THE PRAYER CIRCLE
for people released from prison


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PRISON STATISTICS

Surveys indicate that

"85% of prisoners who renew or develop religious affiliation (while in prison) do not return to prison;


whereas,
only 11 % of those who have no religious affiliation (while in prison) are able to renew their lives."


"The first year out of prison is the hardest.

If you make it through your first year of release, the odds are you will not return to prison."

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADOPT A PRISONER IN PRAYER?

You will be given the first name only, (and anyone else for whom they wish to have prayers--usually the first names of their children, spouses, or parents).  You pray for them for one year.  At the end of the year you can continue to pray for them or elect to pray for another inmate and their family.

If you are interested, click here.


It is not necessary my child, to know much in order to please me much; it is enough that you love me fervently.  Speak here to me then, as you would speak to your most intimate friend, to your mother, to your brother.  So, you want to ask me to do something for someone?

Tell me his name. Is it your parents, your brothers, your spouse, your friends? Tell me what you want me to do for them now. Ask much, very much: do not hesitate to ask. I love generous hearts who somehow can come to forget themselves to look after the needs of others. Speak sincerely to me then, of the poor you would console, of the sick you see suffering, of the strayed you yearn to see return to the right path, of those absent friends you want at your side again. Say at least one word for each, the ardent word of a friend. Remind me that I have promised to listen to every petition that arises from the heart, and is not a prayer for those whom your heart especially loves such a prayer?

And for you: do you need a particular favor? Make a list, as it were, of your needs, and come and read it in my presence. Tell me frankly that you are prone to anger, that you love sensuality and pleasure, that you are perhaps proud, variable, negligent... Ask me to come to the help of those efforts, many or few, which you undertake to free yourself from these faults.  Do not be ashamed, poor soul; there are in Heaven so many saints who had these same defects; but they prayed humbly, and little by little they saw themselves freed from them.

Do not hesitate to ask me for spiritual and material goods; for health, memory, success in your work, enterprises and studies; all these I can give—and I do give—as long as they do not hinder, but rather assist your sanctification. Precisely today, what do you need? What can I do for you? If only you knew how much I would like to help you!

Do you have, right now, some project in mind? Tell me everything in detail. What preoccupies you? What are you thinking? What do you want? What do you want me to do for your parents, your spouse, your brothers, your children, your superiors? What would you want to do for them? 

And for me, do you feel an attraction for my glory? Do you not want to do something for those friends whom you love much but who perhaps live separated from me?   Tell me what in particular attracts your attention today, what you desire most ardently and what means you have of obtaining it?

Tell me if your plans are not working and I will tell you the causes of your difficulties. Do you not want to interest me in your quest?

My dear one, I am the Lord of hearts and I move them, without violating their freedom, to wherever I please.

Are you perhaps sad, or in bad humor? Tell me, tell me, you inconsolable soul, tell me your sorrows in all their details. Who wounded you? Who hurt your pride? Who has mistreated you? Come close to my Heart, and find in it a refreshing balsam for the wounds in yours. Then, you will confess that, like me, you forgive everything, you forget everything. In appreciation, you will receive my consoling benediction.   Are you perhaps afraid? Do you feel in your soul those vague stirrings of sadness which, however unjustified, can be so tearing?

Throw yourself in the arms of my Providence. I am with you. I am at your side. I see everything. I hear everything. I shall not abandon you for one moment.

Do you feel ignored by persons who loved you once but who now have forgotten you without cause? Pray for them and I will bring them back to you if they are not obstacles to your salvation.  

And don't you have, perhaps, some joy to communicate to me? Why don't you let me share it with you, like a friend?   Tell me what has consoled and gladdened your heart since yesterday, since you last visited me. Perhaps you have had an agreeable surprise; perhaps you have seen grave doubts dissipated, or you have received good news — a letter, or perhaps a gesture of love. Maybe you have overcome some difficulty, or come out of a trying situation. All of this is my work. I have obtained this for you. Why not show me your gratitude and say, like a child to its father, "Thank you, my Father, thank you." Gratitude brings forth new gifts since benefactors, as you know, like to see themselves appreciated.

Do you not have a promise to make to me? I read, you know, the bottom of hearts. Men are easily deceived, but not God. Speak to me, then honestly; do you have firm intentions of avoiding the occasion of sin? Of denying yourself that object that harmed your soul? Of not reading again that book which excited your imagination? Of avoiding that person who disturbed the peace of your soul?   Will you be kind to that person who, because he offended you, you have regarded as an enemy?

And now, my child return to your work, to your office, to your family, to your studies — but do not forget these fifteen minutes of intimate conversation we have had in the privacy of the sanctuary. Keep as much as possible, silence, resignation, modesty, charity towards your neighbors. Love and honor my Mother, and please come again tomorrow with an even more fervent heart, to unite it to mine. In it you will find every day new love, new gifts, new consolation. Here I await for You.

Speak, Lord,
Your Servant is Listening

Prayer is a humble religious petition of man to God to seek divine benefits for the needs for life, both temporal and eternal. It is a conversation with God, either by accepted prayer forms, or from the heart. Here, then, in conversational verse, is a hypothetical talk the Lord might have with us, his children.

The Rosary--Outdated?

Over one hundred years ago a university student found himself seated in a train by the side of a person who seemed to be a well-to-do peasant. He was praying the Rosary and moving the bead is in his fingers.

"Sir, do you still believe in such outdated things?" asked the student of the old man.

"Yes I do, do you not?" asked the old man.

The student burst out into laughter and said,
"I do not believe in such silly things. Take my advice, throw the Rosary out through the window and learn what science has to say about it."

"Science? I do not understand this science.  Perhaps you can explain it to me.

The student saw the man was moved, so to avoid further hurting the feelings of the old man, he said, "please give me your address and I will send you some literature to help you on the matter."

The man fumbled in the inside pocket of his coat and gave the boy his visiting card. On glancing at the card, the student bowed his head in shame. . .

On the card he read: 
Loius Pasteur
Director of Scienctific Research, Paris

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Surprise Sufferings

Only a Divine mind can adequately see what suffering meant to Jesus.  A life-long study of the Passion merely reveals to us, in an outline, the greatness of His sufferings. Take, for example, one suffering that easily escapes our attention but which was without a doubt, extremely painful: the jolts of the Cross on the way to Calvary.  Think about them…

•The first impact of the
Cross upon His shoulder
after the scourging and
the crowning with thorns
caused Him excessive
pain.
•How many jolts did the
Cross receive?  How many
times did fresh pain,
caused from each of
these, reverberate
through His sacred body?
•Three times He fell. 
•Even as Veronica
presented Him with a
towel, this lovely act
caused Him pain.
•Simon of Cyrene lifted
the Cross from His
shoulder, but when it was
later replaced, the pain
became more excessive
than ever.

THE JOLTS OF THE CROSS were, perhaps, intended to teach us how to treat surprise sufferings.  We receive a jolt when a friend has not measured up to our ideals, or perhaps we are surprised by an act of unusual thoughtlessness and ingratitude.  We have been severely criticized or judged harshly.  These are all jolts of our cross.

Our first reaction is resentment. To change resentment into peaceful, loving resignation, let us think of the jolts Jesus received while carrying His cross—for US.          -Spirit of Love

God’s Will

Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

“Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers. "Yuck" says her daughter.

“How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Mom!"

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?" "Mom, those are all yucky!"
To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.