Please Pray for me.

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PcolaSingleMom

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I’m a single mother. I became pregnant out of wedlock and I carry an enormous amount of guilt around. I feel like my friends and most of my family is very disappointed in me and doesn’t want to associate with me - because they feel I’m a “bad seed”. I suffer from depression and have sought counseling through my local parish counselor. It helped for a short while, but I could not afford to continue seeing the counselor, so I’ve tried to cope on my own. I’m currently struggling. I met a man about 8 months ago and dated and thought that my dreams of having a “family” as society’s stanards would be soon on its way. We have since broken up since he had to move away for a job. I’m very distraught and afraid that I will be alone forever. I believe that somehow my suffering with relationships will be penance for disobeying God’s will and becoming pregnant out of wedlock. I have guilt. I cannot forgive myself because I think that would just be too easy. I feel like I will always have to struggle in life and love because of the bad choices I’ve made. Right now is very very difficult for me and I wish that prayers or some sort of intervention by Christ to give me strength and people in my life that love me and want to encourage me to grow. I pray every night for others and feel wrong to pray for myself - so I’m asking if someone from this group would please ask God to give me clear guidance about what He wants done in my life - Please give me the strength and knowledge to understand and accept His will.
 
Lord protect your servant , PcolaSingleMom, from harm, let her know of your mercy for her, and the undying love you hold in your heart for her. Guide her along the path that is right for her to follow, give her peace, joy,happiness and wisdom in all her days. Protect from harm the infant she carries. Make the babe grow in strength, courage, and wisdom to serve you, O Lord.All the days they dwell upon the earth, may they be as fruitful as the vineyards are during the growing season! Make them an example of your Divine Plan, for all who seek you out, Lord,
Amen…
 
Thank you for the prayer Mary. I guess I wasn’t clear. My son is now 4 years old. But I still carry around incredible guilt everyday. I feel like I’ve definitely failed as a Catholic. I feel like I may not be giving my son a “family” like he deserves. I have a really hard time meeting men that are even willing to try to get to know me because they see my situation as “drama”

I fear that I will be alone.
 
You and your son are not alone, PcolaSingleMom, when you are burdened beyond comparison, God will carry you to safer ground. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. He will never abandon you or your son. For he is always there for you.
Peace be with you and yours PcolaSingleMom.
God loves you.🙂
 
PcolaSingleMom said:
Thank you for the prayer Mary. I guess I wasn’t clear. My son is now 4 years old. But I still carry around incredible guilt everyday. I feel like I’ve definitely failed as a Catholic. I feel like I may not be giving my son a “family” like he deserves. I have a really hard time meeting men that are even willing to try to get to know me because they see my situation as “drama”

I fear that I will be alone.
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I’ll certainly pray for you. Your initial post indicates you’re extremely lonely. I’m sure you’re down emotionally and each hour is agony. But somehow and someway you can make it through. You should pray for relief yourself and keep posting. I’m sure you are in pain. Bless you PcolaSingleMom. You WILL make it.
 
The next time you start judging yourself, take note of the following scripture:

All Have Sinned and Fall Short of the Glory of God

Romans 3:23

You know God is ready willing and able to forgive you, all you have to do is ask, you can never hide from his Love and his Grace, and it sounds like you already repented, anybody that judges you is entirely in the wrong.

Christ did not say, You are forgiven, go and sin no more for no good reason. Once you are in his grace, it’s the end of story, do not let the evil one continue to drum up your past, you are a new creation, embrace it. My prayers will be with you, and know that I know exactly what you feel along the futility along finding anybody in this life, at 41 you would think I would have given up, yet I don’t for some reason, clearly you have shown in the past that you can find love on this earth, for now it’s time to heal, it will be there for you again, the timing is entirely up to you and it’s contingent upon you healing in full, otherwise you are doomed to repeat the same mistake with another.
 
Praying for you and your son, that joy, peace and happiness will come into your life.
 
PcolaSingleMom, you are doing a wonderful and very hard thing by raising a child as a single mom. I salute you!
Please know that many of us feel guilt about the past, and have a hard time forgiving ourselves - we all have to remember that Jesus came to save us, not to condemn us.

Your child is a gift from God, and will in turn be your gift back to God.

Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me;
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;
Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
O good Jesus, hear me;
Within Your wounds, hide me;
Let me never be separated from You;
From the evil one, protect me;
At the hour of my death, call me;
and bid me come to You;
That with Your saints,
I may praise You forever and ever.
Amen.
 
