Advent Week 1: The Candle of Hope “May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) Christmas is coming! There are loved ones to see, gifts to give, baking to share. We prepare our homes for the celebration. Yet even more important than this outward preparation is the preparation of our heart. The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts, as we prepare our homes, to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! Today we light the first of the four candles in the Advent wreath, the candle of Hope. Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of your tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs your shoulders down? When confident expectation in life’s tomorrow dwindles, what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside? In one word the answer to confident expectation is “JESUS”…the Jesus of Christmas. Hope in Jesus comes from more than just a belief that He was once a baby in a manger. This hope in Him has been called “an anchor for the soul”. It is something deep within that secures you through the storms of life. Putting your hope in Jesus will give you these four things. Hope for Help We are invited to come to Him and confidently ask for help. Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “to come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) Hope to Overcome Things that leave one feeling powerless and hopeless come in many forms. With Christ’s strength you can overcome great obstacles, and faith in Jesus gives hope and help to overcome. 1 John 5:4 says, “and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) Hope for Power Sometimes in life we find ourselves with a task that simply looks too big for us. We do not just need a cup of God’s strength added to our own; rather we need His strength in us to do what we need to do. He will give it! 2 Corithians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Seeing our weakness as the entry point of God’s strength gives access to His power! Hope for Eternity When we put our faith and hope in Jesus, it not only gives us help, strength and power where we walk today but it also gives us hope for life after death. It is a confident expectation of the ultimate “tomorrow”. The God of Hope sent His son to be our Savior. He is only one prayer away. If you want the confident expectation of His strength and wisdom in your today and His help and hope for your tomorrow, you need only ask. Just tell Him… Prayer & reflection Dear God, I have gone my own way and have put my hope in so many things that have disappointed me. Thank you that you sent Jesus, that first Christmas long ago, to be my Savior. I believe He came for me. Forgive me and come into my life today. Show me how to live in the confident expectation of how You can impact my life, my character and my circumstances. I place my hope in You right now and ask You to make Yourself known to me in my life right where I walk. I thank you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen Questions: How do you feel going into this Christmas season? Excited? Scared? Joyful? Lonely? Worried or delighted? How will you invite God’s hope into your situation?>

Whar are the common objections to prayer?

Sometimes we have erroneous notions of prayer. Some people view prayer as a mental activity, others as an effort of concentration. Still others reduce prayer to ritual words and postures. Many Christians unconsciously regard prayer as an occupation that "takes up time". Thus they are quickly discouraged. sometimes the mentality of this present world can penetrate our lives if we are not vigilant. For example, some think that only what can be verified by reason and science is true; yet prayer is a mystery that overflows both our conscious and unconscious lives.Others overly prize gains and profit; thus prayer, being unproductive, is useless. Still others exalt sensuality and comfort as the criteria of the true, the good, and the beautiful;whereas prayer,the "love of beauty" (philokalia), is caught up in the glory of the living and true God. Finally, some see prayer as an escape from reality; but in fact,Christian prayer is not a divorce from life. Finally, sometimes one confronts what we experience as "failure" in prayer: discouragement during periods of dryness and sadness if we have not been heard according to our own will; wounded pride, stiffened by the indignity that is ours as sinners; our resistance to the idea that prayer is a free and unmerited gift; and so forth. The conclusion is always the same: what good does it to pray? To overcome these obstacles, we must battle to gain humility, trust, and perseverance. [See:CCC2726-2728]

What are the common hindrances to prayer?

