed in the outflow of blood and water from Jesus’ side, be deeply received by each of us. Mother, by your pierced heart, by your sorrow and faithfulness, by your willingness to stand at the side of the condemned come what may, urge us to rise up and join you in standing with those who suffer. Show us how to bring the mercy of your Son, the love he bears each of us, to everyone. May the love and sacrifice of the Lord, his mercy and grace, comfort Kilmar, and all of the unjustly detained and imprisoned and their families today.
Salve Regina
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Day 5, Mother of those who Mourn
Scripture
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4
Reflection
Oh Mary Desolate, let us comfort you and make reparation to you for all you have suffered by loving and standing for those who are unjustly imprisoned, torn from their families and communities, mourned by their friends. Teach us to stand with you in standing for them and those who mourn them. May we offer you sweet solace in our friendship and solidarity with you and your Son today, with prayer and acts of service. In sitting with you in silent hope, may we be sitting with them as well just as you do. May Kilmar and all the unjustly imprisoned and detained feel uplifted and supported by you and by us. To this we dedicate this day.
Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Day 6
Mother of the Risen
Scripture
For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
Luke 1:49
Reflection
Mary who can imagine your joy when your Son was returned to you? When all of life had been restored by his resurrection? How beautiful the whole world looked to you! How beautiful the face of your Son glorified. You probably wanted never to stop holding him. I bet you wanted to cook him all of his favorite foods. You would not have been able to keep your eyes off him, even though your sight of him was blurred by your joyful tears.
By the joy your heart knew that day, intercede for other mothers, wives, children, desperately wating for the return of their sons, their husbands, their fathers. Intercede for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to his home and family. Pray for all of the unjustly detained and imprisoned that they may be brought home soon. Pray for our country as we spiral into disregard for the lives of immigrants and the rights and dignity of all of the marginalized. Mother of the risen, help us to rise. Help us grow in justice, righteousness and compassion. Let us reflect the Heart of your Son, and the love of your Immaculate Heart in our lives.
Regina Coeli
Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia
for the Son whom you merited to bear alleluia
has risen as he said, Alleluia
Pray to God for us, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia
For the Lord is truly risen alleluia
Day 7 Mary,Mother of the Church and Queen of Apostles
Scripture
They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus.
Acts 1:14a
Mother of the Church and Queen of Apostles, intercede for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to take a strong clear stand on behalf of migrants and refugees, and in defense of the poor and all who stand to be harmed by this administrations policies and actions. lift your kindly hands to your Son, on behalf of Kilmar Abreago Garcia all the others who are unjustly imprisoned or detained, all who are afraid now. Obtain the release of the prisoners, the conversion of those who would oppress. Your Son did not give us a spirit of fear, but of the power of love. He gives us courage. Remind us, especially Church leaders and government leaders, that when we speak up, we are not to worry what we are to say; it will be the Spirit of Our Father speaking through us. In the spirit of Pope Francis, let us be brave on behalf of the powerless.
Prayer by Pope Francis for our world in danger
O Mary, our Mother, we come again here before you. You know the sorrows and struggles that weigh heavily on our hearts in this hour. We lift our gaze to you, immerse ourselves in your eyes, and entrust ourselves to your heart.
You, too, O Mother, have faced difficult trials and human fears, but you were courageous and bold. You entrusted everything to God, responded to Him with love, and offered yourself without reservation. As the intrepid Woman of Charity, you hurried to help Elizabeth, promptly addressing the needs of the couple during the Wedding at Cana; with steadfastness of heart, on Calvary you illuminated the night of sorrow with the Easter hope. Finally, with maternal tenderness, you gave courage to the frightened disciples in the Upper Room and, with them, welcomed the gift of the Spirit.
And now we beseech you: heed our cry! We have need of your loving gaze that invites us to trust in your Son, Jesus. You who are ready to embrace our sorrows, fly to our aid in these times oppressed by injustices and devastated by wars, wipe the tears from the suffering faces of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones, awaken us from the stupor that has darkened our path, and disarm our hearts from the weapons of violence, so that the prophecy of Isaiah may quickly be fulfilled: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not take up sword against another, nor shall they train for war again” (Isaiah 2:4).
Turn your maternal gaze upon the human family, which has lost the joy of peace and the sense of fraternity. Intercede for our world in danger, so that it may cherish life and reject war, care for those who suffer, the poor, the defenseless, the sick, and the afflicted, and protect our Common Home.
We invoke you for the mercy of God, O Queen of Peace! Transform the hearts of those who fuel hatred, silence the din of weapons that generate death, extinguish the violence that brews in the heart of humanity, and inspire projects for peace in the actions of those who govern nations.
