2015 prayer journal

The Gif t of

Eternal Life

intro_2015_pj.indd 1 3/27/14 5:12 PM

Published by The Word Among Us Press7115 Guilford Drive, Suite 100

Frederick, Maryland 21704www.wau.org

ISBN: 978-1-59325-255-7

© 2014 by The Word Among UsAll rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education

of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America, copyright © 1994,

United States Catholic Conference, Inc.—Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Scripture readings from the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar are adapted for use in the United States. Celebrations of solemnities, feasts, memorials, or other observances particular to your country, diocese, or

parish may result in some variation.

Compiled by Jeanne Kun

Cover design by Andrea Rivas

Front cover: Madeley Lake, Whistler, British Columbia Thinkstock Images

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or any other—except for brief quotations in printed

reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in China

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Dear Friend in Christ,

W here are you going? If you were traveling to your favorite vacation spot, you would have a ready

answer. But what if you were asked that question in light of your Christian faith? Home—to heaven—is the only true answer you could give. Ever since Adam’s and Eve’s exile from the Garden of Eden, human beings have yearned to return to that blissful exis-tence of union with God for which they were created. Reflecting this desire through the ages, heaven has been called “our father-land,” “our true homeland,” and “our heart’s deepest longing.” As much as we love this earth—and rightly so, since it is God’s gift to us—we are homesick for heaven.

So how do we keep our focus on heaven as we complete our journey on this earth? Daily prayer can keep us in touch with God and our desire to be with him always—both here in this life and in the life to come. The theme of this year’s prayer journal, “The Gift of Eternal Life,” will also help you focus your heart and mind on the joys that await you in heaven on that day when you behold our God face-to-face.

Why keep a prayer journal? This simple practice will help you better grasp—and later recall—the insights that you experience in your encounters with the Lord during your times of prayer, meditation, and Scripture reading. Reading through your jour-nal at the end of the month or year will bring fresh life to those encounters and remind you of how the Lord has worked in your life. Many saints, among them St. Faustina Kowalska, Blessed Frederick Ozanam, St. Bernadette, and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), recorded their reflections and resolu-tions in a daybook spiritual journal, retreat notebook, or diary.

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Indeed, Pope St. John XXIII began keeping a journal when he was barely fourteen years old, and he continued this practice until a few months before his death at the age of eighty-one!

As is customary, this year’s Prayer Journal provides the Mass readings for each day of the year. In 2015 the Church is follow-ing Cycle B, with the Gospel readings for the Sundays in Ordi-nary Time taken from the Gospel of Mark. For weekdays, the Mass readings follow Year I.

At the top of each page of the journal, you will find a short verse from Scripture or a quotation from a saint, an ancient or contemporary Christian writer, or a Church document. Most of these texts reflect the journal’s theme, while others correspond to the feast days of the saints, special holy days and seasons in the liturgical year, or the Scripture readings from the Mass of the day. You will also find, at the beginning of each month, a lon-ger inspirational quote on the theme, “The Gift of Eternal Life.” You may want to reflect on this selection throughout the month, so that the hope of one day entering into the joys of heaven will take deep root in your heart.

Our human existence is a journey toward heaven, a journey “back home.” As we progress, day by day, on our pilgrimage to eternity, let us foster within us the hope of heaven and the antic-ipation of its infinite joys.

