MAY JESUS CHRIST BE PRAISED

   Now and Forever!

Welcome to my little website.  When I was a newly ordained priest, my first pastor gave me a full page in the parish bulletin to fill each week.  He told me he did not care what I wrote about as long as I filled the page.  He explained that only 1/3 of the parish would hear me preach on any given Sunday because I celebrated two out of six parish Masses but every parishioner would read the bulletin so this was a way that I could reachout to them and they could get to know me better. After four years in the parish, I was transferred to another parish and as I was leaving many people asked me to send them my weekly bulletin column by e-mail and thus my internet ministry was born.  

When I was trying to decide what to write about in my weekly bulletin article, I came across a quote from Archbishop Fulton Sheen that went something like "There are not a hundred people in the world who hate the Catholic Church for what we teach but there are thousands who hate the Catholic Church for what they think we teach."  With that quote in mind, I began to choose oen topic a month to explain more indepth the Church's teaching on those issues.  From those mustardseeds has blossomed this website filled with infomation about the Catholic faith that I find interesting and informative.  I invite you to take your time and explore the different teachings and reflections.  I hope above all that these things will ultimately lead you closer to God.
 
Thank you and God bless,
Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius

Each Sunday, I upload my Spiritual Newsletter for the week.  The newsletter contains an insight into this week's Sunday readings and my Spiritual Ponderings. 

August
A HEALING PRAYER.
O Jesus, Good Shepherd, You heal the sick and needy.  We ask you to heal all those who have been wounded by the sin of abortion and the culture of death.  You know what it is like to endure pain and to be unjustly put to death.  Look kindly upon them today and heal their broken souls.   Please offer them your forgiveness as you did to the people who put you to death on the cross because they too do not fully understand what they are doing.  Convert them so that they can become warriors for the culture of life.

Give Your gift of wisdom to physicians that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit in all they do. Bless those nurses who feel like they are helping women by helping them get abortions.  Instead let their hands become Your hands as they touch me.  O Jesus, grant us all Your healing grace of love and peace. Amen.

July
Prayer for our Courts and Judges
Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of our nation. You alone rule the world with justice, yet you place in our hands the solemn duty of participating in the shaping of our government. I pray today for our President and Senators Who have the responsibility of placing judges on our courts. Please protect this process from all obstruction. Please send us men and women of wisdom, Who respect Your law of Life. Please send us judges with humility, Who seek Your truth and not their own opinions. Lord, give all of us the courage we need to do what is right  And to serve you, the Judge of all, with fidelity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen! 

June
Grant Success
Almighty God, whose hands hold all matters of life, give me grace of success in the work that I do to promote the dignity of all human life. Help me to give it the careful thought and the strict attention to how I care for and talk about life.  Watch over me and govern my actions, that I may not malign the pro-life movement. Show me how to give my best, and let me not despise the toil that is necessary to complete it. Make my life a successful one.  Give me the blessing of your help and guidance, and suffer me not to fail in my request to end abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia and all sins against life. In Jesus' name.  Amen.

May
PRAYER FOR STRENGTH AND WISDOM
Lord, give me strength and wisdom to live this day as I ought.

Give me strength... to overcome every temptation which may come to me, to do well every task which is assigned to me, to shoulder every responsibility which is laid upon my shoulders.

Give me wisdom... to know when to speak and when to keep silent, to know when to act and when to refrain from action, to know when to speak my mind and when to hold my peace.

So bring me to the end of this day knowing that I have helped build up the culture of life.  Amen.

Please join us in praying a special prayer each month for Catholics who have fallen away from their faith. 

August 
THE PRAYER ABLAZE WITH THE FIRE OF YOUR SPIRIT
O Lord, You have mercy on all, take away from those who are estranged from your Church their sins, and mercifully set them ablaze with the fire of Your Holy Spirit. Take away from them the heart of stone, and give them human heart that know they are loved so that they may have hearts to love and adore You, and hearts to delight in You, to follow and enjoy You. Amen.

July 2019
Jesus Christ, Lord of all things, You see our hearts; You know our desires. Possess all that we are, You alone. We are Your sheep; make us worthy to overcome the devil - Amen.

June 2019
Prayer to St. Joseph 
Saint Joseph, you taught Jesus how to work and play, help us to realize that we can only gain knowledge by listening and learning to your foster Son. With your help and guidance help us assist our fallen away brothers and sisters to choose the right path so that everyone will come into our heavenly homeland by remaining faithful to the teachings of Jesus. Amen.

May 2019
PRAYER FOR STRENGTH TO FORGIVE.
Faultless Lord, enduring death for me, You have paid the debt of our sins: Your sacrifice of forgiveness was absolute! Grant us the strength to also forgive others, to excuse their transgressions against us.  So, we may truly reflect this spiritual fruit, obliterate any persistent feelings of malice. Let each trespass end as a closing chapter, on our continuing on the road of righteousness. Forgive our sins as we aspire to forgive others.  In a special way help our fallen away brothers and sisters forgive those who may have harm them and thus driven them away from the true faith.  You are truly archetypical of forgiveness. You are a most forgiving Lord! Amen.