Prayer Requests

A reader writes:

Please pray for my brother Sean and his volunteer group as they head back from our orphanage in Haiti. Tropical Storm Isaac caused their flight home to be canceled. They’re currently on their way to the airport in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) traveling over some pretty rough terrain in addition to fairly heavy rain and wind. They have a very good all-terrain vehicle and a very good driver, but some prayers over the next day or so would be greatly appreciated for a safe journey and arrival home – just to be sure.

Father, grant them safe travels and bring them safely home through Christ our Lord. Mother Mary, pray for them.

Another reader writes:

First – I had asked for prayer for a young man who is my advisee – he wants to complete his degree in SPecial Education and then enter the seminary. He needed to pass a state test to go student teaching and on try three (the last one) he passed. He asked did I want to know the score and my response – “be a great teacher, and when you are a priest remember the power of prayer – i don’t care about the number I wanted the letter P after your name”. Thank you for all of your prayers.
Second a prayer for my son – he called us earlier this week and told that he and his significant other have conceived a child. The next thing he said is could Ioan them some money so they could find a different OB/GYN. When they met with the first one after telling them that my son’s girlfriend was pregnant he asked when did they want to schedule an abortion. My son and his girlfriend were horrified – My son said “you and mom taught me the value of life, and I remember SIster Genevieve explaining about the horrors of abortion. I am glad he didn’t do what he wanted to do which was rearrange the doctor’s anatomy – he is head of security at a Miami Bar. His girlfriend agrees completely with the decision to have the child. Thank God for that. However, some prayers maybe as they work through what they have done and deal with all that is involved.

Father, thank you for hearing our prayer for that young man. Hear our prayer now for a safe delivery for this child and that your perfect will be done through Christ our Lord. Amen. Mother Mary, pray for them.

Another reader writes:

Our 13 year old friend, Lydia, was hit by a recycling truck as she stepped off her school bus back on May 17. I had asked your faithful readers to keep her and her family in their prayers, as she had received multiple broken bones and a catastrophic brain injury. The past 3 months have been filled with incredible pain and uncertainty for those who love Sweet Lydia. I would like to share an update from her parents’ blog today. (Lydia has been in a rehab hospital for about a month, and is home for 10 days, working with an in-house team of therapists while her hospital therapists are on vacation. Lydia had been completely silent, with varying degrees of responsiveness until earlier this week, when she became fully aware & responsive, and began to speak, even saying ‘Happy Birthday Dad’ yesterday!) Her mother writes:

“Scriptures and promises keep washing over us, like the flood of blessings we are experiencing.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Tears of gratitude and hope are overflowing in this household!

Isaiah 43:19 I am amking a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Streams being made in the desert are making this new land lush and beautiful.

2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
It feels at times that our hearts can’t keep pace with the wonder and beauty of the gifts we are receiving. Lydia is progressing, and amazing us hourly. It used to be that we would cling to one moment in a long day or week, and find hope and joy in it. In the past week, the moments have been so many that we can’t remember them all. Indescribable.
We will share two moments from today. When we say to Lydia, “I love you”, she smiles and says, “I love you too” and loves to hold up two fingers when she says the two. She likes holding up fingers for numbers!
At supper time, we asked Lydia how we should give thanks, and she said Johnny appleseed. We began to sing slowly, and she joined us, pointing heartily to herself, as she said “Oh the Lord is good to ME, and so I thank the Lord, for giving me the things I need, the sun and the rain and the appleseed, the Lord is good to ME”! What incredible joy and beauty in the heart of one who has lost so much, and is working hard to gain it back. She seems, to both of us, to exude a sense of divine joy which amazes us. There has been deep pain on this journey, but right now there is extraordinary joy !
Lydia has continued to talk today – full sentences at times, and sometimes words with 4 or 5 syllables! She talked so much with her therapy support worker this morning that she was cognitively exhausted by lunch.
This evening, some close friends came to share some music with Lydia. She sat in her wheelchair with a big smile on her face as they sang, and played worship songs for her. She joined in on Jesus Loves Me, and robustly pointed to herself on the me. We close with the following chorus that they sang that resonated with our hearts.
How deep the Father’s love for me
How vast, beyond all measure …”

Lydia still has a long and difficult road ahead of her, but for the first time since the ‘un-asked-for’ event, as her parents call it, hope and joy abound!
Thank you for your prayers. And thank you, Jesus, for hearing the cries of so many hearts and working to heal & restore Sweet Lydia. Amen.

Father, hear our prayer for Lydia’s complete healing through Christ our Lord. Amen! Mother Mary, pray for her and all who love her.