The Word Among Us Press

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Acts Acts of theApostles

Am Amos

Bar Baruch

1 Chr 1 Chronicles

2 Chr 2 Chronicles

Col Colossians

1 Cor 1 Corinthians

2 Cor 2 Corinthians

Dn Daniel

Dt Deuteronomy

Eccl Ecclesiastes

Eph Ephesians

Est Esther

Ex Exodus

Ez Ezekiel

Ezr Ezra

Gal Galatians

Gn Genesis

Hb Habakkuk

Heb Hebrews

Hg Haggai

Hos Hosea

Is Isaiah

Jas James

Jb Job

Jdt Judith

Jer Jeremiah

Jgs Judges

Jl Joel

Jn John

1 Jn 1 John

2 Jn 2 John

3 Jn 3 John

Jon Jonah

Jos Joshua

Jude Jude

1 Kgs 1 Kings

2 Kgs 2 Kings

Lam Lamentations

Lk Luke

Lv Leviticus

Mal Malachi

1 Mc 1 Maccabees

2 Mc 2 Maccabees

Mi Micah

Mk Mark

Mt Matthew

Na Nahum

Neh Nehemiah

Nm Numbers

Ob Obadiah

Phil Philippians

Phlm Philemon

Prv Proverbs

Ps Psalms

1 Pt 1 Peter

2 Pt 2 Peter

Rom Romans

Ru Ruth

Rv Revelation

Sg Song of Songs

Sir Sirach

1 Sm 1 Samuel

2 Sm 2 Samuel

Tb Tobit

1 Thes 1 Thessalonians

2 Thes 2 Thessalonians

Ti Titus

1 Tm 1 Timothy

2 Tm 2 Timothy

Wis Wisdom

Zec Zechariah

Zep Zephaniah

Abbreviations ofBooks of the Bible

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Januar y S M T W T F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Februar y S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

March S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Apr i l S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

May S M T W T F S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

June S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30

July S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

August S M T W T F S

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

September S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30

October S M T W T F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

November S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

December S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

2015

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Januar y S M T W T F S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

Februar y S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29

March S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

Apr i l S M T W T F S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

May S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

June S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30

July S M T W T F S

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

August S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

September S M T W T F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

October S M T W T F S

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

November S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30

December S M T W T F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

2016

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J a n u a r y

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What man, stationed in a foreign land,

would not want to return to his own

country as soon as possible? Well, we

look upon paradise as our country, and a

great crowd of our loved ones awaits us

there. . . . What joy both for them and

for us to see one another and embrace!

. . . O the supreme and endless bliss of

everlasting life!

—St. Cyprian

J a n u a r y

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Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God• Nm 6:22-27 • Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8 • Gal 4:4-7 • Lk 2:16-21

Holy Day of Obligation

Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen• 1 Jn 2:22-28 • Ps 98:1-4 • Jn 1:19-282

Friday

Christ was born of a virgin and took his flesh from her, as was his will, in accord with the economy of salvation. . . .

Thus, the virgin became the Mother of God.—St. Proclus of Constantinople

1Thursday

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J a n u a r y

The Epiphany of the Lord• Is 60:1-6 • Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13 • Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 • Mt 2:1-12

The Magi gaze in deep wonder at what they see: . . . man in God, God in man, one whom the whole universe

cannot contain now enclosed in a tiny body.—St. Peter Chrysologus

The Most Holy Name of Jesus• 1 Jn 2:29–3:6 • Ps 98:1, 3c-6 • Jn 1:29-34

4Sunday

3Saturday

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Saint John Neumann• 1 Jn 3:22–4:6 • Ps 2:7bc-8, 10-12a • Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

Saint André Bessette• 1 Jn 4:7-10 • Ps 72:1-4, 7-8 • Mk 6:34-44

5Monday

6Tuesday

A man must always be ready, for death comes when and where God wills it.

—St. John Neumann

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J a n u a r y

• 1 Jn 4:19–5:4 • Ps 72:1-2, 14-15, 17 • Lk 4:14-22a

Saint Raymond of Penyafort• 1 Jn 4:11-18 • Ps 72:1-2, 10, 12-13 • Mk 6:45-52

May God shelter you from disturbance in the hidden recesses of his love, until he brings you at last into that place of fullness

where you will repose forever in the vision of peace.—St. Raymond of Penyafort

8Thursday

7Wednesday

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• 1 Jn 5:5-13 • Ps 147:12-15, 19-20 • Lk 5:12-16

• 1 Jn 5:14-21 • Ps 149:1-6a, 9b • Jn 3:22-30

9Friday

10Saturday

For your faithful, Lord, life is changed, not ended, and, when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling is made

ready for them in heaven.