Dear PcolaSingleMom,
I have had a few friends that were in the exact position that you were. All of them had kept their baby without any regrets and each of them of have said to me that keeping their child was the best thing that they did in their life. They all went through a period of feeling left out or stigmatized by their so-called friends but they got through it and made new friends. All of them are currently married. I am praying for you …

Hail Mary,
full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
 
Praying that you will find peace…

Our Father, Who art in Heaven,hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done,
on earth as it as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us.Lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil.
Amen

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art Thou among women,and
blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,pray for us now, and
at the hour of our death.
Amen

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, as is and
ever shall be, world without end.
Amen

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell,
lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Your Mercy.
Amen
 
Loving God,

We thank you for your many blessings in our lives, and today we especially thank you for strong mothers who raise and love their children in single parent homes despite the challenges and anxieties of this family structure. We lift up our intentions for PcolaSingleMom and ask that she may feel the presence and wonder of Your unconditional love for her. Please bless her, have mercy on her, and help her to discern her calling to do your will. Please help her to be the very best parent of her son that she can be, and prosper dear son’s childhood with grace and happiness in accordance with Your Holy and perfect will. Please help PcolaSingleMom to release her worries and anxieties and focus on doing the things you would have her to in this life as her journey of faith continues. Please bless her with friends and companionship and help her to find the peace of your loving Holy Spirit in her life. Please also help her to forgive herself, as you have already done, help her to celebrate the Sacraments, especially reconciliation, and guide her as she puts her concerns and challenges behind regarding the manner in which dear son came to be. Dear son is an absolute blessing from You, O Lord.

We pray in the name of your beloved son Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Amen.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will
guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
 
I would encourage you to remember that the greatest sin is despair, because it is the only one that God cannot forgive - we must be willing to accept God’s mercy, which, I will also remind you, is infinite, before we can receive it. God loves you very much, and does not wish for you to carry around such guilt and sorrow because you believe he wishes you to. I will pray for you:

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Lord, please descend Your Holy Spirit upon this person, and help to remind them of the infinite quality of Your Mercy. So often, Lord, we begin to despair in this life with things do not go the way we have planned, and it is difficult for us to see You in the midst of such pain. Please, Lord, console this person, and help them to come to a recognition of Your Love for them. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, I pray. Amen.

St. Dymphna, pray for us.
 
As usual I’m awed by the wonderful responses and insights shown by some of our beautiful CAF members. What bothers me most is that you’re not forgiving yourself and that it appears that some of the family appear not to be accepting you with unconditional love. You clearly are regretful that you haven’t gone about your relationship in a gospel way, but there is no doubt in the world that our compassionate God will forgive. Of course there are consequences, but the consequences include a precious little human being entrusted to you! And, praise God! you are not intending to harm, but to protect this wonderful little person to whom you are mother.

Please don’t think of God as vengeful. God’s not out to get you because you’ve made a mistake, or even if you realise you offended against His law in relations before marriage.Yes, it’s a tough time. Not only are you coping with your own and others’ perceptions, but your system is coping with changes.

Judas chose to despair when he betrayed Jesus. Don’t underestimate the seriousness of St Peter’s betrayal in avowing three times that he didn’t know him, after Jesus’ arrest, and then not turning up to give love and support to Jesus who’d been tortured, and was now suspended from nails, struggling for breath. He was one of Jesus’ closest friends. He’d seen the love and the miracles, he’d even seen Jesus transformed. He’d had a great deal more intimate knowledge and experience of God incarnate that you’ve had, and than most of us have had. Jesus had made it plain to him earlier that He intended to place Peter at the head of the Church.

After Jesus rose and spoke again to Peter, He didn’t reject him, he just required him to assure Him of his love, and Jesus gave him his commission as head of the Church, even though at this point he’s proved himself unworthy, a traitor…remembering that Jeus had said, if you deny Me before man, I shall deny you before my Father in heaven. Judas earned that fate by his refusal to believe in God’s forgiveness of him. Peter was washed clean by his repentance and his avowal of love, and he then remained a faithful follower of Jesus. He probably cried again at times in memory of the time he let Jesus and himself down. That’s human, but he got on with life the best he could with God’s grace from there.

Remember another person who was actually quite a sinner before she repented and turned to Jesus. But whereas all but one of His male dearest friends and apostles abandoned Jesus is the worst hours of His life, Mary of Magdala didn’t. She stood there, breaking her heart over His condition…and you know who Jesus entrusted to tell His apostles He was risen from the dead? Not even John, none of the men (in a male dominated culture) but this repentant sinner, Mary of Magdala. She was the first recorded person to see Jesus after His resurrection. What a great honour and privilege, and what a witness of the forgiveness of God.
So maybe ask St Peter and Mary of Magdala to keep you company and to pray for you in all the moments you find difficult.

