Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. You call all who believe in you to grow perfect in love by following in the way of Christ your Son. May the Crosiers provide by their way of life a convincing sign of your reign for the Church and the world. Grant to those discerning Crosier Religious Life spiritual freedom and love for their sisters and brothers. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Acts 2:42-47) – The community devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
(Pause for Reflection)
(Matthew 16:24-27) – Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone according to his conduct.”
Take up your cross and follow Christ.
(Mark 4:1-8) – On another occasion Jesus began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, “Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.”
(Pause for Reflection)
Blessed are you, O Lord our God. As you have called the Crosiers to live together for you alone, inspire men with that same desire and call them to join Crosier consecrated life. Grant them the courage and vision to proclaim the cross of Christ through Crosier life of community, prayer and ministry. Hear our prayer for them and the prayers of Founder Theodore, Patroness Odilia and Father Augustine. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We are priests and brothers who live together according to the Rule of St. Augustine. Our charism consists of life in a community setting, daily prayer and ministry.