—Roman Missal, Preface of Christian Death I

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J a n u a r y

• Heb 1:1-6 • Ps 97:1, 2b, 6, 7c, 9 • Mk 1:14-20

The Baptism of the Lord• Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or 55:1-11 • Ps 29:1-4, 9-10 or Is 12:2-3, 4-6

• Acts 10:34-38 or 1 Jn 5:1-9 • Mk 1:7-11

Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him

to be glorified with him.

—St. Gregory Nazianzen

12Monday

11Sunday

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Saint Hilary• Heb 2:5-12 • Ps 8:2ab, 5-9 • Mk 1:21-28

• Heb 2:14-18 • Ps 105:1-4, 6-9 • Mk 1:29-39

13Tuesday

14Wednesday

Christ is the wellspring of our life.—St. Hilary

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J a n u a r y

• Heb 4:1-5, 11 • Ps 78:3-4, 6c-8 • Mk 2:1-12

• Heb 3:7-14 • Ps 95:6-11 • Mk 1:40-45

We have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.

—Hebrews 3:14

16Friday

15Thursday

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Saint Anthony• Heb 4:12-16 • Ps 19:8-10, 15 • Mk 2:13-17

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time• 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19 • Ps 40:2, 4, 7-10 • 1 Cor 6:13c-15a,

17-20 • Jn 1:35-42

17Saturday

18Sunday

Earthly riches are like the reed. . . . Its exterior is fair to behold; but inside it is hollow. If a man leans on such a reed,

it will snap off and pierce his soul.—St. Anthony

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J a n u a r y

• Heb 5:1-10 • Ps 110:1-4 • Mk 2:18-22

Saint Fabian; Saint Sebastian• Heb 6:10-20 • Ps 111:1-2, 4-5, 9, 10c • Mk 2:23-28 20

Tuesday

19Monday

Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

—Philippians 3:20

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Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children• Heb 7:25–8:6 • Ps 40:7-10, 17 • Mk 3:7-12

Saint Agnes• Heb 7:1-3, 15-17 • Ps 110:1-4 • Mk 3:1-621

Wednesday

22Thursday

Even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation . . .

and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect. —Pope Francis

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J a n u a r y

24Saturday

23Friday

Resolve from now on to keep heaven before your mind, to be ready to forego everything that can hinder you or cause you to

stray on your journey there.—St. Francis de Sales

Saint Vincent; Saint Marianne Cope• Heb 8:6-13 • Ps 85:8, 10-14 • Mk 3:13-19

Saint Francis de Sales• Heb 9:2-3, 11-14 • Ps 47:2-3, 6-9 • Mk 3:20-21

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Third Sunday in Ordinary Time• Jon 3:1-5, 10 • Ps 25:4-9 • 1 Cor 7:29-31 • Mk 1:14-20

Saints Timothy and Titus• 2 Tm 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5 • Ps 96:1-3, 7-8a, 10 • Mk 3:22-30

25Sunday

26Monday

Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called.

—1 Timothy 6:12

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J a n u a r y

The pleasant companionship of all the blessed in heaven will be a companionship replete with delight. For each one will rejoice

in the happiness of others’ goods as well as their own. —St. Thomas Aquinas

Saint Angela Merici• Heb 10:1-10 • Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8a, 10-11 • Mk 3:31-35

Saint Thomas Aquinas• Heb 10:11-18 • Ps 110:1-4 • Mk 4:1-20

27Tuesday

28Wednesday

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• Heb 10:19-25 • Ps 24:1-6 • Mk 4:21-25

• Heb 10:32-39 • Ps 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40 • Mk 4:26-34

29Thursday

30Friday

Looking at the heavenly homeland, we shall receive new light and fresh strength, both in our commitment

and in our daily efforts.—Pope Francis

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J a n u a r y

How beautiful heaven must be! Take heart! —St. John Bosco

31Saturday

Saint John Bosco• Heb 11:1-2, 8-19 • (Ps) Lk 1:69-75 • Mk 4:35-41

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