"Again, (amen,) I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." ~Mt 18:19-20

About the Prayer Team

A prayer ministry has been established at St. Blase to give an opportunity for the people of the parish to be prayed with for individual prayer, intercessory prayer for family or friends, or prayers of thanksgiving and praise.

The majority of the people on the prayer team have been a part of the group for a number of years. I am grateful for their commitment to this ministry and to the members of the parish community. For those of you who attend the 10 o'clock mass on Sunday, you can see us there every week from about 9:40 until 10:00 ready to pray with those who come forward for prayer.

For those of you who may be new to the parish community or you who usually attend one of the other masses, I would like to tell you about the prayer team ministry and what we are about:

• The teams are available to pray with those who come forward for individual prayer, intercessory prayer for others, support and encouragement in time of need, and giving of thanks for answered prayer (praise reports).
• Individuals and family groups are encourages to take advantage of this ministry.
• Most of us are aware of the saying: "Families that pray together, stay together!" When we apply this saying to our parish community we can say: "When members of our community pray together, we grow together as a community."
• The active ministries in this parish are a reflection of the vibrant work of the Spirit in our community.
• As prayer team members we look forward to meeting you and praying for you. Jesus, the Living Word, assures us: "Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst."

Contact Kathy Ancona through the Parish Office at 268-2244.

Some helpful references:

• Common Catholic Prayers
• Pray as You Go provides daily prayer for your MP3 player
• Daily readings and Psalms from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Rosary and Litany to Our Lady
Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m..

Join us in praying the Rosary at St. Blase. Following the Rosary, we will also be praying the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Please join us in praying this most beautiful prayer, meditating on the life, death and resurrection of the Lord. The Rosary will be in the main part of the church, near the Shrine to Our Lady (or occasionally in Room #3, near the back). For more information contact Dave through the Parish Office at (586) 268-2244.

The rosary combines verbal prayer with comtemplation. As we pray each "Hail Mary" we reflect on episodes in the life of Christ and of His mother, Mary. Each mystery of the rosary (there are four) is composed of five stories and the rhythm of the orsary beads leads us to ponder how our lives are interconnected to the life of Christ. Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us:

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin
971 "All generations willl call me blessed": "The Chrurch's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." 513The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs...This very special devotion...differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." 514The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.515