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"POUR OUT YOUR HEART LIKE WATER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. LIFT UP YOUR HANDS TO HIM FOR THE LIVES OF YOUR CHILDREN."
Lamentations 2:19
This is a verse taken seriously by our Moms In Touch group at St. John's. Moms In Touch is a group of two of more moms or grandmothers who meet for one hour weekly during the school year to pray for students, teachers, and school needs.
Moms In Touch is an international Christian ministry that began in 1984. The group was founded by Fern Nichols, a mother from Canada who wanted to join with other moms in prayer for their children. Today, more than 150,000 women nationwide pray weekly for their children and their schools.
I am a mother of three, I have lead the Moms In Touch group at St. John's for five years, and I have seen and felt the power of prayer in my children's lives. Praying has made it easier for me to trust God with my children. Belonging to Moms In Touch has brought about a new way of praying for my children. The five step format is simple:
Praise (first step). I find Bible verses that describe a particular character of God. These verses are read aloud and then meditated upon in silence.
Examination of Conscience (second step). This is done silently by the group.
Thanksgiving (third step). We choose a prayer of thanksgiving to thank God for all the many blessings in our lives. For example, we could use the thanksgiving prayer of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine. St. Monica prayed for over 20 years for her wayward son, and he became a famous priest, bishop, saint, and doctor of the Church.
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Intercession for our Children & School (fourth step). During this step, we pray the Rosary, recalling that Mary is the mother of Jesus and the mother of all believers. As we pray each mystery, we meditate on different prayers for our children.
Intercession by Name (fifth step). Finally, we select a grade from St. John's School and pray for each child by name, along with any prayer requests from the teachers.
God truly hears and answers prayer. You don't have to be a Bible student or a person who can pray eloquently to be a part of this group, just a desire in your heart to pray for your children or grandchildren.
If you are interested in checking out Moms In Touch, come join us on Monday mornings (when school is in session) from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in Room 211 on the second floor of St. John's Parish Center.
For more information, please call Carrie Pomeroy at (763) 780-5160 or Marsella Swanson at (651) 697-9164. God bless you and your children (and grandchildren).
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Upon review of current procedures regarding prayer requests for those who are ill, those who have died, and other special needs, we have a new policy, effective immediately. The practice of honoring parishioners' requests will continue.
Prayer Line will continue as is. This information is available in each weekly parish bulletin.
Regarding the weekly listing of "those who have entered eternal life" and "those in the community who are ill," please note the following:
Eternal Life. The procedure remains the same. Part of the process of requesting a funeral at St. John's assures that the passing of a parishioner, or a family member from another parish, will be noted. Names will be announced during weekend Mass Intentions and listed in the bulletin. The contact person is Teri Shea in the Parish Office, (651) 633-8333, ext. 1210.
Illness. If you are a family member, and you wish to inform parishioners that someone in our faith community is ill, please call Teri Shea to request prayers from the parish, (651) 633-8333, ext. 1210. She will get this information to the bulletin editor, and your request will be published in the parish bulletin for a period of two weeks. If you wish to extend that period, you must call Teri Shea again at the end of the two week period to request an extension, (651) 633-8333, ext. 1210.
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You may also stop at the Welcome Desk in St. Paul Plaza to request a form for the purpose of submitting prayer requests.
Exceptions. In those instances where more chronic illnesses are involved (consequences of accidents; impending surgery or recovery from surgery; cancer; Parkinson's disease; ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and other conditions requiring prolonged treatment; and those terminal in nature), names will be posted in the vestibule of the Perpetual Adoration Chapel.
Mass Intentions. Finally, please remember that you may request a Mass for a specific or special intention by contacting Teri Shea in the Parish Office, (651) 633-8333, ext. 1210. Weekly Mass Intentions are listed in the parish bulletin. There is a suggested stipend of $7.00, however, no one should forego requesting a Mass Intention due to the lack of a stipend.
St. John's is a caring, praying community of faith. Please know that you and your needs are important and are automatically included in all of our Pro Populo (for the people) Masses, and in the prayers of your priests, staff members, perpetual adorers, prayer chain volunteers, and other parishioners in St. John's family of faith. God bless you. Oremus (let us pray)...
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