O Queen of the Holy Rosary, untie the knots of selfishness and disperse the dark clouds of evil. Fill us with your tenderness, uplift us with your caring hand, and grant us your maternal caress, which makes us hope in the advent of a new humanity where “… the wilderness becomes a garden land and the garden land seems as common as forest. Then judgment will dwell in the wilderness and justice abide in the garden land. The work of justice will be peace…” (Isaiah 32:15-17).
Day 8 Mary, Throne of Wisdom
Scripture
God of my ancestors, Lord of mercy,
you who have made all things by your word
And in your wisdom have established humankind
to rule the creatures produced by you,
And to govern the world in holiness and righteousness,
and to render judgment in integrity of heart:
Give me Wisdom, the consort at your throne.
Wisdom 9: 1-4a
Reflection
Mary, today we bring the justices of our Supreme Court to you, upon so much of what happened next for Kilmar and all others unjustly detained or imprisoned, depends. Give them wisdom and just judgement in what they decide to do in the face of this administrations’ delays, denials and defiance, lies and various distractions. Give them fortitude and inner strength, a clear understanding of what is at risk for our country if they allow the president and his administration to defy court orders.
You are the Throne of Wisdom, who brought us the Son of God. You are the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, who is the power of love, the giver of life, the inspiration of wisdom. Your Immaculate Heart is filled with intelligence as well as tenderness, courage and love. Intercede for us, for Kilmar, and our courts, especially our Supreme Court.
Prayer
Come Holy Spirit,
Come by means of the powerful Intercession
of the Immaculate Heart
of Mary,
Thy well -beloved spouse.
Day 9 Mother of the Americas
Scripture
”Behold your mother.” John 19:26
Reflection
Mary Mother of the Americas, and Patroness of the United States, pray for us. We ask this because this is about so much more than Kilmar alone. This is about our country’s slide into a competitive autocracy style of government where human dignity is disregarded. We appeal to your motherly protection, to your goodness and love of all people. Intercede for our nation which risks becoming a cruel and oppressive one.
We fervently and with great trust on this last day of our novena, commend to you our battered democracy. We bring to you with trust in your special love of the persecuted victims of injustice, your little son Kilmar Abrego Garcia and ask you to raise your sweet face to your Son, to ask for Kilmar’s release, for his safety and freedom, and that of all those unjustly detained or imprisoned. Please do not stop interceding for us and for them until our request is granted. Your Son said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they shall be filled.” We are here to be filled with his blessing then. Let us not be disappointed.
Traditional Prayer
to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today,
By guest blogger, Roise Manning (my youngest daughter)
Funnily enough, watching The Martian has shaped how I think about science in a deep, personal way. There’s something uniquely inspiring about Mark Watney, a man left behind on Mars, completely alone, with the world assuming he’s dead. He doesn’t give up. Instead, he leans on what he knows. He’s a botanist, not an action hero, but he starts solving one problem at a time. How to make water, grow food. How to modify a rover that wasn’t meant to go very far. How to get in contact with NASA, then how to communicate with them. It’s not flashy, it’s survival through science. And more than that, it’s survival through hope.
What moves me most is how he gives himself hope by trusting his knowledge, his training, his ability to think critically, and how to manipulate what resources he does have to survive. That kind of inner resilience feels like the heart of science: believing that the world is knowable, that problems have solutions, and that knowledge (even imperfect knowledge) is power. Watney doesn’t wait for someone to save him. He builds his own way forward, one equation, one experiment, one small decision at a time. When I’m feeling hopeless in today’s climate, like I just can’t take it anymore, I rewatch this movie. I always get chills when he looks around after taking a shower and getting the glass out of his abdomen and says, “I’m not going to die here.”
The whole world begins to root for him. China gives NASA a device they had been keeping secret in order to help them get him food, until a young astrophysicist at NASA comes up with an entirely new idea for how to bring Watney home. He’s not part of the leadership, he’s not a veteran engineer, he’s just a kid. He works through the math, tests it, brings it to the top, and ultimately turns NASA on their heads. And that idea, built around using China’s booster, ends up being the turning point that makes the rescue possible. That moment drives home how science is collaborative, and how progress often comes from unexpected places.
In the end, the entire world, every single country, is listening in to his crew’s dialogue. When the Commander says “We got him!” The screen shows everyone in the whole world jumping up and down, crying, hugging, and I just get this burst of hope and togetherness.
That story reshapes what I think it means to explain something in science. It’s not just identifying causes or finding the “right” answer. It’s about making sense of the unknown by drawing on what we do know. It’s about unifying past experiences and theories, leading us to a path through uncertainty. I used to think science was mostly about answers, but now I see it’s just as much about process. How we think, how we question, how we adapt, and how we use what we have.
I find myself especially drawn to the idea of unification, the way science pulls together knowledge from different fields to create something greater. In The Martian, botany, chemistry, physics, and engineering all come together to keep one person alive. And in real life, it’s the same: science isn’t just a subject; it’s a way of seeing and solving problems that connects everything.
