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Nearly 2 months ago, I started this 1 year novena of St. Bridget that I linked below. It has the most beautiful promises (ex: "I will deliver 15 souls of his lineage from Purgatory," and "I shall graciously receive his soul, and will lead it into eternal joys.") which is what made me want to do the novena even if it is a year long. But because it is a year long, there are some days when I feel tempted to not say the novena. Thankfully, my guardian angel and God have been helping me stay strong, but I'd like to ask for help on overcoming this temptation so that I can complete this novena and I'd like to invite you as well to join me in praying this novena.

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Saint Bridget’s Prayers for one year - 15

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These are the fifteen prayers and promises that Our Lord Jesus Christ gave Saint Bridget of Sweden, to honour his Passion and death, his wounds, blood, tears and pains. These two Catholic Devotions are one of 15 prayers for one year, and seven prayers for twelve years

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I am currently in a place where I am unsure of what is ahead for me and where I truly belong. I am trying to explore possibilities to help me find out my options, but it could be daunting and overwhelming sometimes. In the midst of this uncertainty, I remain hopeful for the present and future. I pray for courage and that I may continue to love and always be surrounded by love to serve as my guiding light as I move forward.

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One of the current crosses I carry is related to my academics. At times, I face it head-on, but there are moments when I set it aside, weighed down by fluctuating motivation. I also carry the weight of uncertainty about the path I will take after I graduate. I entrust this struggle to the Lord, knowing that with His grace, I can overcome it. Grant me perseverance, consistency, and clarity, especially when my resolve falters. Help me to embrace this cross fully, and guide me with wisdom and strength as I navigate this journey and seek direction for my future.

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At this point in my life, a lot of things are uncertain. I don't know where I'm supposed to go and what I'm supposed to do next. Oftentimes, I feel insecure of my capabilities and achievements, which make it feel like I would never be enough for the world outside this institution. I feel like there's still so much for me to "catch up" on and that I should be doing more.

I pray for courage and wisdom as I discern my next steps, that they may be fulfill me and my vocation here on Earth. I hope God grants me peace and confirmation for the choices I will make.

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Today, I let go of the pain and anger I felt towards someone I was once close to. After failing to form good connection, I was blindsided as another relationship that jeopardizes ours came to be. This happened few months ago and I still carry the heavy cross of self-destructing thoughts of unworthiness, being undervalued, and undeserving of love. With this goal of letting go, I wish to let in the grace of love from Him. I pray that I get to regain the confidence I once had.

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Dear Lord,

I come before You with a heavy heart, carrying the cross of unresolved pain and struggle with forgiveness towards my father. This burden has been with me since I was thirteen, and it continues to weigh on me deeply. I ask for Your guidance and strength to help me open my heart and embrace the path of forgiveness.

Lord, please grant me the grace to forgive my father, to let go of the hurt and resentment that has held me back. Enlighten me with Your wisdom and understanding, so I can see beyond the pain and find peace for myself.

I also pray for the power to persevere through this journey, the courage to face my emotions, and the strength to heal from the traumas that have affected me. Surround me with Your love and support, and help me find solace in Your presence as I work towards embracing and overcoming this cross.

Thank You for Your endless grace and for walking with me through this challenging time. I trust in Your plan and seek comfort in Your unwavering support.

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Life has been moving so fast lately. Despite feeling like I've been drowning from what seems to be an endless number of things that need to be done, I still can't bring myself to step back and pause for a while for fear of falling behind. Knowing what my family has endured to get me where I am today and their hope for what the future has in store for me is both the rock that keeps me grounded and the cross that burdens me. The fear of being unable to return their love and sacrifice keeps me up at night.

Lord, may You grant peace and comfort to my restless mind and heart. I pray for Your guidance and companionship as I navigate through these trying times. May You constantly remind me that it is for love that I am doing all of these.

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One of my crosses is that I feel like I don't know how to love romantically properly. I don't know if I'm being too much, if I'm being too suffocating and if my partner is becoming sick of me. It mostly stems from a lack of self-esteem that pushes me to do so much but maybe I'm putting so much on her plate and I'm just not realizing it. Or maybe I'm overthinking. Nonetheless, it's just a cycle of worries.

In the end, I just have to remember God's love for me and, when in doubt, I should just trust in myself and be ready to be confronted about it.

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As of the moment, I genuinely feel like I am in a bad place when it comes to my academics and opening up to the people around me. With the quick pace of the semester with back to back assessments, outputs, and groupworks, I find it difficult to pause to breathe for a moment. Although this semester has the least units in my curriculum, I still really feel overwhelmed and sometimes I wonder if its even valid to feel this way especially since I see others who have much more work on their plate. I also feel pressured since my major subjects would be the ones covered by the board exams in the near future. Moreover, I feel anxious most of the time but I get scared to reach out to others and talk to them about my predicament as I am afraid of becoming a burden to them.

