Friends in Christ please pray for the marriage that I am so devoted to. My spouse has been very mean to me. I know that he can be a good man. I know that something is wrong. He was unfaithful to me two years ago. He did all this in our home. I am still having trouble dealing with his unfaithfulness. I go to church every Sunday . I am trying but it is hard. Especialy when he is so mean. Please protect me from the evil that is around us. Help me take care of myself and my thoughts. Pray that our Lord can unite him with good thoughts and inspireing warm love towards this marriage and my self.sincerely norma

My sadness this Christmas season is directly related to the behavior of our Government leaders. Maybe this is normal behavior on steroids. The issure of Right to Life is close to my heart; when I hear that our representatives are trading it for other percieved benefits I get really angry and upset. I can't effect the decisions that are being made except to write to my representatives to express my views. I do offer time hours in the Adoration Chapel at my church and I offer many prayers for our country. Then I have to let go and trust in God. When I do that I find peace. I spend as much time as I can in this activity. Ask God to help you to deal with what is on your heart. I believe your will find peace.

The joy I have found this Christmas Season is from finding the Truth of The Catholic Church. Growing up Protestant and being tossed back and forth with every "wind of doctrine" is discouraging when you truly love Our Lord.
I have never doubted that HE is real, but I despaired of finding what His Truth was among so many competing and angry voices.
My Joy is that I have found Him whom my soul has longed for.

Dan, definitely going to pray for those in sorrow. God bless!

Thanks Tim - God bless.

First of all, I am praying for each of you who are sorrowing. "Blessed are the sorrowful, they shall be comforted." Life can be difficult and God knows that and He is with you even in that sorrow. Whether it is because of financial woes, great losses, separation, difficult relationships or what have you, God is right there with you in your pain and sorrow. You are not alone. And He truly wants to come to you this Christmas season. He was willing to come to us as a tender baby and find shelter in a humble, dirty animal stall --- so too He is willing to enter any heart that might invite Him in, no matter how low we feel. The only other suggestion I have is to help others. When I help others or make an effort to visit someone who is lonely, I feel so much better. Christmas joy doesn't have to be glitzy and loud -- it can be quiet and consoling.

praying for all of them, for all of us
God bless U.

On December 24th, 2005, my then 18 year old son, cut his wrists for the first time. Several more attempts on his own life, repeated psychiatric hospitalizations, and a two month disappearance on his part, left my husband, younger son, and I, in deep despair. My son died less than a year after his first suicide attempt, on November 7th, 2006. Our human natures trembled, but we found deep peace, and even joy, in the knowledge that he was confessed three days before he died, and that his death was caused by a rare, previously undiagnosed heart ailment, not suicide! Advent has never meant more to me, as I reflect on how I would be feeling if Jesus had not yet come! My sorrow and sense of loss is profound, but through a deep life of prayer, I have drawn closer to Jesus on His Cross, and His Blessed Mother beneath it. To those who are suffering, remember...Jesus has been there. He wants to walk with you and give you His comfort and grace. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! He will not let you down. Perhaps you can become a "missionary". Choose a person or a cause that you would like to support. Offer your grief, pain or depression, united with Jesus, for that intention. You will reap so much fruit...both in this life and in the world to come and add to God's glory! May He bless you all abundantly. Julie

Found a lot of joy when I read Matthew 2:10 in RSV about the Magi (I like this translation best): "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." I'd like to imitate the Magi by rejoicing exceeding with great joy.

When we feel sorrow, despair, we need the Lord even more. Look for Him in everyone, everything you meet, you see. Because He is there. There are many who are suffering right now. Seek them out and do something good for them. What you did for least of my brothers, you did for me. Be available for anyone who may need you. God bless you all. May your Christmas be filled with God's love.

the two things which anchor my expanded relationship with Christ and help me greatly in sorrow is my daily prayer hour and my daily examen. Both practices stem from my experience taking a 10 week course on the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola.i would strongly recommend for any one wishing to deepen their walk with our Lord Jesus to find a class on the spiritual exercises and make them a part of your faith walk.

My dear sorrowful beloved in Christ, do not forget that the very fact that you wake up each day alive, is a joy to be cherished. So many go to bed the night before, but do not see the sunrise on the following day.

To give you hope, my niece has been a widow for 20 years now. She came to me and revealed that she has been troubled for quite a long time now because since her husband passed away, she has never had any sign to know where his soul went. I requested a Priest friend of mine who came to see me in hospital 2 years ago when I had suffered a nervous breakdown to offer 9 Novena Holy Masses for her husband, John. After a week or two, John appeared to one of his two sons and told him to tell his mother to say Thank You to her Aunt for the Masses.

When my niece told me that, I assured her that, that was a sign her husband had been in Purgatory and the Novena Masses secured God's Divine Mercy. Therefore, his punishment was remitted and he was welcome in Heaven. The Priest who celebrated the Holy Masses confirmed this to me, too. My niece is now able to sleep soundly which she has not been able to do for a very long time.

So my dear sorrowful beloved, pray Divine Mercy Chaplet which Jesus taught Saint Faustina through the intercession of His Holy Mother and Saint Faustina and Jesus will be born in your souls this Christmas and that will bring you untold peace and joy.