This understanding of explanation gives science a deeper purpose to me. It’s not only a method for discovery, but it’s a mindset of persistence and possibility. It tells us that even when things seem impossible, there is a way forward. Maybe not right away. Maybe not perfectly. But step by step, with the right tools and mindset, we can make sense of the unknown…and survive it.
At the end of the movie, Watney is teaching a group of students, and he breaks it down perfectly. He says, “You solve one problem, and then the next, and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home.” He reminds them that when you’re in space, you have to think on your feet, as space does not cooperate.
“Something WILL go south.”
So what are YOU going to do? What are you going to do with your knowledge, and the things at your disposal?
I dreamed about the Prophet Elijah a couple weeks ago. We were sitting on a mountainside talking.The conversation we had is lost to me for the most part. It seemed significant that I dreamed of him. In the time following, I re-read the stories of Elijah’s life in Scripture.
*You can find these in 1 Kings chapters 17-19, and 21,
2 Kings Chapters 1-2, and in Sirach 48:1-11.
The pattern of his life that stood out to me as I read and reflected, is the path of the holy activist.
Elijah embodies the prophetic response to times of upheaval and injustice. He is an icon of a prophet arising in a time of darkness, burning like a torch. He spoke truth to power, confronted corruption, and defended the vulnerable. He drew his strength and inspiration from God as he served the hungry, healed the sick, and returned to a hostile land he had run in fear from. Sometimes he was afraid for his life, frustrated, burned out. Then he charged back into the fray, blazing, lit by God’s transforming love. Elijah’s life is a map lighting the path of the holy activist.
Elijah confronted corrupt leaders
King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were horrible, shameless, lawless people. They were greedy, murderous, corrupt idolaters and false accusers leading the people into apostasy. Elijah confronted them several times over killing the prophets and destroying God’s altars, taking from and murdering the poor, warning of consequences to come.
During one of his confrontations with Ahab, the king called Elijah his enemy, blaming him for causing trouble. This happens a lot to anyone who speaks up against wrongdoing. Elijah doesn’t care what the King says. He contradicts him briefly, undeterred. He doesn’t let himself be drawn into argument. He delivers God’s message with its warning and walks away, leaving the results in God’s hands.
If you have to call out corruption or injustice, remember to detach from what happens after you have spoken. You can do your part and the rest is up to the hearers to choose how to respond.
Elijah spoke truth to power
Baal, a pagan god whose worship included child sacrifice, was popular at the time just as destructive ideologies have so much sway now. Elijah was the only prophet of the God of Israel left and the Queen was trying to kill him as well. Sometimes we have to speak the truth at great risk.
Elijah called the priests of Baal to meet him for a duel between their false god and the true God of Israel. The prophet of God stands alone against 450 priests of Baal and before his own people who had gone over to them. He trusted God to act. Dramatically and miraculously, God came through, sending fire from Heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice.
God will give us everything we need to do as he asks; to stand up and speak out even if we are all alone in doing so, he is with us.
Elijah made use of humor
I want to add that Elijah made fun of the prophets of Baal as they called to their false god. He taunted them sarcastically about whether their god was sleeping, or deaf or busy. “Maybe you should yell a little louder.”
Making fun of the powerful can be a good thing at times like these so we aren’t overcome by fear or hopelessness. Those late night comedians keep me going sometimes. I’m all for it. After all, Elijah ends up slaying the false prophets and there are more ways than one to slay.
So if you can, find ways to laugh. Bring the powerful down to size with humor.
Elijah served the needy with faith and compassion
After a time of frustration and even despair, God sends Elijah on a journey to help a poor widow and her son who are on the brink of starvation.
By the prophet’s prayers and the woman’s trust, her oil jug never runs dry and her flour jar never runs out of flour until the famine is over.
Elijah prayed over her son when he fell ill and died while he was there, which brought the child back to life. Elijah shows himself to be a man of profound compassion and faith. His service to the widow renews him and helps him grow.
If you’re freaking out, an act of kindness or service will help your perspective and give you peace.
Defending the poor and oppressed
King Ahab and Queen Jezebel conspired to take the ancestral land of a man named Naboth after he refused to sell. It was already against Jewish law to press someone to sell their family land. Then Jezebel arranged false accusations against Naboth because of which he was executed. Then the King took over the man’s land. Naboth stands for all of the poor who suffer injustice and oppression, from the greed of the rich and powerful, from unjust systems.
Always defend the poor and oppressed and be sure that even if you don’t think you succeed in doing so, God will, either now or in the future.
