The Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers

CONTENTS

A Note from the Publisher

Foreword by Emily Wilson Hussem

Introduction

Part I: Prayers for Encountering God—Worship the Lord with Gladness (Psalm 100:2)

Lord, I Believe in You (Katie Prejean McGrady)

The Universal Prayer

When You Don’t Feel like Praying (Daria Sockey)

St. Anselm’s Prelude to Prayer

When You Really Need Mercy (Justina Kopp)

The Jesus Prayer

Stolen Moments with Jesus (Kendra Tierney)

Act of Spiritual Communion

A Daily Encounter with Mystery (Karianna Frey)

The Angelus

A Spiritual Heart Transplant (Emily Jaminet)

Most Holy Heart of Jesus Prayer

Making a Holy Hour (Susanna Parent)

Psalm 46

A Sacrifice of Praise (Mary Lenaburg)

O God Beyond All Praising

Communing with Christ (Karianna Frey)

Anima Christi

When You Need to Go to Confession (Maurisa Mayerle)

Prayer for Courage

Adoring the Heart of Love (Emily Jaminet)

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Abridged)

Litanies of Our Lives

Litany of Gratefulness (Sarah Christmyer)

Litany for Guidance (Deb Kelsey-Davis)

Litany of Humility (Sam [Cecilia] Fatzinger)

Litany of Joy (Allison Gingras)

Litany of Togetherness (Jaymie Stuart Wolfe)

Litany of Trust (Jenny Uebbing)

Litany of Weakness (Elizabeth Scalia)

Part II: Prayers for Getting to Know Mary—Behold, Your Mother! (John 19:27)

An Introduction to Mary (Heidi Hess Saxton)

Blessed One

The Dominican (Traditional) Rosary

The Sign of the Cross (Rebecca Frech)

The Apostles’ Creed (Pat Gohn)

The Our Father (Rachel Bulman)

The Hail Mary (Sarah A. Reinhard)

The Glory Be (Stacy A. Trasancos)

The Fatima Prayer (Maria Morera Johnson)

The Hail Holy Queen (Leticia Ochoa Adams)

The Joyful Mysteries (Luz Torres)

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Sherry Antonetti)

The Luminous Mysteries (Lisa M. Hendey)

The Glorious Mysteries (Christy Isinger)

A Hymn Prayer (Stephanie A. Sibal)

Immaculate Mary

Praise of a Motherly Heart (Andi Oney)

The Magnificat

Praying for the Heart of Mary (Katie Warner)

Prayer of St. Teresa of Calcutta

Calm for the Fearful Heart (Kelly M. Wahlquist)

The Memorare

When Family Is Far Away (Maria Morera Johnson)

Prayer to Our Lady of Charity

Let Her Sorrows Pierce Your Heart (Rachel Bulman)

Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows

A Rosary for Priests (Sonja Corbitt)

Chaplet of Reparation

Remembering the Joys of Mary (Barb Szyszkiewicz)

The Franciscan Crown

Walking Step-by-Step with Mary (Susan Wallace)

The Scriptural Rosary

Part III: Prayers for a More Intimate Marriage—Love Never Ends (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Breathing Grace (Haley Stewart)

Prayer for a Simple Kind of Love

Begging for Union (Christy Wilkens)

Prayer for Healing in Our Marriage

Old World Wisdom (Lyrissa Sheptak)

Prayer of Wifely Humility

The Road to Safety and Peace (Heidi Hess Saxton)

A Plea for Safety

Help Me, St. Fabiola

When Money Is Tight (Sam [Cecilia] Fatzinger)

Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague

Porn-Proof Your Marriage (Jackie Francois Angel)

Prayer for Protection from Pornography

When You Yearn for a Child (Sarah Mackenzie)

The St. Andrew Christmas Prayer

Part IV: Prayers of a Mother’s Heart—Whoever Receives One Such Child in My Name Receives Me (Mark 9:37)

Blessing Prayers for Labor and Delivery

(Annabelle Moseley)

Prayer of Humble Trust

Prayer of Consecration to the Infant Jesus

A Marian Lullaby (Derya Little)

Our Lady, Star of the Sea

A Mother’s Bedtime Prayer (Carrie Schuchts Daunt)

Lord, Fix My Mistakes

Blessed Imperfection (Kelly Johnson)

Thank You, Lord, for Family

On the First Day of School (Annabelle Moseley)

Prayer to St. Benedict for Blessing and Protection

Nourishing a Child’s Soul (Clare Kilbane)

Patient Trust

Unlocking the Mysteries of My Child

(Christine Kelly Baglow)

A Parent’s Reflection on a Child with Special Needs

Letting God Take Over (Eileen Zimak)

Prayer for Letting Go

When Choices Have Consequences (Rose Sweet)

A Prayer of Hope for My Sons

Patient Parenting (Lauren Nelson)

