Prayer for Protection against the Coronavirus
Pope Francis’ Prayer to the Virgin Mary for Protection

O Mary,
you always shine on our path as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who at the cross took part in Jesus' pain, keeping your faith firm.
You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need,
and we are sure you will provide so that, as in Cana of Galilee,
we may return to joy and to feasting after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform to the will of the Father and to do as we are told by Jesus,
who has taken upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows
to lead us, through the cross, to the joy of the resurrection.
Amen.

Welcome to our Spiritual Growth section. We hope that the resources offered on this page will allow you to grow in your life of prayer. Here you can find links to the reading of the day, lives of the saints, daily reflections, catholic answers and much more....

LIVE THE LITURGY - INSPIRATION FOR THE WEEK OF September 27th

When making decisions, we often struggle with what voice to follow. We acknowledge the presence of God, the existence of the Trinity, the priority of the Gospel, and the virtues and values they embody. Yet, even with all of that truth, knowledge, and tradition behind us, we think we know better. When confronted with a decision, we easily dismiss what we know we ought and need to do and entertain responses that stem from lesser desires and wants. We eventually may come around and realize that what God asks us to do is what we need to do, even if it wasn’t our original intention. God accepts our return to Him with joy. What becomes dishonest is deceiving ourselves, God, and others by originally saying yes to what we know we need (and are asked to do) and willfully doing something else. That is blatant hypocrisy.


September 13th
Deciding to travel the challenging road of forgiveness is choosing a journey toward greater freedom. Resentment, anger, and clinging to past hurts not only keep open wounds that long for healing but bring us down paths that are eventually self-destructive. Harboring grudges and withholding forgiveness not only shut down relationships with others, but with God and myself as well. To choose to forgive another person, regardless of how grave the wrong, is a choice to be released from bondage to past wounds and scars and to pursue the gift of life and love again. Who among us has not wrong or sinned against another? We certainly would want God to understand, forgive, and show mercy upon us. It is hypocritical of us to not extend that same grace to our neighbor.


September 6th

It is not easy to confront someone who has wronged or hurt us. But it is absolutely necessary to do so in order for reconciliation to occur. We are taught to mind our own business and keep our thoughts to ourselves. When we have been hurt or wronged and we do not acknowledge and give voice to it, those feelings of hurt remain in our hearts and can eventually turn into anger. Verbalizing our feelings can diffuse them, and communicating how we actually feel brings honesty to our relationships. This is the only way that the path of love can remain open and that integrity and mutual respect can be maintained. It is no wonder that Jesus absolutely insisted upon healthy and compassionate confrontation. People don’t always realize that they are doing harm. Bringing this to light is not only good for the one who is hurt but for the one who caused the pain. The new insight and revelation may prevent the action from being repeated again.

August 30th 

Secular problems require savvy secular solutions. We are trained to solve problems, be successful and productive, and find our way through all that life presents to us. Corporations value those who can decipher the best avenue to take in order to resolve an issue. How do you train and renew your mind? Facts, figures, scientific tools, analytical processes, best practices, and models of varying kinds are at our disposal. If we don’t know the full and proper course of action, we can easily find it. But there is a knowledge that goes far beyond all these things that makes a direct claim on the essence of our being. It satisfies a deeper thirst and hunger that keeps us restless until it is satisfied. Our minds, hearts, and souls cannot only be nurtured purely by secular and temporal things. We must seek the enlightenment that comes from God. This allows us to see the value of suffering in order to achieve a greater good and the losing of our very self in the service of something greater. Faith only makes sense if it can bring us to this heightened awareness.

 

August 23rd

To stand in the presence of God is to stand in the presence of incomprehensible mystery. We are people of proofs and facts. With good reason, we are becoming more doubtful of what presents itself to us, as technology makes it easy to fabricate false images and distort what is actually true. What we think is real actually may not be. We become skeptical. Does this skepticism affect our relationship with God? To have faith in God means that we must be willing to trust in the absence of full knowledge. To know the mind of God means we would know God himself, and that is impossible. To acknowledge Jesus as the Christ means we acknowledge that the reality and presence of an incarnate God has a fundamental claim on who we are. When we name this truth, we participate in a depth of knowledge that stretches us far beyond the scope of our minds. It brings us to silence, which is the only way to touch our soul.
 

August 16th 

As much as some folks may not want to admit it, we all want to be healed. Human beings suffer physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. There are many wounds. Of all of the maladies that can afflict us, the ones that require the greatest attention are of a spiritual nature. What can happen if we are healed inwardly, brought back to center, and restored in our relationships, especially in our relationship with God? We will find the courage, strength, conviction, and hope needed to deal with the more tangible struggles that may not find an easy remedy. Inner strength, gained by persistent faith, is what allows strong, determined, and courageous people to overcome incredible challenges and hurdles. Be persistent in your faith, and seek the inner spiritual healing that you so desperately desire and need.

August 9th 

There is something very sacred about silence. Silence connects us. It is where the heartbeat of all of creation — and its life blood and source — are embraced and where oneness is experienced. When in the presence of an environment that is silent, the worries, tribulations, struggles, and challenges of life seem to fade away, and we can experience a peaceful whisper. We can call that whisper God. Through the practice of contemplative prayer, we can find our way to that inner place of silence even in the midst of great distraction, busyness, and noise. The silence becomes one with us and grounds us. When we become friends with silence, friends with God, we can hear the gentle whisper of God’s voice saying, “Come, stay here. Trust me and you will not fall.”

Live Stream Opportunities For Prayer

As a reminder, none of these are open to the public.

Christ the King Catholic Church in Madisonville – Fr. Carl McCarthy leads the Rosary              nightly at 6 PM:  https://www.facebook.com/ctkmadisonville/

St. Michael in Sebree Adoration Mon-Fri 8:30am:  https://www.facebook.com/smsebree/

Sts. Joseph & Paul in Owensboro Wednesdays at 12 PM Noon- Stations of the Cross:  https://www.facebook.com/stjpcc/

St. Agnes in Uniontown leads the Rosary daily at 3 PM. Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 5 PM:  https://www.facebook.com/St-Agnes-Roman-Catholic-Church-370425936471392/

St. Paul/St. Elizabeth Parishes, Grayson County leads Stations of the Cross on Fridays at 5:30 PM; Liturgy of the Hours Monday through Saturday at 10 AM and Sundays at 6 PM; and  Divine Mercy Novena at 3 PM every day from Good Friday through Divine Mercy Sunday (April 19):
https://www.facebook.com/stpaulcatholicchurchleitchfieldky

Holy Spirit in Bowling Green leads the Rosary Monday through Friday at 3PM:
https://www.facebook.com/HSCCBG/

St. Mary Magdalene in Sorgho: Live musical offering Sundays at 11AM:
https://www.facebook.com/MaryMagdaleneKy/