God bless you and all those who need our prayers on this Website

For those of you who are feeling so much sorrow, begin with prayer..Bishop Sheen said," grace hangs all around us like ribbons and the sword to bring that grace down to us is prayer."
And please begin a gratitude journal start with a small list, 5 things a day that you were grateful for-
at first this may be difficult and you may not be able to think of anything that happened that day to be grateful for think of St Theresas
"little way"-grateful you had dishes to wash which meant you had food, grateful you had to deal with someone grouchy today because you have something to offer Our Lord...then it gets easier, grateful for the color red on the apple you just ate.
A grateful heart will bring you closer to our Lord and will allow you to see ALL the love He has to share with you.
You are in my prayers to the Infant Jesus this Christmas week!!

We all should give praise and glory to God for the true gift of Christmas, His son.
If we focus on the gift of Jesus, then we know the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus is enough. He paid the ultimate price for our sins. We as Christians should feel joy during the Christmas season. Unfortunately, we tend to get caught up in the trappings of the secular world in which we live. Remember God's promises and follow His son. Merry Christmas.

Go and sit before the blessed sacrament. Listen and feel the love.

It is very easy to focus on the things that hurt and cause us sorrow. I believe it takes a special grace to recognize Jesus will really and truly be with us as we accept the pains and sorrows that are so much a part of the Christian Life.

I could be overwhelmed with sorrow for many reasons...if I were to focus on them, if I were to think I was alone in my pain.

I have Lupus and just recently spent the better part of 3 months in the hospital with an abdominal abscess, resulting in 3 major surgeries.

My two sons have both fallen away from the Catholic Faith, my youngest is living a homosexual lifestyle and my oldest has divorced and remarried without benefit of an annulment. He has embraced an anti-catholic non-denominational religious view and basically disowns his parents due to our unwavering trust and belief in the Catholic Church as the one true Church established by Jesus Christ.

I have almost no contact with my 5 grandchildren, due to our Faith and the fear my son and his wife have that we might pray the rosary, or discuss Mary and the saints or some other "Catholic thing" in the presence of our grandchildren.

These are just a few of the things that weigh on my heart, mind and soul on a daily basis.

At this time of year I have an additional sorrow, that being my dear Mother passed away on my birthday, December 26, 2005.

I'm convinced Satan wants me to be in pain and sorrow....for pain and sorrows' sake. This I believe is one of the weapons Satan has against our most loving and awesome God. This is one way in which he lashes out at me and Jesus...through pain and sorrow he wants to bring me to despair; and without the grace of God he would succeed.

The way I combat this sorrow is to have a loving and joyful demeanor by simply keeping my focus on Jesus and all of the beautiful devotions and ancient rich traditions he has bestowed upon me through His most Holy Bride the Catholic Church.

I start each day with prayer. I thank Jesus for the day ahead and ask Him to accompany me along the way...I offer Him everything I am and everything I have through the Immaculate hands of Our Blessed Mother....including my pain and sorrow. I imagine Jesus and His Mother walking along side me or sitting with me as I do my work. I imagine Jesus and The Blessed Mother taking my hand or embracing me in consolation as I suffer pain or sorrowful feelings or memories. I imagine my children as young boys resting in the big strong hands of our good and loving Father. I offer up my pain and suffering for the conversion of my children and all fallen away Catholics. Most of all I thank Him for everything...including my pain and sorrow!

I make a concerted effort to be open to recognizing the many gifts Jesus gives me. Each evening, I journal and make a list of these gifts.

Obviously I am not perfect at any of these things, but when I am able to keep my focus on Jesus and the things of Jesus, I have an inner joy and peace that surpasses words or understanding.

ViVa Cristo Rey!
Long Live Christ the King!

I've been partly handicap since June; for a while I wasn't handling it too well but now I'm at peace and found Christ in this suffering. I've been praying for everyone I could think of; for my two cousins who love the things of this world; I put together a spiritual exercise made of different qoutes and meditations from the saints and Scripture readings; plus one week of the Spiritual Exercise by St. Ignatius. This is their Christmas Present. Last night at Benediction, Adoration and Confession; I seen what my prayers have done; praying for my parish priest made him strict but loving. He told the students who had Catechism class not to mess around, do not talk, do not take your focus off of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and do not go to confession if it will hurt me and you; but do go if you want to make yourself holy and pure for Christmas. I have no idea about all the people who are praying for my cousins; because they are in the Fiary in San Giovianni Rotondo. I had them praying for my parents so my dad would get his Christmas bonus; well that has been answered because the Oil Drillers want to drill on our land and giving us a big check for Christmas money. Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever and honor to St. Padre Pio; he took my prayer to Jesus and and Jesus let a miracle happen. Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever. Do not loose hope my dear brothers and sisters; keep praying and God will answer your prayers in a way you won't expect. God Bless.

I know when things seem bleak and sorrow is the only sentiment that it is hard to find Christ and His Mother.
I have 13 kids who will all be home for some of our holiday time. My cup is full of so many good things this year in spite of so many niggling difficulties and disappointments, I will pray for the small and cozy comforts that are the special artistry of a mother's touch in the lives of each one who does not know those consolations these days.
I know that Our Lord and His Mother know exactly how to bless and show their tender love and care to each of their precious ones, in that delicate way that reaches in to the soul and infuses life, strength, and joy.
With so many kids, as anyone can imagine, our time together in my family is also rife with variety of opportunities to make sacrifices- I will offer them to the end that those who are in sorrow will find the Christ Child, and in Him, all their hope and life.

I will be praying for those in sorrow and need, especially during adoration time!

God bless,
Dawn

I've had some health problems this year, compounding ones I've suffered in earlier years. I have come to the conclusion that every day is a gift--this time of year, even more so. No matter what I am suffering, I have been given the gift to wake up this morning, by God and I am grateful.