Being guided by God, motivated by love
One of the times Elijah was in hiding, God asked him, “Elijah, what are you doing?” Elijah pours out his heart to the Lord. He tells him how scared he is with the Queen trying to have him killed. Then he tells God of his burning, intense love for him, which is the spark of his zeal. This is what it means to be a holy activist. Our inspiration, our strength, our courage to confront people in power, our compassion, our hunger and thirst for righteousness, are all from God.
Now and then it’s important for an activist of faith to do some soul searching with God. What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Is God with you on this?
Elijah experienced burnout and renewal
Twice in Elijah’s life story, we see him in hiding, scared and frustrated, overwhelmed to the point he wants to die and asks God to let him. He suffers from exhaustion, fear, frustration and self doubt. Twice God comes to him like a gentle parent, giving him bread, telling him to drink some water and have something to eat. Elijah rests, gets some sleep, and is fed by God until he is ready for a new mission, and sets out restored and reassured.
If you’re overwhelmed or burned out, let God care for you for a while. Rest, get extra sleep, until you’re ready and receive new guidance.
Elijah encounters God profoundly
God calls Elijah to the mouth of the cave he has been staying in, and invites him to experience him passing by. There is a mighty wind, but the wind is not God. There is an earthquake but neither is this God. When Elijah hears a “still, small voice” within himself, in a gesture of reverence as he covers his face with his cloak, recognizing the presence of the Lord.
Draw from the Source of all life, and practice attentiveness to God’s presence at all times. You will grow exponentially in love, strength and compassion, reflecting the Lord you love and listen to.
Elijah mentored the next generation to take on the work
An important part of activism is handing on the spirit of the work to the next generation. Elijah, after training Elisha at his side, grants him a double portion of his spirit before he is taken up to heaven. Elisha takes the mantle of his mentor over his shoulders, going on to do the great work of a prophet.
Whatever form of activism or mission you are involved in, always take time to talk to interested young people and pass on your wisdom and experience.
I’ve been so worried about so many things going on in our country, in our world. Maybe you have been too. Let us look to the Prophet Elijah to light our way, asking him for a double portion of his spirit, praying for the knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out. * from the 11th Step of AA
“The lord lives! I am standing in his presence.”
*Antiphon from the Carmelite proper, feast of Elijah the Prophet, July 20
Most of the people about to be deported and rounded up into camps are our fellow Catholics; people who are praying their rosaries scared to death. Our people. When the U.S. invaded Mexico Irish mercenaries were brought in to fight with the U.S.. But when they saw the flag of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the other side they refused to fight their fellow Catholics. They’re known as the San Patricios or The Saint Patrick Brigade, of 1846. I’ve been reflecting on their celebrated legacy in the wake of the protection of our churches as sanctuaries has been taken away.
We all need to think about how we will respond to possible raids during holy mass. What will you do?
Our Holy Father has said the way we treat migrants and refugees is as important as the way we treat the unborn. The Scripture says we must treat the alien as our native born and not persecute or oppress them. (Lv. 19: 33-34) The Catechism teaches us that they are to be treated in such a way as respects their human dignity, and with compassion.
The Church understands we can’t accept everyone who comes to us asking for asylum but that we should always treat them with empathy and understanding regardless. Catholics believe in the unconditional dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus says whatever we do to the lowly we do to him. (Matt. 25:40)
The following are quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the topics of migration and immigration.
¶1911: Internal quote is from Gaudium et Spes: “The unity of the human family, embracing people who enjoy equal natural dignity, implies a universal common good. This good calls for an organization of the community of nations able to provide ‘for men’s different needs, both in the fields of social life—such as food supplies, health, education, labor and also in certain special circumstances which can crop up here and there, e.g., the need to promote the general improvement of developing countries, or to alleviate the distressing conditions in which refugees dispersed throughout the world find themselves, or also to assist migrants and their families. to alleviate the distressing conditions in which refugees dispersed throughout the world find themselves, or also to assist migrants and their families.’”
¶2211: “The political community has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially… the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work and housing, and the right to emigrate.”
¶2241: “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.”
¶2433: “Access to employment and to professions must be hope to all without unjust discrimination; men and women, healthy and disabled, natives and immigrants. For its part society should, according to circumstances, help citizens find work and employment.”
We may be having a moment here; a moment when God is asking us to stand up even though it’s scary. Everyone worries about the reputation of the Church. We have made our mistakes, often because of that worry. But we know what is right. I hope we won’t blow this and let this moment pass us by. We haven’t always stood up when we should have. We always worry about the balance between appeasing authority to effect change or avoid interference in our affairs, and being faithful to our mission and our call to radical love and to “speak truth to power” as some say. I hope our leaders won’t just straddle the fence. In some of what’s going on we will have to pick a side. Let it be the side of the lowly, the persecuted and the oppressed, the stranger, the immigrant, the refugee.
A friend asked, “I wonder how many of them are named Jesus’. “
Bethany Hang Out 