Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  The photo today is of a booklet I wrote called Prayer for the Renewal of the Church.  We are called to renew the church through prayer, fasting and witness and using our talents like music.  Last night we continued to edit my memoir, Radical Shifts, moving one paragraph to another section in the book and writing opening and closing paragraphs.

Tonight we will practice for local concerts in churches.  We will also set a date to start recording our 5th Myztery album to be released in November of 2020.  We want to take at least a year to record, mix and master the album.  I have included the first day of the Prayer for the Renewal of the Church below:  You can start on any day of the week.  In the next 6 blogs I will share another day of the prayer.  

Sunday - Day 1 - For the renewal of Bishops

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of Bishops in the universal church. We pray for each one of them, that they may be holy, wise and zealous for the glory of Your name and the salvation of souls. May they preserve order, unity and charity in the particular churches entrusted to them. May they love the truth and always proclaim it, especially when it comes at a personal cost to their popularity or reputation. In a special way we pray for our Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome. Help him to carry out his ministry as the successor of Peter the Apostle. We pray also for our own Bishop, that he be blessed with all the gifts he needs to serve the people of God.

May Jesus, the Bishop of our souls, always be in their hearts, on their lips and in their minds, so that they may spread His sweet fragrance wherever they go. When they are afraid, give them courage from the Passion of Your Son. When they have sinned, lead them to the fount of mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. When they are persecuted unjustly, help them to carry their cross with patience, kindness and humility.

Finally, fill them completely with the love of Your Holy Spirit and may this same Spirit guide them at every moment, so that their decisions may be based on your revealed word and the living Tradition of our faith and the true teaching of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. May Mary, Queen of Bishops, be always beside them to comfort them and assist them to hear the voice of Jesus, her beloved Son, and do whatever He tells them to do. In Jesus name, Amen.