Faithful Prayers Can Move Mountains

For those of you who follow this blog on Facebook, I posted an urgent prayer request that I received from Mary.  Below is my original post, copied from an email:

An Urgent Prayer Request, Please Read and Pass On:

Dear Friends,

Just a few minutes ago I received the following text message on my phone from Sean Malone who leads Crisis Relief International (CRI). We then spoke briefly on the phone and I assured him that we would share this urgent prayer need with all of our contacts.
"We lost the city of Queragosh (Qaraqosh). It fell to ISIS and they are beheading children systematically. This is the city we have been smuggling food too. ISIS has pushed back Peshmerga (Kurdish forces) and is within 10 minutes of where our CRI team is working. Thousands more fled into the city of Erbil last night. The UN evacuated it's staff in Erbil. Our team is unmoved and will stay. Prayer cover needed!"

Please pray sincerely for the deliverance of the people of Northern Iraq from the terrible advancement of ISIS and its extreme Islamic goals for mass conversion or death for Christians across this region.

May I plead with you not to ignore this email. Do not forward it before you have prayed through it. Then send it to as many people as possible.

Send it to friends and Christians you may know. Send it to your prayer group. Send it to your pastor and phone him/her to prayon Sunday during the service - making a special time of prayer for this. We need to stand in the gap for our fellow Christians.

I posted this on Facebook and then forwarded to several friends.  My friend, Dara, sent me back the Our Lady of Knock Novena and asked everyone on the email chain to pray it for the persecuted and those ministering to them.  So, I am starting another pray-along.  Starting today, please pray this Novena with me, fast if you are so led.  Prayer and fasting can truly move mountains.  So, please take this opportunity to do great work.  It may seem like praying in your living room is doing nothing, but petitioning the Almighty is never a lowly task.  Through prayer, fasting, and alms-giving we can change the world and led our enemies to Christ.  Thank you.

NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF KNOCK
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Give praise to the Father Almighty,
To His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord,
To the Spirit who lives in our hearts,
Both now and forever. Amen.

Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland, you gave hope to your people in a time of distress, and comforted them in sorrow. You have inspired countless pilgrims to pray with confidence to your divine Son, remembering His promise, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find."

Help me to remember that we are all pilgrims on the road to heaven. Fill me with love and concern for my brothers and sisters in Christ, especially those who live with me. Comfort me when I am sick, lonely or depressed. Teach me how to take part ever more reverently in the Holy Mass. Give me a greater love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Pray for me now, and at the hour of my death. Amen.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world;
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world;
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world;
Grant us peace.

ST. JOSEPH,

Chosen by God to be
The Husband of Mary,
The Protector of the Holy Family,
The Guardian of the Church.
Protect all families
In their work and recreation
And Guard us on our journey through life.
(Repeat - Lamb of God, etc.)

ST. JOHN,

Beloved Disciple of the Lord,
Faithful priest.
Teacher of the Word of God.
Help us to hunger for the Word.
To be loyal to the Mass
And to love one another.

(Repeat - Lamb of God, etc.)

Our Lady of Knock Pray for Us
Refuge of Sinners Pray for Us
Queen Assumed into Heaven Pray for Us
Queen of the Rosary Pray for Us
Mother of Nazareth Pray for Us
Queen of Virgins Pray for Us
Help of Christians Pray for Us
Health of the Sick Pray for Us
Queen of Peace Pray for Us
Our Lady, Queen and Mother Pray for Us
Our Lady, Mother of the Church Pray for Us
(Here mention your own special intentions)

With the Angels and Saints let us pray:
Give praise to the Father Almighty,
To His Son, Jesus Christ the Lord,
To the Spirit who lives in our hearts,
Both now and forever. Amen.

Instruction:
The Rosary or Mass and Holy Communion is recommended each day.

A pamplet of the novena can be downloaded, here.