13. PROVIDENCE OF MY GOD
(According to a prayer by J-M of Mennais) Providence of my God, O Mother, that we love so much ! Providence always so good, so wise, so full of mercy and love, we adore you, we bless you, we abandon ourselves unreservedly to you; make of us what you please. We have no other wish but to do your will in all things: in humiliations and in grandeur, in poverty, in wealth, in health, in sickness, in life and in death.
Providence of my God, watch over your children, strengthen them, guide them, be their defender and their guide, their light and their counsel, their consolation, their treasure, their joy and their hope: God alone in time, God alone in eternity!
14. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Holy Spirit, you who are forever Master of the impossible, come and realise in us what is possible for you: give life to what dies, make blossom what germinates, make mature what falls into the soil. Be in us the Spirit of the Father: come and convince us to give our lives and to collaborate in the work of creation.
Be in us Spirit of the Son: come and teach us to pass by the Cross to open the way of your Kingdom and live trials as well as joys, in confidence.
Be in us Spirit of holiness who introduces us to the generosity of the Father, to the loyalty of the Son, to the courage of the Apostles and in Mary’s praise.
15. PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
Holy Spirit, enkindle even today the heart of the young people so that, leaving everything to follow Christ, they may discover the real joy of disciples.
Send them in the midst of their brothers, in the service of the People of God.
Send them into the whole world, men and women of apostolic hearts.
Send them beyond the borders, witnesses devoured by the missionary zeal.
Send them into the silence of the desert, passionate seekers of the Living God.
Spirit of love, give to all these young people the courage to answer the call of the Father, the call of the Church and the call of the world.
And may Mary, humble handmaid of the Lord open to your Breath of freedom, accompany them on this way of light and life.
16. ST JOHN BAPTIST, OUR MODEL.
Prayer inspired from the Prayers of intercession of the Feast day of John Baptist’s nativity.
Lord Jesus, you sent John ahead of you to announce your coming.
For you, at Mary’s voice, he quivered in Elisabeth’s womb.
Fill us with the joy of the Spirit by coming to us today.
By the word and by his life, John showed us a path of conversion. Grant us to look like him by a life given completely.
John the Baptist recognised in you the Lamb of God come to save the world. May your Spirit shape in us his image and make brothers of us.
John, a man, announced you with human words . Put on our lips the words which proclaim your Good news.
John said: ” He has to grow and I have to decrease “. Make us find in him the model of the educator that you call us to be for the young people.
17. MENNAISIAN BROTHERS AND LAITY AT THE SERVICE OF THE YOUNG
Loving father, we praise you to have inspired in Jean-Marie de la Mennais and in Gabriel Deshayes, the creation of our Institute for the evangelisation and the education of the children and the young people.
Grant, that following their example, the Mennaisian Brothers and Laity, may put themselves generously at the service of the young people, particularly of the most needy.
Grant that with your help, they give to each one the chance to develop in the best way possible.
Grant that they may be joyful and enthusiastic witnesses of your Son who came to save the world.
Give them to be creative and faithful, generous and humble disciples, livened up by the fire of hope, and united by the bond of fraternal love.
18. MISSIONARY PRAYER
O my Saviour, by all your power and your infinite mercy, may I be changed and transformed into You!
May my hands may be your hands.
May my eyes be your eyes.
May my tongue be your tongue.
May my senses and my body serve only to glorify You!
But above all, transform me: that my memory, my intelligence, my heart, may be Your memory, Your intelligence and Your heart!
May my actions and my feelings be similar to Your actions and to Your feelings.
Amen.
By St Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, a Chinese martyr
19.Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Lord,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
