hopeful98,
I hope you are one the ones who reads this.
I had a wonderful, spiritual last three days of Holy Week. This culminated with a beautiful, Saturday, Easter Vigil Mass. It lasted almost three hours; and with it beginning at 9:00 PM, we literally left church on Easter Sunday.

For one of the readings, Moses parting the Red Sea, it became to me a Jewish traditional folk song (to me). While the reader/cantor SANG God's Word, there was a chorus which we sang to the accompaniament(sp) of flute and tambourine. This was just part of the spiritual glory of this Mass.

After the reading of the Gospel, my Pastor came out into the center aisle to give his sermon (homily). He even was encouraging parishoner(sp) participation. He spoke about how Jesus' life was resurrected, not resucitated(sp). When life is resucitated (RESTORED), the old life is brought back. But Jesus was resurrected; there was a new life. Part of that was what Jesus left behind in the tomb; His burial cloth. My Pastor asked waht we would be leaving behind for Easter; because if we didn't leave something behind, we didn't quite get the meaning of the resurrection. For me it was my ANGER. (Unfortunately, that lasted a few minutes with my kids, but I immediately confessed it to God).

At the Mass, there were five newly baptised adults who entered the Catholic faith (3 men and 2 women). As well as over a dozen men and women who were confirmed and received their First Holy Eucharist. I cried during these ceremonies. I prayed to God for someday (His timing, not mine) for my wife to one of those newly initiated into the Church.

One side note on Satan (not really a side note). After me seeing through Satan's lies at work, This IS a Spiritual Battle, with the help of the Holy Spirit, he tried at Church last night. My children and I sat in a pew next to an attractive woman, my wife was at work. She knew my daughter from the First Communion retreat a few weeks earlier. My mind flew with thoughts, thankfully briefly, and I confessed them to God. Then I prayed and asked God to someday have where that woman was sitting, be where my wife would eventually sit. Satan continued his treachurous(sp) plan. This woman lifted my daughter up when she could not see what was going on on the altar. My son went over to her more than once when he was crying. I kept praying. After Mass was over, she said that my children were so well behaved (I didn't think so), and said that her children would not behave as well. She was bringing them to the Sunday morning Mass. That is when i saw her wedding ring. Thank You Lord, for keeping my heart pure and pulling me past Satan's lies.

So, hopeful98, I would ask if you would consider renaming the "Prayer for Restoration of Marriages and Lives" to the "Prayer of Resurrection of Marriages and Lives". I want my marriage to be resurrected. I don't want my marriage restored to its former life; to the ungodly manner with which we both had acted in it. I want it resurrected into the marriage God wants it to be. The new, God fearing, God loving, husband and wife, being an example to our daughter and son, an example to our family anf friends, of our faith and belief in our Merciful, Loving, Forgiving, Caring, God. And of the unselfish act of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, dying for our sins and rising for our eternal salvation.

God bless,
ItsInHisHandsNow