Distraction is the habitual difficulty in Prayer. It takes our attention away from God and can also reveal what we are attached to. Prayer presupposes an effort, a fight against ourselves and the wiles of the Tempter. A simple way of overcoming distractions is to turn our hearts back humbly to the Lord. Sometimes prayer is affected by dryness. Dryness belongs to contemplative prayer when the heart is separated from God, with no taste for thoughts, memories, and feelings, even spiritual ones. Overcoming this difficulty allows us to cling to the Lord in faith. even without any feeling of consolation. If dryness is due to the lack of "roots", because the word has fallen on rocky soil, the battle requires conversion. Other frequent temptations that threaten prayer are lack of faith and acedia. Prayer is the moment of truth for the heart: what is it real love? Sometimes we turn to the Lord as a last resort, but do we really believe he is? Acedia is a form of spiritual laziness due to decreasing vigilance and a carelessness of heart.[See CCC 2732-2733] WHENEVER I START PRAYING, BAD THOUGHTS ENTER MY MIND WHICH FORCE ME TO SIN AGAINST THe ALMIGHTY. I FEEL THAT SOMEONE IS TRYING TO STOP ME FROM PRAYING, ESPECIALLY SINCE I LED A BAD PAST. WHAT SHOULD I DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN PRAYER? If you feel you had led a bad past,reconcile yourself with God with a good Confession. Don't worry about the "bad thoughts" that come to you during your prayer. These are seeds of distraction sown by Satan who doesn't want you to pray. What is important is not that pray well, but that you give to God your special time of prayer. Even after 15 minutes of prayer if you feel that you didn't pray successfully, don't worry, what is important is that you have decided to dedicate at least 15 minutes to God daily.

What pitfalls must we avoid whilst praying?

Really speaking,what can be simpler than prayer? Its spontaneity is, however, taken away at times by the use of excessively complicated methods, which draw too much attention to themselves and not enough to God, whom the soul should seek. Jesus said, "When you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites who love to pray standing in the synagogues and at the street corners in order that they be seen by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your room, and closing your door,pray to your Father in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you..." "But in praying, do not multiply words as the gentiles do; for they think that by saying a great deal, they will be heard. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. In this manner therefore shall you pray: "Our Father...." (Mt.6:5-13)

Why do we sometimes think our petition has not been heard? How is our prayer heard, how is it "efficacious"?

Sometimes "we do not know how to pray as we ought" (Rom.8:26). Are we asking God for "what is good for us"? Our Father knows what we need before we ask him, but he awaits our petition because the dignity of his children lies in their freedom.to be able truly to know what he wants. "If any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him." (Jn.9:31) and Matthew 6:33 says: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Sometimes we ask with a divided heart: "You ask and do not receive,because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (Jas. 4:3). God cannot answer us, for he desires of well-being, our life. Our God's "jealousy" for us is the sign of how true his love is. If we enter into the desire of his Spirit, we shall be heard.Proverbs 15:7:9 says: The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. At times we might think that prayer is a force by which we can try to bend the will of God by persuasion. However, the divine will is from all eternity as immovable as it is merciful. Do not be troubled, then, if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him; for he desire to do something even greater for you, while you cling to him in prayer. If we do not obtain temporal goods, it is because they are not useful to our salvation; if our prayer is sincere,we obtain a more precious grace in place of them.

Pray with Faith

Filial trust is put to the test when we feel that our prayer is not heard.God wills that our desire should be exercised in prayer, that we may be able to receive what he wants to give us. When prayer is humble, trusting, and persevering, it obtains for us a more lively faith, a firmer hope and a more ardent charity.

Pray With Charity

Remember to pray for the needs of others before your own.The Lord loves a generous heart. Very often our hearts are closed and their hardness make them impervious to the Father's merciful love; but by forgiving and refraining from anger our hearts are opened to his grace. Many people have been miraculously given according to their needs after forgiving their enemies.

Pray with hope and thanksgiving!

St. Paul uses a very unique title when he calls Jesus "our hope" (1Ti 1:1). The word 'hope' means "a confident expectation". It is closely related to 'faith'. The prayer of Jesus makes Christian prayer an efficacious petition.He is its model, he prays in us and with us.Jesus also prays for us - in our place and on our behalf. He is also the source of true joy and peace for in him, we are freed from the law of sin and death and we have strength to do what is good, and turn away from evil. In him there is joy, knowing that God will supply our needs.

