When life on this earth seems overwhelming, support from heaven is waiting to come.
No matter how mindful we are of our blessings, some stages of life — or simply, some days — are particularly marked by burdens.
Often, the weight we carry is made heavier because we feel alone in facing what we must.
The following prayer, attributed to St. Augustine, reminds us that, even when we feel that life is overwhelming and no one has our back, “heroes and saints of every age” are at the ready to give us support.
They are our truest brothers and sisters and friends — more attentive to our needs than any earthly helpmate, and also more able to help.
Let us, with them, “tune our hearts to brave music,” and, as St. Catherine of Siena said, “start being brave about everything.”
God of our life,
There are days when the burdens we carry
chafe our shoulders and weigh us down;
when the road seems dreary and endless,
the skies grey and threatening;
when our lives have no music in them,
and our hearts are lonely,
and our souls have lost their courage.Flood the path with light,
turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship
with heroes and saints of every age;
and so quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage
the souls of all who journey with us
on the road of life,
to your honor and glory.
