God our Father, Giver of life, we entrust the United States of America to Your loving care. You are the rock on which this nation was founded. You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among Your people. Send Your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders. Open their minds to the great worth of human life and the responsibilities which accompany human freedom. Remind Your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing Your will. Through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of our land, grant us the courage to reject the “culture of death”. Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYERS TO MARY TO PRAY AFTER THE ROSARY DURING THE NOVENA

FIRST PRAYER
O Mary, You shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who, at the foot of the cross, were united with Jesus' suffering, and persevered in your faith.
"Protectress of the Roman people," you know our needs, and we know that you will provide, so that, as at Cana in Galilee, joy and celebration may return after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the will of the Father and to do what Jesus tells us. For he took upon himself our suffering and burdened himself with our sorrows to bring us, through the cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God; Do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from every danger, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

SECOND PRAYER
"We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God."
In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our mother, and seek refuge under your protection.
Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes toward us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.
Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.
Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers, and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity, and continued health.
Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.
Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.
Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude, and generosity they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired by farsightedness and solidarity.
Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.
Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course.
To you, who shines on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

St. John Paul II is my parish and my Catholic family. We make it what it is. Its pews will be filled if I fill them. It will do great things if we work together. It will be positive, generous, welcoming if I am. It will be a parish of noble spirit which brings unity and peace to this world of discord. It will show loyalty and love, fearless faith, support, and peace if I, who make it what it is, give witness to these. Therefore, with God's grace, I will try to live and be all these things I want my parish to be. Heavenly Father, may we offer our prayers, time, talent, and treasure to improve our parish. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Good evening, Lord
Thank you for this day.
I thank you for all the good things that happened (take some time to think about them).
I ask you for help with all the difficulties the day presented (think about them).
I pray for all the people I know who need my prayers (think about them),
And I ask you to forgive me for anything I did to displease you (think about any sins you may have committed). 

Watch over me as I sleep, Lord.
Keep me safe in your care.
When morning comes may I rise with joy,
Eager to praise and serve you and my neighbor. Amen.

(Pray the Our Father)

There is nothing more soul-cleansing for a Catholic than a thorough and fruitful celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. However, if one has been away from the Sacrament for a while, the idea of celebrating it again can be intimidating if not downright nerve-racking. One of the things which can make it difficult, no matter when we last celebrated the Sacrament, is identifying those ways in which we have failed to do God’s will. To help with this, below is an Examination of Conscience, a meditation aid based on the Ten Commandments, to help us know what we need to confess.

• Have I put something ahead of God as the most important thing in my life?
• Have I spoken in crude or vulgar ways? Have I gossiped or spread rumors? Have I shared something private about someone with no good reason? Have I damaged someone’s reputation? Have I taken the Lord’s name in vain?
• Have I failed to celebrate Mass on the Lord’s Day or Holy Days of Obligation through my own fault? Do I habitually arrive at Mass late or leave before the priest? Have I done unnecessary work or chores on Sunday, especially at the expense of enjoying God and loved ones? Have I not talked to God enough in prayer?
• Have I failed to respect and obey the legitimate authority God has placed over me? Have I appreciated and respected my friends and family, especially my seniors?
• Have I failed to protect and cherish all human life from the moment of conception until natural death? Have I placed myself or others in unnecessary danger? Have I overindulged in or abused food, drugs or alcohol? Have I used the weapon of a sharp tongue to wound or kill somebody’s spirit?
• Have I misused the gift of sexuality by expressing it in any way outside the context of Holy Matrimony? Have I made bad choices in what I watched or read? Have I used my imagination inappropriately?
• Have I taken anything which wasn’t mine? Have I always put in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay? Have I paid my bills and income tax with integrity? Have I supported my parish financially and donated to charity?
• •Have I wanted someone or something which didn’t belong to me and to which I had no right? Have I been envious of what others have?
• Have I been stubborn and prideful when I should have compromised or been humble? Have I been judgmental? Have I turned away from someone who really needed me?
•  What bad habits do I need to change to let God make me holier?

​If we have done some or much of the above, we should not despair, panic or rationalize. We should simply and humbly come before our Lord with contrite hearts and avail ourselves of the great gift of his mercy through a celebration of Reconciliation. A priest is available in the confessional at Notre Dame Church every Saturday at 3:00 pm and after any weekday Mass at St. Mary Church. And of course, you can make an appointment with one of them for another time.

St. John Paul II is my parish. This is my Catholic family. We make St. John Paul II what it is. It will be friendly if I am. Its pews will be filled if I fill them.

St John Paul II will do great works if we work together. It will be positive, generous and accepting if I am. It will bring unity and peace in the world of discord if we live with kindness and acceptance.

St. John Paul II will be a parish of loyalty and love, of fearless faith, of support and peace. It will be a parish of noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, give witness to these.

Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of living and being all these things that I want my parish to be.

Heavenly Father, may we all of the gifts of our prayers, our time, our talents and our material resources for the improvement of the parish.

Our gifts are made in the same spirit of sacrifice that Jesus taught us by his life and death, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
 

Oh, dear St. Joseph:
You who had to travel to far-away lands, look upon me, a stranger in a far-away and beautiful land, living in a city named for you, and pray for me. Pray that I do the will of your foster Son, Jesus. Let us pray together to the Holy Spirit that he will open my ears to understand this new language, that I may speak it to spread the Gospel and communicate His love and compassion with authenticity to the Spanish-speaking children of God. As the Spirit came upon the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary, you wife, at Pentecost to undo the curse and division of Babel, pray that the Spirit comes upon me that he may burn away all my confusion and frustration in my attempt to be part of ongoing renewal and unification of the human race. Amen
Written by: Fr. Ken