Let us therefore, have confidence in the efficacy of prayer.It is not only a human force which has its first seed (hope) in us, but the source of its efficacy is in God and in the infinite merits of Christ.
[See CCC 2735-2741]

How Much We Persevere in Prayer?

St. Paul tells us to "pray constantly... always and  for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father" (1 Thess 5:17; Eph. 5:20). When he tells us to pray constantly', he is obviously not asking us to recite endless prayers,but urging us never to lose. Against our dulness and laziness, the battle is that of humble, trusting, and persevering love. this love opens our hearts to three enlightening and life- giving facts of faith about prayer:

1) That, it is always possible to pray: even while walking in public or strolling alone, or seated in your shop...while buying or selling...or even when cooking!

2) Prayer is a vital necessity: if we do not allow the Spirit to lead us, we fall back into the slavery of sin. How can the Holy Spirit be our life if our heart is far from him? Those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly dammed (St. Alphonsus Liguori) , and

3) Prayer and Christian life are inseparable:prayer is united to works in good works to prayer.
[See CCC 2742-2745].

Jul 28, Midday Prayer for Saturday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time

Jul 28, Midday Prayer for Saturday of the 16th week of Ordinary Time

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE OUR FATHER? 

Jesus taught us this Christian prayer on the day on which one of his disciple saw him praying and asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). The Our Father is the “summary of the whole Gospel” (Tertullian), and “the perfect prayer” (Saint Thomas Aquinas). The Church liturgical tradition has always used the text of Saint Matthew  ( 6: 9-13).

WHY IS IT CALLED THE “LORD’S  PRAYER”?

The Our Father is called the “Oratio Dominica”, that is, the Lord’s Prayer because it was taught to us by the Lord Jesus himself. The prayer that comes to us from Jesus is truly unique: it is “of the Lord.” On the one hand, in the words of this prayer the only Son gives us the words the Father gave him: he is the master of our prayer. On the other, as Word incarnate, he knows in his human heart the needs of his human brothers and sisters and reveals them to us: he is the model of our prayer. It is the prayer fulfilled by the prayer of Christ.

WHAT PLACE DOES IT HAVE IN THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

The Lord’s Prayer is essentially rooted in liturgical prayer: The Lord teaches us to make prayer in common for all our brethren. For he did not say “ my Father”, but “ our” Father,  offering petitions in common. The Lord’s Prayer is essential to the liturgy of the Church, for it is an integral part of our Eucharistic celebration, Baptism and Confirmation. The Our Father is also part of the Divine Office. [ See CCC 2761-2776]

What are the seven petitions which make up the Lord's Prayer? What do they mean?

The power dispositions for one who praise the Our Father are simple and faithful trust, humble and joyous assurance. We begin this most beautiful and meaningful prayer by invoking God as "Father" because he is revealed to us by his Son Christ Jesus who become man.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN:

When we say "Our" Father, we are invoking the new covenant in Jesus Christ, communion with the Holy Trinity, and the divine love which spreads through the Church to encompass the world.Praying to our Father should develop in us the will to become like him and foster in us a humble and trusting heart."Who art in heaven" does not refer to a place but to God's majesty and his presence in the hearts of the just. Heaven, the Father's house, is the true home land toward which we are heading and to which,already, we belong. The Lord's Prayer contains seven petitions made to God the Father. The object of the first three petitions is the glory of the Father:the sanctification of his name, the coming of the Kingdom, and the fulfillment of his will.The four other petitions present our wants to him: they ask that our lives be nourished, healed of sin, and made victorious in the struggle of good over evil. The seven petitions follows:

HOLLOWED BE THY NAME:

Beginning with this first petition to our Father, we are immersed in the innermost mystery of the holiness,majesty, honor and glory of God!We ask God to hallow his name,which by its own holiness saves and make holy all creation. It is this name that gives salvation to a lost world.We ask that this name of God should be hallowed in us through our actions.For God's name is blessed when we live well, but is blasphemed when we live wickedly. As the Apostle Paul says: "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." We ask then that, just as the name of God is holy, so may we obtain his holiness in our souls. Prayer to our Father is our prayer, if it is prayed in the name of Jesus. In his priestly prayer, Jesus asks: "Holy Father, protect in your name those whom you have given me."

