Witness
I did not know who God was. There was nil religious input at home. There was no way of dealing with death or pain. I tried to take my life for the first time when I was nine years old. I survived that and other attempts by a series of miracles. At twelve years old I sat by the window of my bedroom, trying to read by the light of the moon. Lonely, frightened, especially of my parents, I took the book some relative had given when I was baptised, (I did not know what baptism was) I had heard that it was a good book. I read: “Weeping may last for a night but joy comes with dawn” Psalm 30. That was the Holy Spirit speaking to me. It literally saved me and led me on a journey to the Catholic Church – and to Franciscan religious life.

READ

Romans 8:26-27

These two verses in Romans 8 stand out with wonderful clarity. They say, simply, we are weak and the Spirit helps us.

We don’t know how to pray and the Spirit prays on our behalf in a love that does not need words. The Father looks into our hearts (for only God can ‘search the hearts of men’). There he sees his own love implanted, his own Spirit dwelling. And that Spirit of love intercedes, prays for us, translates the words we can’t say into the language the Father understands. The Spirit goes further.

Now read all of Romans 8 - and pray it

Let us pray
Father,
hear the prayer the Spirit makes in our hearts.
We love you.
Work for good in us;
call us according to your plan.
You knew us before we were born;
you made us in the image of you Son
so that we could call him our brother;
you have made us alive.
Lead us into glory,
You who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen