March 2025: Prayers and Reflections
Prayers and Reflections for March 2025
The Pope’s Monthly Intention
For families in crisis: Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences.
* * *
A prayer for my family
Heavenly Father, I come to you today and ask you for guidance so that my family and I can navigate through the difficult times that we have faced. Help us to always remember that we love each other and that when we are together, we can manage to make it through everything. Please always keep us safe and protected. Amen.
Holylandprayer.com
* * *
Day of Prayer for Temperance • 2 March
Father Mathew’s Prayer
Apostle of Temperance Father Mathew (1790-1856) was a Capuchin friar from Tipperary whose 19th century crusade against the abuse of alcohol gained him the title of ‘Apostle of Temperance’. Father Mathew’s call to sobriety has relevance to modern Ireland. The cost to the nation by way of, human suffering, abstention from work, criminality and social upheaval is inestimable.
We pray:
Compassionate Lord and Saviour,
you inspired the Capuchin Friar Theobold Mathew
to show your compassionate face to those addicted
and burdened by the abuse of alcohol or addicted behavior,
and to promote temperance.
May we today, continue to serve our brothers and sisters with love and joy,
And to foster balance, and moderation in our life styles with the help of God.
So, we pray, ‘here goes in the name of God.’ Amen.
catholicbishops.ie
* * *
Lent – Forms of Friday Penance
The following are suggested as ways of fulfilling Friday penance:
Abstaining from meat or some other food.
Abstaining from alcoholic drink or smoking.
Making a special effort at involvement in family prayer.
Making a special effort to participate in Mass on Fridays;
Visiting the Blessed Sacrament;
Making the Stations of the Cross;
Fasting from all food for a longer period of time than usual and perhaps giving what is saved to the needy;
Helping the poor sick, old or lonely.
Irish Catholic Bishop’s Conference
* * *
Day of Prayer for Victims of Abuse • 7 March
God of endless love,
ever caring, ever strong,
always present, always just:
You gave your only Son
to save us by the blood of his cross.
Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace,
join to your own suffering
the pain of all who have been hurt
in body, mind, and spirit
by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.
Hear the cries of our brothers and sisters
who have been gravely harmed,
and the cries of those who love them.
Soothe their restless hearts with hope,
steady their shaken spirits with faith.
Grant them justice for their cause,
enlightened by your truth.
Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,
heal your people’s wounds
and transform brokenness into wholeness.
Grant us the courage and wisdom,
humility and grace, to act with justice.
Breathe wisdom into our prayers and labors.
Grant that all harmed by abuse may find peace in justice.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for healing victims of abuse usccb.org
* * *
A prayer of mercy for refugees • Day of Prayer for Emigrants
17 March
Abba Father, our beloved Father,
look down with mercy on us and all refugees.
Remember your son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
had to leave his homeland and flee to Egypt,
when he was a baby, with his mother, Mary,
and foster father, Joseph.
Help us to be aware of the fears, anxiety, pain, sorrow,
difficulties and uncertainty all refugees suffer,
and to remember that we all belong
to the same human family.
Holy Spirit,please give us compassion and courage
to help them in any way we can.
Amen.
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
St Joseph, pray for us.
Diana Ng, CAFOD supporter
* * *
Prayer for Pope Francis on the anniversary of his inauguration
19 March
O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
look favorably on your servant Francis,
whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd;
Grant, we pray, that by word and example
he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,
he may come to everlasting life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
usccb.org
* * *