Thy Kingdom Come

The Church prays for the final coming of the Kingdom of God through Christ's return in glory. The Church prays also that the Kingdom of God increase from now on through people's sanctification in the Spirit and through their commitment to the service of justice and peace in keeping with the Beatitudes.This petition is the cry of the Spirit and the Bride: "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22-20).

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Thy Will Be Done on Earth,as it is in Heaven

Jesus teaches us that one enters the Kingdom of Heaven not by speaking words, but by doing " the will of my Father in heaven" (Mt. 7:21). God's expression of his will is the Commandment that you love one another, even as I have loved you (Jn.13:34)." Although he was a Son. [Jesus] learned obedience through what he suffered" (Heb.5:8). For this reason Jesus gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God the Father. By prayer we can discern what is the will of God for us and obtain the endurance to do it. In committing ourselves to Jesus, we can become one spirit with him, and thereby accomplish his will that will be perfect on earth as it is in heaven.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD

Jesus teaches us this petition, because it glorifies our Father by acknowledging how good he is, beyond all goodness. The Father who gives us life cannot but give us the nourishment life requires - all appropriate goods and blessings, both material and spiritual. The presence of world hunger calls Christians to exercise responsibility and justice for the poor, to share with love our spiritual and material goods. This petition also addresses the spiritual famine of the world, and the Christian is to proclaim the good news to the poor. The specifically Christian sense of this fourth petition concerns the Bread of Life: The Word of God accepted in faith, the Body of Christ received in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is our daily bread. The power belonging to this divine food members of him, we may become what we receive... This also is our daily bread: readings we hear its day in church and the hymns we hear and sing. All these are necessities for our pilgrimage.

And Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us:

In this petition, we return to him like the prodigal son and the tax collector; we recognize that we are sinners before him. Our petitions begins with a "confession" of our wretchedness, and his mercy.This petition has two parts. According to the second phrase, our petition will not be heard unless we have first met a strict requirement.This outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us. In refusing to forgive our brothers and sisters, our hearts are closed and and their hardness makes them impervious to the Father's merciful love; but in confessing our sins, our hearts are opened to his grace.It is there, in fact, "in the depths of the heart," that everything is bound and loosed. It is not easy to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purufies the memory in transforming the hurt into intercession. Christian prayer extends even to the forgiveness of one's neighbor. God does not accept the sacrifice of an unforgiving mam ,but  commands that  he depart from the altar so that he may first be reconciled with his brother. For God can be appeased only by prayers that make peace.

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION :

This petition goes to the root of the preceding one, for our sins result from our consenting to temptation; This petition asks God not to allow us to take the path that leads to sin. This petition implores the Spirit for discernment and strength in the battle between flesh and spirit. The Holy Spirit makes us discern between trials, necessary for the growth of the inner man, and temptation, which leads to sin and death. Discernment unmasks the lie of temptation . This petition also requests the grace of vigilance and final perseverance.

But deliver us from all evil:

This last petition to our Father is included in the prayer Jesus, and we pray in communion with the Church for the deliverance of the whole human family from the person of Satan ,the Evil One, angel  who opposes God. When we ask to be delivered from the Evil One, we pray as well to be freed from all evils, present , past, and future, of which he is the author or instigator. Along with deliverance from the evils that overwhelm  humanity, the Church  implores the precious gift of peace and the grace of perseverance in expectation of Christ's return.

By the final "Amen," we express our "fiat" concerning the seven petitions : "So be it. "
[See CCC 2803-2954, 2865 ]

How important is it to make the Sign of the Cross when we say the " Glory Be To The Father? say the

To make the Sign of the Cross while reciting the "Glory Be " is an oriental tradition.
In the Latin Rite, we make the Sign of the Cross only at the  beginning and at the end of
a celebration. While, there is no need to do it every time we say the "Glory Be", there
is no reason why we should not sign ourselves whenever we wish.