A Prayer for Parents with Daughters

Modeling Goodness (Theresa Thomas)

Prayer for Lifelong Virtue

When I Feel Overwhelmed (Elizabeth Sri)

The Little Way for Imperfect Moms

The Gift of My Husband’s Daughter

(Sherry Hayes-Peirce)

A Stepmother’s Prayer

The Power of Prayer (Mary Amore)

A Grandmother’s Prayer

Created out of Sheer Love (Mallory Smyth)

A Birthday Prayer

Part V: Prayers for Help in Times of Trial—Count It All Joy (James 1:2)

Stay with Me, Lord (Jenna Guizar)

A Litany of Trust

Battling the Enemy (Marge Steinhage Fenelon)

Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel

Entrusting a Child to God in a Medical Emergency

(Sarah Christmyer)

A Psalm of Surrender

Familiar Sins (Bonnie Rodgers)

My Morning Offering

There Is Always Hope (Eileen Zimak)

Prayer during a Troubled Pregnancy

After Miscarriage (Stephanie Gray Connors)

Prayer When a Baby Has Died

As I Recover from Childbirth (Corynne Staresinic)

Help Me to See You: A New Mother’s Prayer

For the Child I Don’t Get to Keep (Marcia Lane-McGee)

Lord, Give Me Strength

For Families in Crisis (Anne DeSantis)

Lord, Be Our Safe Place Now

Praying for My Enemies (Leah Libresco Sargeant)

Lord, Help Me to Love

Entrusting Our Troubles to Our Lady

(Marge Steinhage Fenelon)

Prayer to Undo the Knots of My Life

Coping with Rejection (Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur)

Healing Prayer to the Sacred Heart

Thank God Ahead of Time (Allison Gingras)

A Simple Prayer of Trust

Lifting Up Our Service Members (Elizabeth A. Tomlin)

The Rosary for Warriors

When Adult Children Move Back Home

(Kendra Von Esh)

Lord, Make My Heart a Welcoming Place

Your Love Is Sweeter than Wine

(Erica Campbell)

O Lord, My Sweetness and My Light

Part VI: Prayers for While You Work—Establish the Work of Our Hands (Psalm 90:17)

Changing Our Perspective (Michele Faehnle)

St. Faustina’s Prayer of Transformation

The Secret of Sanctity (Dorothy Pilarski)

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Lean into the Chaos (Kathryn Whitaker)

A Kitchen Sink Offering

Enlisting Angelic Help (Theresa Thomas)

A Maternal Prayer to the Guardian Angels

Placing Life’s Messes in God’s Hands (Rebecca Frech)

The Nine Annoying Things Novena

The Blessing of Social Media (Kitty Cleveland)

Opening Prayer for the Online Rosary

Made in the Image of God (Kate Wicker)

Lord, Thank You for My Motherly Body

Accompanying Our Elderly Parents (Lisa M. Hendey)

A Caregiver’s Prayer

Lift Them Up to Jesus (Katie Prejean McGrady)

Prayer for My Child’s Teachers

Called to Write (Michelle Buckman)

A Writer’s Prayer

Soul of a Woman (Christina Dehan Jaloway)

Lord, Complete Your Creation

Part VII: Prayers for Peace in Times of Grief and Loss—Love Is Strong as Death (Song of Solomon 8:6)

God’s Mercy Never Ends (Trish Short)

Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Birth into New Life (Annabelle Moseley)

A Reflection on Life and Death

My Real-Life Pietà (Rachel Bulman)

Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows

Jesus Is My Best Companion (Colleen C. Mitchell)

Prayer of a Lonely Heart

When You Face a Final Goodbye (Mary Ann Jepsen)

Radiating Christ

Will Anything Be Okay Again? (Andrea Remke)

A Young Widow’s Prayer

Contributors

A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Welcome to The Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers, a spiritual lifeline you can call upon when you talk with God. Written by more than eighty contributors at various stages of motherhood, this treasury will connect you with other women who understand your hopes, dreams, frustrations, heartaches, and joys. These extraordinary women— including Lisa M. Hendey, Jenna Guizar, Emily Wilson Hussem, Haley Stewart, Kelly Wahlquist, and Leticia Ochoa Adams—share favorite prayers, litanies, songs, and reflections that you can offer to the Lord for almost every intention.

This beautifully designed collection includes A Kitchen Sink Offering, The Nine Annoying Things Novena, The Litany of Weakness, A Marian Lullaby, When Choices Have Consequences, The Rosary for Warriors, and Will Anything Be Okay Again? Traditional Catholic prayers—the Mysteries of the Rosary, the Memorare, and the Jesus Prayer, for example—are included as well, and many of these are personal favorites of those of us here at Ave.

