The Holy Spirit is like the wind.
You can feel it blow through your
hair. You can watch it move the
clouds and the leaves on the
trees. But you cannot see it.
The Holy Spirit is God's wind. It
blows through your heart, making
it warm and happy. It makes you
want to be good and kind to
others. It heals you when you feel
sick. It cheers you up when you
are sad. It blows through the
world bringing peace and joy and
love.
The Holy Spirit blows through me...
And gives me love and lets me see...
And always guides me to the light...
To do what's good, to do what's right.
And every day throughout my years...
The Holy Spirit calms my fears...
And makes me strong so I can grow...
And bring the world God's loving glow...
So everyone I meet can see...
The reason God created me.
"Prayer is talking with God. When we have a good friend, we talk to that person about all
sorts of things. That's part of being a friend. In the same way, we should talk to God
about what is happening in our life. God wants us to share our life with him, to tell him
about what makes us happy, sad, and afraid. He wants to know what we want and what
we would like him to do, for ourself and for others. Also, when we pray, we open ourself
up to God so that he can make good changes in us." Holy Spirit Interactive
Children's Morning Offering
Good morning, dear Jesus, this day is for you. I offer you all that I think, say, and do.
Amen.
Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue
Lovely Lady dressed in blue -------
Teach me how to pray!
God was just your little boy,
Tell me what to say!
Did you lift Him up, sometimes,
Gently on your knee?
Did you sing to Him the way
Mother does to me?
Did you hold His hand at night?
Did you ever try
Telling stories of the world?
O! And did He cry?
Do you really think He cares
If I tell Him things -------
Little things that happen? And
Do the Angels' wings
Make a noise? And can He hear
Me if I speak low?
Does He understand me now?
Tell me -------for you know.
Lovely Lady dressed in blue -------
Teach me how to pray!
God was just your little boy,
And you know the way.
Are You Having Bad Dreams?
If you are struggling with bad dreams,
ask St. Raphael for help.
You may use this prayer
or ask him in your own words.
A Prayer to St. Raphael
Dear St. Raphael,
You are known to help
people who ask you
for different kinds of help,
but especially those who
have bad dreams.
Please ask God to protect me
from my fears, be with me when I sleep and help to keep the bad dreams away.
Amen
And pray always to God
for His help
because He loves you
so very much.
Dear God,
I sometimes have bad dreams.
Please be with me when I sleep
and protect me from harm.
Bring peace to my dreams
and help me to not be
afraid when I have bad ones.
Please send your angel
St. Raphael to help me
when I sleep.
I ask this in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen
St. Raphael,
Patron Against Nightmares
A message for children about St.Raphael, an archangel who assists those who have trouble with bad dreams.
St. Raphael is a protective angel who can help you if you are having problems with bad dreams.
Everyone dreams. Dreams are something that even scientists have trouble understanding and have disagreements about, but we can all agree that
we have dreams because our brains are still alive and working after we go to sleep. When we go to sleep, though, we sort of turn off our control
over our brains for a little while. Some people say they know they are dreaming while they are dreaming and that they can control their thoughts
while they are dreaming. Since they can control their thinking, they can control what happens in their dreams. Usually, though, people can't control
the thoughts they have in their dreams. For those who aren't able to have control in their dreams, it can be a good idea to get some help, and this
help can come from the angel we know as St. Raphael.
When dreams are bad, we sometimes call them "nightmares". This word came from a belief long ago that bad dreams were caused by a mischievous spirit named
Mara who would visit people when they were sleeping and sit on their chests which made them have bad dreams. Because we are usually sleeping at night, Mara
who "visited" at night became Night Mara and this is where we get the word "nightmare".
The story of Mara is a pagan story. Christians have had different beliefs about nightmares, too, over the ages and because so many people have
had horrible experiences with bad dreams, it became important to turn to a saint or angel to ask for help just as we do with many of the other
problems we face. What better saint to ask for help with nightmares than St. Raphael?
St. Raphael is an angel of God who is mentioned in the Bible. In the Book of Tobit, he is mentioned as having assisted Tobiah on his travels to
Media. For this reason, St. Raphael is called upon to protect all travelers on their journeys. Sleep can be a kind of journey, can't it? Even though
you are not traveling anywhere with your body, your mind is kind of on a journey when you are sleeping. Since St. Raphael protects travelers
on their journeys, it is a good thing to ask for his help when you are going to sleep at night to begin your dream journey.
Another reason it's good to call on St. Raphael for help is that he is known as a healing angel. In the Bible, he healed the blindness of Tobit by providing
medicine for his eyes. Sometimes people have bad dreams because they are sick and have a fever. Whether your bad dreams are from sickness, then, or just a
"traveling" mind while sleeping, St. Raphael can help you.
Each person is promised a guardian angel to help him with whatever he may need on his journey of life, but St. Raphael is believed to have been
given special graces to act as a protector on journeys and during times of sickness, so before you go to sleep at night, remember to pray for
protection from your guardian angel, but if you have trouble with nightmares, add a prayer to St. Raphael, too, because he can protect you from
whatever you may be asked to face on any journey whether it is a real and physical journey, or a make-believe one in your mind as you sleep.