What is the " The Sign of the Cross" ?

The Sign of the Cross is one of the most important and one of the most frequently used of the sacramentals.
It is the sacred sign first taught to the feeble fingers of the child at its mother's knee; it is the sacred sign traced by the faltering fingers of the dying Catholic. From birth to death it is the holy sign, the holy ceremony that continually reminds the Catholic of the source from which all spiritual blessings come-the cross. The two most common forms of sacramental are the large Sign of the Cross made by touching the forehead, the breast, and
the left and right shoulders.The cross thus covers the body- at least the most important members--the head and
heart. The smaller Sign of the Cross is traced upon the forehead, lips, and breast.

Why do we make the Sign of the Cross?

We make the Sign of the Cross......
 _ To remind us of the blessed Trinity- Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We repeat their
 names whilst making the sign of the Cross.
_ To remind us that the Son of God died on the Cross for all men. Before Calvary it was
a sign of disgrace. Christ made it a thing of glory and power.
_ To stir up our faith. It recalls that God is one and God is three; it recalls that the
 Second person of the Trinity died for all men; it professes our faith; it identifies the
Catholic.
_ To strengthen our hope. By making this sign we express the hope that
through the Cross, all blessings will come to us. It is also a powerful protection from
all dangers and temptations especially against the Evil One.
_ To kindle and feed our charity. Making this sign recalls the limitless love of Jesus
who died upon the cross. We determine to return love for love.
_ It is used in all blessings bestowed by Bishops and Priests.
_ It is used in all the sacraments: 14 times in Baptism; 17 times in Extreme Unction.


Yes, even in the semi-darkness of the confessional the Priest makes the Sign of the
Cross over you. A love and bring
toward this sacred sign is the mark of a true
follower of Christ. Use it frequently, use it thoughtfully, use it lovingly. It will  bring
you countless blessings.

What is the greatest prayer in modern times?

The prayer that has captured the hearts of the faithful on account of its simplicity and efficacy is the pious
invocation : Jesus I trust in You!"

This prayer when said meaningfully is a firm affirmation that Jesus is the Lord and Saviour of our lives. It is
a simple but profound act of abandonment and trust in Jesus' goodness and mercy and a plea of hope in all
our necessities. In the heart of Jesus, those anguished by life's sorrows find peace; those afflicted by suffering
and  illness find relief; those who feel constricted by uncertainty and anguish feel joy, because Christ's heart is
filled to overflowing with consolation and love for those who turn to It with trust. Great are the promises of our Lord to those who use this Divine Mercy invocation as a reminder of his mercy and our obligation to be merciful, just as Our Father in heaven is merciful to each and everyone of us.


                                           General Prayers

         Morning Offering
       
        Lord God Almighty, who have brought us to the beginning of this day, defend us during
        this day by your power, that they may not fall into sin but that all our words, thoughts and
        deeds may always proceed and be directed toward that which is just in your sight. Amen.

        Evening Prayer

        O my God, at the end of this day I thank you most heartily for all the graces I have
        received from you. I am sorry that I have not made a better use of them. I am sorry for all
        the sins that I have committed against you. Forgive me ,O my God, and graciously protect me
        this night. Blessed Virgin Mary , my dear heavenly mother, take me under your protection.
        St. Joseph, my dear Guardian Angel, and you all saints of God, pray for me.Sweet Jesus ,
        have pity on all poor sinners, and save them from hell. Have mercy on the suffering souls
       in purgatory. Amen.
      
       Prater before a Crucifix

       Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before your face I humbly kneel, and
       with a burning soul I pray and beseech you to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith,
       hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendments, while I contemplate
       with great love and tender pity your five wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to mind the
       words  which David, your prophet, said of you, my dear Jesus : " They have pierced my hands and my
       feet; they have numbered all my bones." ( Ps 21: 17-18 )
      
       Prayer for Religious Vocations

       Father , you call all who believe in you to grow perfect love by following in the footsteps of  Christ
       your Son. May those whom you have chosen to serve you as religious provide by their way a 
       convincing sign of your kingdom for the Church and the whole world. Amen.