Please feel loved and embraced by your Savior and judge, Jesus who forgives utterly.

“No need to recall the past,
no need to think about what was before.
See I am doing a new deed,
even now, it comes to light; can you not see it?
Yes, I am making a road in the wilderness,
paths in the wild.” [Isaiah 43:18-19]
 
Contrition

Heavely Father, I have sinned against others, against myself, and against You. I am unworthy to be Your child. I have offended Your goodness and Your dream of who I really am. I may have denied You the joy of blessings that You wish for me and for others through me. You alone know the entire consequences of my failure.

Yet Jesus assures us that You joyfully celebrate my return from sin, and run to welcome and reclaim me as Your own. I want to value myself as Your child, knowing that all worth and holiness comes from You.

In trust, I will not accuse myself for sins already forgiven and absolved or for temptation if I have not actually sinned. I believe that temptation can be overcome by Your grace, inspiring greater faithfulness to the Gospel and the Sacraments.

Look on those tasks of love and service that I fail to undertake or to complete, and bring them to completion. Please bring out of my failures, such fruits of these new opportunities enhanced beyond all previous expectation, for from our human betrayal of Your divine plan of Creation, Your mercy wrought the magnificent plan of redemption that reverberates through time and eternity!

In Your mercy, please transform into good all that in weakness or ignorance I may spoil. I want to give blessing that is abundant beyond original possibility, to anyone I ever harm or deprive. May I so belong to You, may I be so transformed by Your love, that my faults no longer are sin or offence in Your sight and can foster nothing that impedes Your will.

This, my soul in trusting confidence implores.
 
God’s mercy brings freedom

Dear Father, Jesus did not judge or reject the sinful Magdalene. He did not reproach her or His foremost friend Peter who betrayed Him. He gave them hope and new life. He commissioned the Magdalene—a woman in a society where even sinless women were of little value—as messenger of His resurrection to His chosen male apostles.

Jesus left no trace of reproach or curtailment of vocation in Peter’s life despite Peter’s triple betrayal and desertion of Jesus in His ultimate ordeal. Jesus had warned, “If you deny me before men, I will deny you before my Father in heaven” but Jesus only required Peter’s triple declaration of love to reinstate him.

Merciful God, if I fear that other persons may not forgive me, remind me that I am easily mistaken about others’ intentions. If anyone rejects me, let his or her judgement call me to humility. If others cannot pardon me, or their forgiveness is conditional, please do not let judgement come to them on my account, only wonderfully bless them.

Like all men and women who follow Jesus, I seek reconciliation and healing. Though I labour to rectify my mistakes and to atone for faults only clearly seen too late, my love and earnest prayer may bear no fruit. Yet how can I blame those who may not forgive! I cringe with shock at my temerity in wounding others. I wish I could wipe away every trace of hurt in them. Please do that on my behalf, dear God.

God, please heal me of the wound of having caused hurt to any brother or sister, so dear to You. Let Your love create life-giving relationship between us. Where my defects cause others to become less loving or trusting, I may thereby restrict blessings God wished for them. Bless them extravagantly with infinitely lovely gifts and benefits. Please guide me lest out of loving intention I err again towards anyone.

If an aggrieved impulse taints my contrition, let me remember that You forgive all repentant sin, including mine. In my failure and sorrow, there is peace in knowing that all things depend upon Your love. Only one thing is required; that I accept Your love and mercy and that I extend it to others, whether or not they can respond. It is my vocation to love and pray for them regardless. Bless them in my prayers and Masses.

My efforts are just ordinary choices…daily footsteps over grey pavements, hard wooden seats, prayers snatched out of rambling thoughts, and impulsive hopes for others’ well-being in kindly meant acts that are as likely to be misguided as to be wise. God grant me discernment in my kindness to others, and healing where my impetuous goodwill has caused injury.

I only clearly see the passage of moments and days of my life in a physical world. Therefore God, I give You what I have—my daily efforts, and myself. Help me humbly to receive the freedom of living simply in trust in Your love until death. You may perhaps never show Your face; but please constantly grant me Your strong, loving Spirit so that I rest faithfully in Your tenderness and Your divine will, whatever happens, however difficult—or however wonderful.