My most vivid memories of my paternal grandmother, Grandma Welde, are visiting with her and praying with her. She prayed the Rosary daily and had an old blue cloth prayer book on her nightstand that she read from each evening. My hope is that this volume finds a permanent home on your nightstand and becomes a regular part of your prayer life.

Books on prayer and spirituality, particularly for women, are an important part of what we do at Ave Maria Press. As a ministry of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, our mission is to be educators in the faith; to make God known, loved, and served; and to spread the Gospel through our publications. I am proud to add The Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers to our award-winning family of resources.

I hope this book will be a treasured keepsake and your go-to resource for the perfect words to lift up in prayer no matter what the need is in your life.

May God bless you abundantly with his great love.

Karey Circosta

CEO and Publisher, Ave Maria Press

FOREWORD

Growing up with a mother who prayed had a great impact on me as a child. And having a mother who still prays has a great impact on my life now as a mother.

My mother is a convert to Catholicism. I am her second child, and she converted when she was pregnant with me (I have yet to meet anyone else whose mother received the Sacraments of Initiation while they were in her womb!). She attended daily Mass as often as possible, and even as tiny children we accompanied her on each of those mornings. When I was in elementary school, I knew each day that my mom would be at Mass on campus at our Catholic school. I remember when, in eighth grade, I was chosen by my class to be the May Queen and I wanted to tell my mom . . . I looked at the clock and knew that she would be in the church as Mass was ending. I found her and told her the news. I loved knowing where she would be—I loved knowing she would be in our church, talking with the Lord. My mother’s deep devotion to Jesus, especially in daily Mass, changed my life and has inspired me to do the same, as much as I can, with my own children.

The simple fact is that, as mothers, not all of us can attend Mass every day; our other responsibilities may prevent us fitting it into our weekday schedule. And yet, it was not only my mom’s daily devotion to the Eucharist that transformed my life—it was her dedication to being a mother who prayed, which is what this book is about. This book is about helping you to be a mother who prays. It is about striving to become a mother who has prayer and a connection with the Lord at the center of everything you do. The Lord does not ask us to be perfect in our mothering—but he asks us to root it in him.

My friend Fr. Louis once described prayer as a response to infinite love. I pray this book can be a guide in helping you respond to the infinite, passionate love God has for you. May it offer you many moments, in the midst of the many tasks to be accomplished, to be with the Lord, to speak to him, and to rededicate your mothering to him again and again. May the traditional prayers held here give you words to speak to God on the days when you feel you cannot think of one more thing, even words in prayer. May the testimonies fill you with consolation in knowing you are not alone on this road with its abundant joys and difficulties. And may every page of this book lead you closer to our generous and kind Lord, who chose you for this holy responsibility, the vocation of trying to raise your children to be saints.

Emily Wilson Hussem

INTRODUCTION

I am fascinated by prayer stories—testimonies of faith and perseverance from women who do their best every day to listen for God’s voice and to do what he asks of them. I grew up in a Christian household and was taught to believe in a God who answers prayers, who is always ready to meet an urgent need or work a small miracle in a dire situation. To be honest, I’ve had more than my fair share of small miracles.

What took me a lot longer to embrace—not until I became Catholic in my early thirties, in fact—was that God doesn’t always grease the wheels for us. Great mercy can come out of great suffering, and there is a dark side to expecting God to provide not only our daily bread but the margaritas and cake as well. I was eighteen when my own faith was tested on this score, when an accident totaled the family car and very nearly killed me. Once I was able to walk again, I enrolled in a missionary training school in Minnesota, spent a year interning in Senegal, West Africa, and eventually moved to California. There (long story short) I wound up becoming Catholic at a particularly dark time of my life in 1994, when I was desperate to find a place where it didn’t feel like my prayers were bouncing off the ceiling.

I had been sneaking into Catholic Masses for about six months when I made an appointment with Dawn, the director of religious education at a nearby parish, who shuddered when I told her I’d been receiving the Eucharist. She told me to stop, which I did. Then she assigned me a sponsor, who quit within three weeks because I asked too many questions. Finally, Dawn took me under her wing. And before I knew it, I was standing beneath the palm trees at Holy Family Catholic Parish in South Pasadena, waiting to light my taper at the Easter Vigil. And then, an hour later, I received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time as a Catholic.

As it turns out, my Catholic education was just beginning. I had yet to discover novenas or litanies. I avoided the Rosary like the plague because why pray to Mary when I can go right to God? It wasn’t until I married Craig and we began to foster, and later adopted, our two children that I figured out the answer to that question. Because that, my friend, is where I really learned to pray. There is nothing quite like the isolated helplessness and unmitigated failure that are part and parcel of the vocation of motherhood to kick your prayer life into overdrive. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I needed help, and that my type-A personality was going to kill us all if God didn’t show a little mercy and make me into a calmer, gentler, kinder version of