Your Prayers Urgently Needed

I am asking for your prayers. I just learned that a very good friend, Larry Williams, has suffered a massive heart attack. He is currently on life support and he is in very critical condition. He is just in his early 40's. Thank you all! #PrayerRequest #UrgentPrayersNeeded

Prayer Request for My Aunt Della Marie Smith Dillingham

I just received word, that the last one of my late father's siblings has passed away.

My Aunt Della Marie Smith Dillingham, was 102 years old. Please pray for her family, and for the repose of her soul.

Thank you!

Personal Prayer Request

I would appreciate your prayers for a personal situation I am going through at this time. God knows the need, so I will place it in His hands.

Thank you, and may God Bless you all!!

Yours In Christ,

Steve Smith

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions for December 2017

The Elderly

That the elderly, sustained by families and Christian communities, may apply their wisdom and experience to spreading the faith and forming the new generations.

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Please Continue Prayers for My Brother Randy

About 2 weeks ago, I wrote a post here, asking for your prayers for my youngest brother Randy.

He is still unable to use his left arm after the neck fusion surgery to repair damage from a 20 year old car wreck.

Here is what he posted yesterday on Facebook:

Went to Dr today for 1st post-surgery check. I still can't raise my left arm, and losing strength in bicep. They are ordering an MRI to make sure fusion is ok, and to see what might be causing the problem. I'm worried to the extent that for what I do as a lab tech, I have to have 2 working limbs with dexterity and strength, and right now my left arm is practically useless. I LOVE my job, my department, and the people I work with, and I would HATE not being able to do what I love. I'd appreciate it if you'd include me in your prayers. I don't care if my left arm is restored 100%, or if I can't make chords on a guitar. If it's skinny as a stick, that's OK as long as it can hold a tube, twist a lid, etc. Just hoping for any improvement at this point just for encouragement. Thanks all!

So, please keep Randy in your prayers, especially that he gains use of his arm again and is able to return to his job,

Thank you, and God Bless you all!

O merciful Father in heaven, thank You for being with Randy while he was in surgery. Thank You for blessing the surgeon with the skill and knowledge needed to do his and safely bringing Randy through this operation. O gracious Father, bring healing to Randy and bless him with the best care possible as he recovers. Continue to bless him with your tender care. Grant him patience during his recuperation, help him grow in strength each day, and bring him to full recovery quickly, without any setbacks.

Amen.

A Prayer Request For My Cousin Kim Smith Worley Who Has Lymphoma

UPDATE: 
My cousin Kim is back in the hospital yet again, due to a fever because of her weakened immune system. Please continue to pray for her.

I ask all of you to please keep my cousin, Kim Smith Worley in your prayers. She is currently undergoing treatment for Lymphoma.

Kim is a 49-year-old loving wife, mother of 2 and grandmother. She is bravely fighting Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma also known as DLBCL. She is the backbone of her family and a very strong, God fearing woman. She is in the fight of her life with Lymphoma.

She was admitted to the hospital on March 21, 2016 for what we thought was going to be a quick removal of her gallbladder. After they finally decided to do surgery she started going down hill and wound up in the ICU on March 29 fighting for her life. At first they thought she had some kind of fungal or bacterial or viral infection. Finally after gallons of blood work, biopsies, tests, and a lot of fighting she was diagnosed on April 11, 2016. She started Chemo on April 18, and had her 2nd round on May 10. However on May 7, she was discharged from the hospital! She has been in such great spirits and she is such a fighter. But the tables quickly turned again and on May 20th she was admitted back to the hospital with an infection.

Today, July 15, Kim completed her 4^th round of Chemo, and she has 2 more rounds to go.

Prayer to Saint Peregrine Laziosi

Oh great Saint Peregrine, you who have been called "The Mighty" and "The Wonder-Worker" because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you. For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of Kim whom we entrust to you.

Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.

Prayer to Saint Jude the Apostle

Dear Apostle and Martyr for Christ, you left us an Epistle in the New Testament. With good reason many invoke you when illness is at a desperate stage. We now recommend to your kindness Kim, who is in a critical condition. May the cure of this patient increase her faith and love for the Lord of Life, and for the glory of our merciful God. Amen.

Extremely Urgent Prayer Request For Ashley Silver

Ashley Silver

Ashley Silver is the daughter of a friend of mine. Ashley has been in ICU (intensive care unit) for several weeks now. Her body has been compromised by the use of intravenous drugs. She has MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), the antibiotic resistant strain of staph. It attached itself to the main artery of her heart. Some of it flaked off and went to her brain and kidneys.