Thank You for Your amazing love and forgiveness. Thank You for loving and pardoning me even when others appear unable to forgive as Jesus did. 2004
 
Just love your boy. Love your boy and be generous to yourself in knowing that Jesus asked us to love ourselves rightly when He says, “love others as you love yourself.”
Please don’t judge yourself by other’s actions or standands. It’s not for them to judge. If they judge you it is really themselves that they’re judging. Remember Jesus taught, “Forgive us as our respasses/sins/mistakes as we forgive those who trespass against us”, therefore, in point of fact, when people don’t forgive they’re asking God not to forgive them.
So please pray for anyone who judges or fails to respect or forgive you.

*If you’ve not been to Confession in the past few years, God can give you healing and comfort through the Sacrament.

I’m sorry for inundating you with my prayers, but my feelings for you and your son are strong so I’m kind of fighting the best I can for you both.*

Appreciating others

Jesus, I honour others for their goodness. Yet, help me to share Your compassion, respect and delight in those who seem (to themselves or others)to reflect Your face poorly.

Please grant me the gift of conveying to each person, the beautiful, glimpsed vision of self, as You love him or her, a fallible human with entwined faults and virtues.

One sometimes glimpses another’s discouraged self-judgement, for she fears that Your plan of salvation builds upon some unlikely ‘ideal self’. She perhaps hopes that to others, only the good is evident. She fears that were others to sense the extent of her unworthiness, they may reject her—as indeed she fears You may.

Jesus, please extend Your hand to her through us who see her efforts and who have faith in the secret, unique miracle of her. Let her know that You love her as she is, and that You plan her holiness around her actual self and situation.

You fulfil Your dream of her and serve others through her flawed personality with its abilities, gifts and virtues, along with its faults and scars. Assure her that her efforts to live the Gospel are more precious because of her temptations, mistakes, and flaws, so that she is encouraged to faith and self-acceptance.

Father please let me see and share Your beautiful, unique, creative vision of my sister (of each brother and sister) regardless of ‘apparent’ flaws. In my warm acceptance of her, grant her (to each person) that restoring, blossoming fruitfulness of love—which the image of her cherished and accepted as he really is—produces in the most barren and bleak heart.

My sister, “Do not be afraid, you will not be put to shame.” [Isaiah 54:4]

Harvest

Beloved Jesus—from the compost of my sins, failures, faults and omissions please, enrich the soil that nurtures the harvest that You prepare of my being and life—for Your delight, and for others’ benefit.

From the flower and fruit of all grace and good sprung from You within me, please bountifully glorify Yourself and bless all whose lives touch mine!
 
Loving God,

We thank you for your many blessings in our lives, and today we especially thank you for strong mothers who raise and love their children in single parent homes despite the challenges and anxieties of this family structure. We lift up our intentions for PcolaSingleMom and ask that she may feel the presence and wonder of Your unconditional love for her. Please bless her, have mercy on her, and help her to discern her calling to do your will. Please help her to be the very best parent of her son that she can be, and prosper dear son’s childhood with grace and happiness in accordance with Your Holy and perfect will. Please help PcolaSingleMom to release her worries and anxieties and focus on doing the things you would have her to in this life as her journey of faith continues. Please bless her with friends and companionship and help her to find the peace of your loving Holy Spirit in her life. Please also help her to forgive herself, as you have already done, help her to celebrate the Sacraments, especially reconciliation, and guide her as she puts her concerns and challenges behind regarding the manner in which dear son came to be. Dear son is an absolute blessing from You, O Lord.

We pray in the name of your beloved son Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Amen.
 
Hail Mary,
full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
 
In prayer for you and your son,
for great love and respect betwen everyone of your family towards you and your boy and each other.

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
 
Loving God,

We thank you for your many blessings in our lives, and today we especially thank you for strong mothers who raise and love their children in single parent homes despite the challenges and anxieties of this family structure. We lift up our intentions for PcolaSingleMom and ask that she may feel the presence and wonder of Your unconditional love for her. Please bless her, have mercy on her, and help her to discern her calling to do your will. Please help her to be the very best parent of her son that she can be, and prosper dear son’s childhood with grace and happiness in accordance with Your Holy and perfect will. Please help PcolaSingleMom to release her worries and anxieties and focus on doing the things you would have her to in this life as her journey of faith continues. Please bless her with friends and companionship and help her to find the peace of your loving Holy Spirit in her life. Please also help her to forgive herself, as you have already done, help her to celebrate the Sacraments, especially reconciliation, and guide her as she puts her concerns and challenges behind regarding the manner in which dear son came to be. Dear son is an absolute blessing from You, O Lord.

We pray in the name of your beloved son Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

Amen.
 
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