If you have come to this page carrying something heavy, a loss, an illness, a fear, a grief that has no name, please know first of all that you are loved. You are not alone. Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, is praying for you right now. Sit a while.
When the World Feels Too Heavy
The Catholic faith does not pretend that suffering is not real. Jesus wept at the tomb of His friend. Mary stood at the foot of the Cross. The Psalms cry out, sometimes in anger, sometimes in despair. Sorrow is given a place in our prayer because it is given a place in God’s heart.
Whatever it is, the empty chair at the table, the diagnosis you didn’t expect, the love you have lost, the fear that wakes you at three in the morning, bring it with you here. There is no need to be tidy in your prayer. God already knows.
A Prayer for the Heavy-Hearted
Lord Jesus, You who wept beside the tomb of Lazarus,
You who knew the weight of every human grief,
look kindly on me now.
Take this sorrow that is too heavy for me,
and let it rest in Your gentle hands.
Where I cannot see, see for me.
Where I cannot hope, hope for me.
Where I cannot pray, pray in me.
Mary, my Mother, who stood at the foot of the Cross,
stand also beside me now.
Hold me when I cannot hold myself.
Amen.
Words from Scripture
Verses to keep close. Read them slowly. Read them out loud if you can.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed He will save.
Psalm 34:18
Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, no more mourning, or crying, or pain.
Revelation 21:4
I am with you always, until the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20
Hope from the Saints
The saints knew suffering. Many of them knew it deeply. Their words are not platitudes, they are quiet light from people who walked through dark places before us.
Pain is never permanent. The night is always followed by the dawn.
Saint Teresa of Ávila
It is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. Be silent, and listen.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta
Begin again. The saints did not begin once and arrive. They began again, and again, and again.
Saint Francis de Sales
God writes straight with crooked lines.
Portuguese proverb, often quoted by Saint John Paul II
For Those Who Have Lost Someone
Grief is the price of love. To grieve is, in a way, to keep loving. The Catholic Church holds her arms around the bereaved, and gives us many gentle ways to keep walking with those who have gone before us.
- Pray for them. The Church teaches that our prayers truly help the souls we have loved, especially through the Mass offered for them.
- Light a candle. The small flame is a quiet way of saying: I remember you. I love you still.
- Pray the Rosary for them. Each Hail Mary is a flower laid at heaven’s door.
- Talk to them. Speak to them in your heart. The bond of love is not broken by death.
- Trust them to God. They are held now in a love deeper than any you could give. You can rest a little, knowing this.
For Those Who Are Ill
Illness can feel isolating, as if the world is going on without you. But you are seen. Christ is especially near to those who suffer in their bodies. The saints have called illness a hidden gift, a way the soul is purified and drawn closer to God. You don’t have to feel that today. It is enough to know that even when you cannot feel Him, He is holding you.
Ask your parish priest about the Anointing of the Sick, a beautiful sacrament that brings God’s healing grace and peace to anyone who is seriously ill or facing surgery. It is for the living, not just the dying, a tender gift you can ask for at any time.
When You Cannot Pray
There are seasons when prayer feels like a closed door. The words don’t come. God seems silent. This too is part of the spiritual life, even great saints knew it. Saint Teresa of Calcutta wrote of decades of darkness, and yet she did not stop loving God or the poor.
If you cannot pray, try this: just sit quietly. Place your hand on your heart. Breathe slowly. Whisper one word: Jesus. That is enough. That is everything.
Reach Out
If your heart is heavy and you would like someone to pray with you or for you, please submit your intention here, we will hold you in prayer. You don’t need to give your name. You don’t need to write much. We will pray for you.
If you are in a crisis right now, if you are thinking of harming yourself, please reach out to someone who can help you tonight. In the UK, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 at any hour. In the US, call 988. Whatever country you are in, your local emergency number is there for you. You matter. Stay with us.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”
Psalm 23:4