She has had a massive stroke, and several mini-strokes that have affected the left side of her body, and she is blind in her left eye. The doctors planned to do open heart surgery to repair the artery and damaged heart valve, but were forced to postpone it, as Ashley began to run a fever which as of today, spiked to 105°F (40.5°C).

She also now has staph infected blood clots in both her brain and her lungs.

Please join me in praying the following prayers to Saint Jude the Apostle, Saint Rita of Cascia, Saint Anthony of Padua, and Saint Raphael the Archangel for Ashley and her family.

Thank you.

PRAYER TO SAINT JUDE FOR A SICK CHILD

Saint Jude, the glorious apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus,

the patron of hopeless cases, of things despaired of,

pray for this child who is sick and so miserable.

Make use we implore you of this particular privilege accorded to you,

to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of.

Come to our assistance in this great time of need,

that we may receive the consolations and succor of Heaven

in all our necessities, tribulations and sufferings,

particularly to help this child to get better from her illness

and to give her good health

and to guide her path,

and that we may bless God with you

and all the elect forever.

I promise you, O Blessed St. Jude,

to be ever mindful of this great favor,

and we will never cease to honor you

as our special and powerful patron

and to do all in our power to encourage devotion to you.

Amen.

PRAYER TO SAINT RITA OF CASCIA

Dear Rita, model Wife and Widow,

you yourself suffered in a long illness

showing patience out of love for God.

Teach us to pray as you did.

Many invoke you for help,

full of confidence in your intercession.

Deign to come now to our aid for

the relief and cure of Ashley.

To God, all things are possible;

may this healing give glory to the Lord.

Amen.

PRAYER TO SAINT ANTHONY FOR HEALING

Compassionate Saint Anthony,

you are called the “Miracle Worker”

by those who have been blessed by your special friendship.

I ask you to look with favor on Ashley

who is weak and failing.

Great Saint Anthony, come to the assistance of Ashley.

Obtain for her health in mind and body,

and the strength to accept all suffering in union with Christ, our Savor.

Loving St. Anthony,

console all those who are afflicted,

and guide them to the heart of the Divine Physician,

where they will obtain compassion, mercy and hope.

Amen.

PRAYER TO SAINT RAPHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

Glorious Archangel Saint Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners.I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the “medicine of God” I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor for the relief and cure of Ashley, and the great grace of purity to prepare us to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Raphael, lead us towards those we are waiting for, those who are

waiting for us! Raphael, Angel of Happy Meetings, lead us by the hand

towards those we are looking for! May all our movements, all their

movements, be guided by your Light and transfigured by your joy.

Angel guide of Tobias, lay the request we now address to you at the feet

of Him on whose unveiled Face you are privileged to gaze. Lonely and

tired, crushed by the separations and sorrows of earth, we feel the need

of calling to you and of pleading for the protection of your wings, so

that we may not be as strangers in the Province of Joy, all ignorant of

the concerns of our country.

Remember the weak, you who are strong–you whose home lies beyond the

region of thunder, in a land that is always peaceful, always serene, and

bright with the resplendent glory of God.

Amen.

Prayer Request To Find A New Job

It seems that I am in extreme need of your prayers once again.

Yesterday, I was fired from my job. I don't want to go into all the details as to why here.

Let me assure you all, that I did not do anything unethical or illegal.

I was essentially fired because I had complained in front of a couple of customers and another employee that my work hours had been cut. The owner had said he had to cut hours because business had slowed down. Then he hired three new employees after telling me that, and no one else had their hours cut. The three new employees made a total of 9 employees at a convenience store/gas station that has one cash register, 7 fuel pumps, and that is open from 5:30 AM until 10:00 PM weekdays, with shorter hours on the weekends

So I was told I was being “let go” for the talking and that I had not been “happy” there for awhile.

I suppose I should have just kept quiet and took it in stride, but alas....I am human. I tend to gripe when I feel I am not being treated fairly.

Whenever the owner went out of town, it was me who was told to do the bank deposits every day. It was me who was told to go to Sam's Club (over 20 miles away with no fuel compensation) to pick up ordered merchandise 2 or 3 times per week during the owner's week long vacations.

So much for loyalty. So much for staying even after someone ignited a pipe bomb underneath the propane tank in the early morning hours of a November Saturday.

So I guess it is good that I am gone after all. God never closes a door without leaving us an open window.

I had been there for just over 2 years, so now I need a new job. Prayers, once again are greatly needed and appreciated!

