Praying the Lauds - Your Daily Christian Morning Prayer

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 14, 2023 | Sixth Sunday of Easter "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever," - John 14:16 As we enter the final weeks of Easter, we also anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised to be our Advocate who will stay with us forever. The Spirit of truth will continue directing and aiding the Churc...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 13, 2023 | Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima "Pray, pray much, and sacrifice for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one to sacrifice and pray for them." - Message of Our Lady of Fatima, August 1917 Today the Church celebrates an Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima, which is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary following apparitions to thre...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 12, 2023 | Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends." - John 15:13 A friend is a beloved, someone truly loved. The friendship that Jesus manifests at the "hour" of his passion and death ennobles and saves. He becomes a servant and washes his disciples' feet that they...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 11, 2023 | Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love." - John 15:9 To remain with Jesus means not only to stay with Jesus but also to "know" him, to have a close relationship with him, to share his fate. The true measure of union with Christ is imitating his love for the Father and for his &...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 10, 2023 | Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Easter "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit." - John 15:1-2 Pruning is an essential part of our intimate union with Jesus. This ensures that the branch, once trimmed and removed of...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 9, 2023 | Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter "Jesus said to his disciples: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you." - John 14:27 Where do you find your peace? The peace that Jesus gives is rooted in the accomplishment of God's constant and unchanging will rather than the will and whim of men. From a wo...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 8, 2023 | Monday in the Fifth Week of Easter "Not to us, Lord, but to your name give glory." - Psalm 115:1 Despite the miracles and conversions that accompanied the apostles in their missionary work, they always remember that they were just mere instruments of the Risen Lord. Let us take to heart the words of the psalmist in moments when we are tempted to ta...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 7, 2023 | Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year A) "Jesus said to his disciples: 'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.'" - John 14:1 Jesus is our way to the Father and to eternal life but we must put our trust and faith in Him if we are to succeed along this way. This would mean turning over all our concerns to God and plac...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 6, 2023 | Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter "Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father." - John 14:12 Jesus is the face of God's mercy and His life, works and teachings testify to His communion with the Father. As He invited disciples to follow Him, He too challenges us t...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 5, 2023 | Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6 Do you know where you are going to? We are meant to go to the Father's house where dwelling places are prepared for us. Jesus is the way to the Father. Following Him means surrendering our will to Him and letting...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 4, 2023 | Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter "Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." - John 13:20 God continues to call men and women to be messengers and witnesses of the Good News. As members of God's family, we are called to be open to receive God's message through t...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 3, 2023 | Feast of Sts. Philip and James, Apostles "Philip said to him, 'Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.'" - John 14:8 Today is the Feast of the Apostles Philip and James. Like Sts. Peter and Andrew, St. Philip was from Bethsaida, in Galilee. According to tradition, he was crucified at Hierapolis in Phyrgia, where he had p...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 2, 2023 | Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Athanasius (295-373), Bishop of Alexandria and a great defender of the orthodox faith, throughout his life opposed the Arian heresy. By denying the Godhead of the Word the Arians turned Christ into a mere man, only higher in grace than others in the ey...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - May 1, 2023 | Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker The Optional Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker was established by Pope Pius XII in 1955 in order to Christianize the concept of labor and give to all workmen a model and a protector. By the daily labor in his shop, offered to God with patience and joy, St. Joseph provided for the necessities of his holy spouse and of the Inc...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 30, 2023 | Fourth Sunday of Easter - Good Shepherd Sunday World Day of Prayer for Vocations "I am the good shepherd, says the Lord; I know my sheep, and mine know me." - John 10:14 How comforting it is to have Jesus as our Good Shepherd who knows each one of us by name, leads us to good pastures and protects us from the marauding wolf. He continues to shep...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 29, 2023 | Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church "The Lord is the king of virgins: come, let us adore him." - Morning antiphon Today is the Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380). She was born Catherine Benincasa in Siena at a date that remains uncertain, and was favored with visions from the age of seven. Seeking perf...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 28, 2023 | Friday of the Third Week of Easter "Go out to all the world and tell the Good News." - Ps. 117 How have you encountered the Risen Lord in your life? God's unbounded generosity to us His beloved children is present throughout our lives. Even the faith that allows us to respond to His love is also a gratuitous gift from Him. How right and just...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 27, 2023 | Thursday of the Third Week of Easter "No one can come to me unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise him up on the last day." - John 6:35b Each of us is called to be a messenger of Jesus, a bearer of His Good News, in all aspects of our being. Is there anything in your way of doing things, of speaking, of being, that is con...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 26, 2023 | Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in me shall never be thirsty." - John 6:35b Jesus is the bread from heaven par excellence. He alone gives true life and joy for those who believe and He invites us to listen to His Word and partake of His Body and Blood...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 25, 2023 | Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist "Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: 'Go ye into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.'" - Mark 16:15 Today is the Feast of St. Mark, the Evangelist, the author of the second Gospel, was the son of Mary whose house at Jerusalem was the meeting place of Christians, where St. Pet...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 24, 2023 | Monday of the Third Week of Easter "Truly I say to you, you look for me, not because of the signs which you have seen, but because you ate bread and were satisfied." - John 6:26 What are you seeking in life? Many of those who followed Jesus sought Him because their hunger was satiated during the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves. They...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 23, 2023 | Third Sunday oƒ Easter "While he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he vanished out of their sight." - Luke 24:30-31 Even in moments of doubt and confusion, Jesus walks with us. He reveals Himself to those who seek Him as He did to the two di...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 22, 2023 | Saturday of the Second Week of Easter "They were frightened, but (Jesus) said to them, 'It is I! Do not be afraid!'" - John 6:19c-20 What storms are you facing at this time of your life? The disciples were terrified when they were caught in the middle of a storm. But Jesus walked on the water and calmed the storm to reach his disciples,...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 21, 2023 | Friday of the Second Week of Easter "And Jesus took the loaves: and when he had given thanks, he distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would." - John 3:36 God knows our needs even before we ask Him. It is when we acknowledge our own poverty and our dependence on God that He can fill us with hi...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - April 20, 2023 | Thursday of the Second Week of Easter "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life." - John 3:36 Jesus came from heaven to reveal God's truth and grace to us. Even if he knew many would reject His message, Jesus was intent in obeying the Father's will. Let us pray that we too may desire to surrender ourselves to God's most gracious...