      Prayer for Priests
  
       O my most Sweet Jesus, O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, keep your Priests in the shelter of
       your Sacred Heart, where no one can hurt them. Keep their anointed hands unsullied,
       which daily handle your Sacred Body. Keep pure the lips which are reddened with your
       Precious Blood. Keep pure and unworldly their hearts which are sealed with the sublime
      token of your glorious priesthood. Cause them to grow in love and loyalty to you and
      protect them from the contamination of the world. With their power of transforming bread
      and wine, give them the power of transforming hearts. Bless their work with rich fruit and
      grant them one day the crown of eternal life. Amen.

     St. Gertrude's Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory

     Eternal Father, I offer you the Most Precious Blood of your Divine Son, Jesus, in union
     with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in purgatory, for
     sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and
     within my family. Amen.
       



 
    
       

Who are we to evangelize?

First yourself, then your family, friends, colleagues and those who are around you in your daily life. Pope Benedict XVI said: " The absence of God is worse than material poverty. People are hungry and thirsty
for the truth. We must bring it to them."

YOUCAT - Christoph Cardinal Schoenborn : Ignatius Press

YOUCAT - Christoph Cardinal Schoenborn : Ignatius Press

PRAYER IN THE BIBLE

Introduction: Biblical prayer could be described as a personal encounter between God and the humans  resulting in the phase of a complete and intimate communion. Just as in the human relationship, in the divino-human encounter too there is a place for petition, entreaty, expostulation ,confession, thanksgiving , recollection, praise,adoration,meditation etc.leading to communion. All these elements could be reduced to four basic features- recognition, recall, praise, petition - which are true both in human relationship and in divino-human relationship (prayer). Biblical prayers comprise basically of these four elements. Some may have one or two or all of these four elements and also in different propositions. Since our relationship with God (Mt :21-26),biblical prayer has a horizontal and also a vertical dimension. Both these are so intertwined that when one suffers,the other too does  suffer.

The Old Testament

What is the Christian meaning of death?

The Christian who dies  in Christ Jesus is "away from the body and at home with the Lord" ( 2 Cor 5:8). This is the Christian meaning of death. [ See CCC 1681 ]

What are the various titles of the Holy Father?

The various title of the Holy father are:
 -His Holiness the Pope
-Bishop of Rome and vicar of Jesus Christ
-Successor of St.Peter, Prince of the Apostles
-Roman Pontiff
-Supreme Pontiff of The Universal Church;
-Universal Shepherd of the Church;
-Patriarch of The West;
-Primate of Italy;
-Archbishop and  Metropolitan of The Roman Province;
-Sovereign of Vatican City State;
-Servants of the Servants of God.

What is the correct way of addressing the clergy?

'The Pope is addressed verbally as "His Holiness" " Your Holiness" or "Dear Holy Father". Address letters to" His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI" and start with Holy Father".

Cardinals are address verbally as " First Name 'Cardinal' Last Name" or Your Eminence" without name. Address letters to "His Eminence, Fist Name 'Cardinal' Last name".

An Archbishop is addressed verbally as " Archbishop First Name or Last Name" or more formally as your "Grace".

Bishops are addressed verbally as " Bishop First Name or Last Name" or more formally as "Your Excellency" or Your Lordship" without name. Address letters to "The Most Reverend Full Name".

Priests are addressed verbally as "Father First Name or Last Name" or as "Reverend Father". In writing a letter, start with "Dear Father".

Deacons are addressed verbally as "Deacon First Name or Last Name".

Why don't we see many miracles today?

Everyday God performs many miracles, but almost all of them remain as the personal encounter of the people experiencing these miracles. Every time a husband and a wife or other people reconcile their differences, it is a miracle of God. I know of families where husband and wife have already decided to see a lawyer for a civil divorce, but God intervened in their lives and they reconciled. God works in the heart of the person and there he performs many miracles continuously.