Thank you and God bless,

Steve Smith

Cardinal George dropped from cancer drug trial, asks for prayers :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, at a press conference at the NAC on Feb. 27, 2013.
Credit: Paolo Tiranti/CNA

The following excerpts are from Catholic News Agency (CNA):

Chicago, Ill., Jan 6, 2015 / 11:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Cardinal Francis George has asked for continued prayers after being dropped from a cancer drug’s clinical trial, which was determined to be ineffective for him.

“He is at peace, but he counts on everyone’s prayers that he might be of service to the Lord and His Church in the time left to him,” the Archdiocese of Chicago said Dec. 31.

“Cardinal George would like to thank all those who have been praying for him, and asks them to continue to do so. You and those you love are remembered in his prayers as well.”

The 77-year-old cardinal and archbishop emeritus of Chicago had been taking part in a clinical trial conducted by University of Chicago Medicine, while also being cared for by Loyola University Hospital.

The drug, from the pharmaceutical company Genentech, is designed with the intention of helping the human body’s immune system recognize and attack cancerous cells, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Tests indicated that the drug has not been effective for the cardinal.

The archdiocese said the physicians and others overseeing the treatment of the cardinal have assured him that the information gathered in the clinical trial will help benefit others.

Cardinal George will meet with his doctors to discuss how to address his cancer’s side effects. His cancer at present has not spread to any vital organs.

Read more by clicking below:

Cardinal George dropped from cancer drug trial, asks for prayers :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Continued Prayers Please

I am asking for your prayers for my worsening eyesight. I have cataracts, and my eyesight worsens daily it seems. I can definitely tell the difference between now and this same time last year.

I can especially tell the difference when it comes to posting for my blogs. If it continues, I may have to give up blogging altogether in a few more months.

So if you see a spelling or punctuation error in my blog posts, Facebook posts, or tweets on twitter, I apologize. Sometimes I just don't see them until well after the posts and someone points them out.

I have no health or vision insurance from work, as my employer does not offer either.

Your continued support through prayer is greatly appreciated.

I would also like to thank all of you who have made contributions for my situation through PayPal and GoFundMe, or have made purchases of Mystic Monk Coffee and my Zazzle products from Faith of the Fathers Catholic Gifts. All have been of a great help in my present situation, and I appreciate it very much!

May God Bless you and Our Lady keep you in her care!

Hard Times Again

As some may know, my hours have been cut at work yet again. Earlier this year than in previous years. Only getting 26-32 hours a week, and I make less than $10.00 an hour.

I heat with an old electric furnace which not only is on it's last legs, but when I just now got home, is no longer working. It runs but no warm air, so apparently the blower is gone.

I have a high power bill once again, and since the rules for getting heating assistance and power bill assistance have changed, I no longer qualify for any help.

So once again, I would be extremely grateful for any assistance my readers might be able to provide.

I am going to be $183.00 short on the power bill (which must be paid by December 22, 2014), and it's going to take another $125.00 to buy a kerosene heater to get me by until such a time as I can get the furnace repaired.

I hate doing this, but I have nowhere else to turn, but to God and my blog's readers.

So thank you for your prayers and any other assistance you can provide.

God bless you all, and Our Lady keep you in her care.

Urgent Prayer Request -- Please Read -- UPDATED

UPDATE 12/15/2014

Just got very good news from my "daughter" Jackie. Everything is fine and she says that the "baby is perfect and moving around like crazy ". Thanks to all for your prayers! God is good!

END UPDATE

*       *       *       *       *       *       *       

Jackie R., a young lady I work with, has essentially "adopted" me as her dad, and really thinks of me in that way.

Jackie is about 3 months pregnant. Well, this evening, she called me at work from the hospital. She was bleeding and was taken to the emergency room.

The good news is, that the baby seems to be OK at this point. They were able to detect it's heartbeat. However, Jackie has to really take it easy until she can see her doctor on Monday, so that they can try to determine what is taking place.

I was the first person she called to tell what was going on, and she asked me to pray for her and the baby, and she asked me to ask my friends and family to also pray for them. Please also pray for her husband, as I know he is also worried. Jackie tries to play "cool and tough" but I could hear the fear in her voice.

So, I am asking all of you. Family...friends...acquaintances... both near and far... to please pray for Jackie, her husband and their little one.

Need Prayers?

Did you know that "Faith of the Fathers" blogs, has a Prayer Request blog? I do, and there are several prayer requests there now.

