The 61st annual observance of the National Day of Prayer will be held Thursday, May 3rd. But you don’t have to wait until then to pray for our nation (I’m sure many of you pray every day). The following prayer is from the home page of the official Web site for the National Day of Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Every good gift and perfect gift comes from You. You are a faithful God and Your mercy endures forever.

You have promised to bless the nation that trusts in You.  Our currency proclaims “In God We Trust,” but in our culture we are far from You.

In the words of the prophet Daniel, “We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.”

We come before You once more, seeking Your forgiveness and mercy.  You, O God, are our only hope… Hear our prayer and, for Your honor’s sake, shine Your face upon this nation.

Give our leaders the desire to seek Your wisdom and the courage to follow Your guidance… and watch over the men and women of our armed forces as they sacrifice for the cause of freedom.

We give You thanks for all You have done for us, and we earnestly pray that You will help us become, once again, a nation whose God is the Lord.

In the name of Your Son, and our Savior, we pray this prayer.

Amen

Related Links:

• 2012 National Prayer

• About the National Day of Prayer

On my recent posting on The Forge by St. Josemaria Escriva I received the following comment by John:

I love the priests I know from opus dei but I must admit I have a really hard time understanding the difference between an Order and a Personal Prelature.

Below you’ll find a brief explanation by Fr. Marty Moleski, a Jesuit priest and professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. I have the privilege of sharing the airwaves with him each Friday on the Calling All Catholics radio program, produced by The Station of the Cross.

I thank him for contributing this week to Media Musings:

Religious orders are voluntary associations of the faithful characterized by taking vows and following a common rule of life. Their roots lie in the religious communities founded by Sts. Basil, Augustine, Benedict, Scholastica, Francis, Clare, Ignatius, Angela de Merici, John Baptist de la Salle, and a host of other great saints. The key to the life of religious orders is the vow of obedience to the superiors of that religious community. This allows the members of the order to share a common life and to act together as one body.

The canonical organization of Opus Dei (personal prelature) bears a greater resemblance to the structure of a diocese rather than to that of a religious order. Under the guidance of a bishop (the “prelate”), other bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity, married or unmarried, may each follow their particular vocations, with the vows or promises proper to their different states in life, just as we find in any diocese of the Church. Unlike a diocese, a prelature is united by dedication to an apostolate rather than presence in a geographic region.

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Related Links:

• The Forge Blog Entry

• Official Web Site of Fr. Marty Moleski

• Calling All Catholics Podcasts

• The Station of the Cross Catholic Radio Network

• Opus Dei

• An Opus Dei Explanation of Personal Prelature

Many states already held their primary elections. Five are voting today: New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware.

The consensus was that voter turnout would be low this Tuesday (which seems to have proven true). But just because no positions are officially decided through primary elections, we still have the opportunity to see that strong candidates are viable options come November. And while it’s important to vote for the prominent offices, the smaller ones should be considered as well. The political climb to the prominent office has to start somewhere.

Unfortunately, there seems to be such a variety of cynical views regarding elections. Conservatives get discouraged, saying that their candidates don’t usually win. Or that there isn’t even anyone worth voting for. That all politicians are the same.

But it’s better for us to study up on the candidates’ positions than to excuse ourselves from voting altogether, believing that it’s not going to make a difference anyways.

Sometimes there are even complaints that the candidates will just change their positions later on. That’s something out of our control. All we can do is our part by voting, praying and fasting.

If your state’s primary election is coming up and you’re able to vote in it, make sure you do. If your primary has past, it’s time to get ready for the November elections. Study up on the candidates, who is running and what they stand for. Especially find out how the candidates view the Catholic Church’s five non-negotiables.

Related Links:

• Election 2012 Republican Delegate Count

• Five Non-Negotiable Catholic Vote Issues

• Low Voter Turnout

On this day in 997, the first Bohemian-born bishop of Prague, St. Adalbert, was martyred in Prussia. He is remembered for his zeal for souls and bravery in proclaiming the Gospel in pagan lands.

St. Adalbert helped convert Hungary to Christianity. He then traveled to Prussia, where pagans worshipped supposed tree spirits. St. Adalbert and the other Christian missionaries chopped down the trees to prove that no powerful and dangerous spirits resided therein.

When they did not the heed the pagans’ warnings to stop, the Christian missionaries, including St. Adalbert, were martyred on the Baltic Sea coast.

St. Adalbert is the patron saint of Bohemia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Prague.

Related Links:

• St. Adalbert of Prague from Saints.SQPN.com

• St. Adalbert of Prague from Catholic.org

• St. Adalbert at Catholic-Prayers.org

Iraqi-native Mother Olga Yaqob survived four wars, converted to Catholicism from the Assyrian Church of the East, and founded the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth religious order in the Archdiocese of Boston.

But the nickname, “Mother Teresa of Baghdad” (in reference to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta), came from the time in her life when she moved to Baghdad from Kirkuk to live and work among the poor of the city. Her ministering included frequent visits to the Abu Ghraib prison. Most of those she served were Muslim, but she treated them with all the love and care she would any Christian.

Mother Olga’s incredible story is inspirational, heart-wrenching and uplifting. Her disposition is ever-cheerful and enthusiastic. And Mother Olga’s sincere love for God shines forth through her talks, interviews and simple encounters with those she meets.

Related Links:

• Daughters of Mary of Nazareth

• Mother Olga Yaqob Timeline

• Mother Olga Yaqob on Calling All Catholics (March 16, 2012)

• Mother Olga’s presentation “Becoming A Willing Vessel For God’s Noble Purposes” (March 17, 2012)

• Archdiocese of Boston

• Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

With the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs beginning tomorrow, it is fitting to reflect on the transient nature of sports. One game ends and it’s on to the next.

Sports in general and favorite teams in particular are addicting for countless fans around the globe. But when a game, season or playoff series is over, how much do you really remember?

Sure, there are plays that will stay with you for years, but the number of memories are scarce compared to the number of hours piled up in front of the TV — complete with heart attacks, voices lost, and tears shed.

What happens when there’s a family or church event scheduled at game time? “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Luke 12:34). How much will you lay at the altar of sports? How do you feel after giving in? Was it worth sacrificing quality time with the family?

So as we approach another playoff season (NBA playoffs start two weeks from this Saturday), let’s try to keep perspective and proper balance in our lives — I’m preaching to myself as much as to anyone else.

It’s gonna be one tense postseason. Let’s Go Pens.

Related Links:

• Stanley Cup Playoffs

• Sports Addiction

• Sports Obsession vs. Your Relationships

• Where Your Treasure Is

• NBA Key Dates of 2012

• Official Web Site of the Pittsburgh Penguins