If you would like to include in your prayers, the various intentions of those folks who have requested prayers, please visit at http://faithofthefathersprayerreq.blogspot.com/

If you or someone you know is in need of prayer, please send an email to: faithofthefathers@gmail.com with "Prayer Request" as the subject of the email.

Pope Francis' Prayer Intentions For May 2014

Vatican City, 30 April 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for May is: “That the media may be instruments in the service of truth and peace”.

His intention for evangelisation is: “That Mary, Star of Evangelisation, may guide the Church in proclaiming Christ to all nations”.

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

The Pope Writes A Letter To Families Asking Them To Pray For The Next Synod

Vatican City, 25 February 2014 (VIS) – Pope Francis has written a letter to families asking them to pray for the next Synod of Bishops, which will be celebrated in the Vatican in October, and the theme of which will be “The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation”. The letter, dated 2 February, Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, is published in full below:

“Dear families,

With this letter, I wish, as it were, to come into your homes to speak about an event which will take place at the Vatican this coming October. It is the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which is being convened to discuss the theme of “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization”. Indeed, in our day the Church is called to proclaim the Gospel by confronting the new and urgent pastoral needs facing the family.

This important meeting will involve all the People of God – bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful of the particular Churches of the entire world – all of whom are actively participating in preparations for the meeting through practical suggestions and the crucial support of prayer. Such support on your part, dear families, is especially significant and more necessary than ever. This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church. I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task. As you know, this Extraordinary Synodal Assembly will be followed a year later by the Ordinary Assembly, which will also have the family as its theme. In that context, there will also be the World Meeting of Families due to take place in Philadelphia in September 2015. May we all, then, pray together so that through these events the Church will undertake a true journey of discernment and adopt the necessary pastoral means to help families face their present challenges with the light and strength that comes from the Gospel.

I am writing this letter to you on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. The evangelist Luke tells us that the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph, in keeping with the Law of Moses, took the Baby Jesus to the temple to offer him to the Lord, and that an elderly man and woman, Simeon and Anna, moved by the Holy Spirit, went to meet them and acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah. Simeon took him in his arms and thanked God that he had finally 'seen' salvation. Anna, despite her advanced age, found new vigour and began to speak to everyone about the Baby. It is a beautiful image: two young parents and two elderly people, brought together by Jesus. He is the one who brings together and unites generations! He is the inexhaustible font of that love which overcomes every occasion of self-absorption, solitude, and sadness. In your journey as a family, you share so many beautiful moments: meals, rest, housework, leisure, prayer, trips and pilgrimages, and times of mutual support… Nevertheless, if there is no love then there is no joy, and authentic love comes to us from Jesus. He offers us his word, which illuminates our path; he gives us the Bread of life which sustains us on our journey.

Dear families, your prayer for the Synod of Bishops will be a precious treasure which enriches the Church. I thank you, and I ask you to pray also for me, so that I may serve the People of God in truth and in love. May the protection of the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph always accompany all of you and help you to walk united in love and in caring for one another. I willingly invoke on every family the blessing of the Lord.”

You can find more information at: www.visnews.org

The news items contained in the Vatican Information Service may be used, in part or in their entirety, by quoting the source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service.

Copyright © Vatican Information Service 00120 Vatican City

I Need A Prayer Umbrella

Are you familiar with the old saying, "when it rains it pours"?

Well, it has definitely been pouring for me. Again

About a week ago this past Friday, I noticed a small bump on the inside of my upper right leg, when my pants rubbing against it brought it to my attention. It began growing larger by the hour (or so it seemed), and then the next day there was also one high on the back of my left leg.

I ran a fever on the Sunday night following, and had to call out of work the next day. I called my doctor, and had an appointment on Wednesday. It turned out that I had 2 boils.

The one on the right leg was about the size of a golf ball, and had started to drain. The other is still there, and has not changed yet.

The doctor did a swab of the drainage, and it turns out that I have a staph infection. Lovely.

And to make it even more lovely, this staph infection is what is known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which in layman's terms, means that it is resistant to certain antibiotics, which include the penicillins and the cephalosporins.

My doctor prescribed 2 antibiotics, one is Doxicycline Hyclate, and the other is Cephalexin.

So, after 2 doctor visits (with a third coming up Friday), missing 8 days of work, and several antibiotic doses later, I would once again appreciate your prayers.

I will tell you this. As much as these boils have hurt, if I had been the Pharaoh, and I had been afflicted with boils, that would have been enough for me to let Moses and the Hebrew people go.

I wouldn't wish these things on my worst enemy!

Thank you all for your prayers.

May God Bless you all!