For now, I hope that the Lord hears my prayers each night and gives me the strength, courage, and motivation to keep my ahead above water as I face the challenge of the crosses I bear. I pray for guidance and healing and call for His help in strengthening both my heart and mind to keep on going despite the hurdles and hardships I wish to overcome especially this semester. Lastly, may God also guide the people who stand as my pillars of support and hope as they also experience having their own crosses, and may He help me to become a beacon of hope for others as well.

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It has been a challenging time for me lately because of my anxiety and being over-conscious. For a long time, I have had a broken relationship with my father because he chose his second family over ours. It is hard to extend forgiveness and love when I feel abandoned and deprived from the fatherly love. This has been a heavy burden for me and I do not know how to respond with the situation. I am aware that I have to exemplify Jesus - that is, forgiving him - but I can't find the peace and strength to do so.

Adding to this, my academic stress has been heightened and caused me insomnia every night. I tend to overthink my work, want to satisfy my family with my accomplishments, and compare myself with the achievements of my peers. While I want to rest, the constant thoughts of my tasks bug me that continues to linger. I ask for guidance, peace, and wisdom as I explore through my studies and future.

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The crosses I am carrying right now include the pressure to excel academically, the burnout I feel in my role as an officer in my orgs, and the struggle to stay connected in my friendships. I also feel a growing detachment from my parents and the weight of worrying about my future and finding the right people to surround myself with. All of this leads to a sense of helplessness, stress, and a lack of motivation.

The grace I wish to receive from the Lord is the ability to be more prayerful and focused. I need the strength to quiet my mind, regain concentration, and break free from this unending cycle of exhaustion that keeps me from feeling at peace.

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I pray that I may find the strength to be my best self. I want to make more out of my college life. I recently realized that I was not at all satisfied with the way my college life was, so I told myself I wanted to socialize more with my peers. But, I still find it difficult to do so. I find making meaningful connections is so difficult, much more than when I was younger. It feels as if I am already a third year but nothing has happened that can make me confidently say that I will miss college life when I graduate. In fact, it makes me scared that once I graduate, I will just be even more lost than I already am. But, I also want to be comfortable with being alone, as I know that surrounding yourself with people is not the solution to everything.

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I don't know how many crosses I carry, maybe it's just one but it sure is heavy. Recently, the things I am passionate about have been a source of my stress. I find myself way in my head. I barely have time to actually rest. My leisure has turned into work.

I am lost. And I don't know what to do or what to ask of God. I doubt myself and everything and I think I just want to ask for guidance.

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Dear Lord,

I come before You today with a humble heart, acknowledging the crosses I carry even though they may seem small compared to others. As a young person, I sometimes doubt whether I have the right to feel burdened by my struggles, but You remind me that each challenge is part of my journey toward growth. Thank You for being with me, even when I feel stressed, overwhelmed, or lonely in dealing with my academics and relationships.

I praise You, Lord, for the strength You’ve given me so far. I know that these challenges are shaping me into a more resilient person, and for that, I am grateful. I see Your hand guiding me, even when the path seems unclear, and I trust that You are always with me, helping me grow.

Please grant me the grace to embrace my struggles with patience and faith. Give me the wisdom to see beyond my difficulties, the courage to keep moving forward, and the peace to trust in Your plan. Help me to lean on You when I feel weak, and remind me that You are always my strength.

Thank You, Lord, for Your constant love and for the hope You place in my heart. Help me to carry my cross with grace, knowing that You walk beside me every step of the way.

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Recently, I have been really struggling, and it feels like I’m carrying all my crosses at once. But I know that I need to let You help me with some of the burdens I’m carrying. I really hope that things get better. Please help me face all my struggles right now and find a way through them and figure things out. You’ve been with me from the very beginning, and I pray that You continue to guide me. I know things will improve, even if it sometimes feels like it’s taking too long. Please grant me the patience I need and let me lean on You with all my heart.

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I am in the process of navigating my relationship with my father after he started acting in a way that felt disrespectful to the memory of my mother, not very long after she passed. To him, he is entitled to his own happiness, and I cannot begrudge him that, but I also cannot make peace with him doing what he did barely half a year after her passing. There were (and sometimes continue to be) times where I doubt that he will ever be redeemable to me, or instances where I can feel the time it will take for me to fully forgive stretch longer than I initially thought. I pray for the strength to continue in my wading through these rough waters.

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Honestly, I am not sure of which crosses I wish to 'entrust to the Lord', because I am not sure of what that means. However, what I do know, is the reasons behind each cross I bear. I bear each cross for others, for myself, for God, for the sake of goodness, etc. In that sense, perhaps that is what is meant by "entrusting to the Lord": that is, understanding whom the cross is for, and to ensure that the crosses that are born are for the sake of a brighter future.

I see God as a call for a future. I do not know what that future will be, I only know glimpses. I do not even know if I will reach that future. But even so, even if the end of my story was decided even before I began, I still must take the journey: for a future that I may never see. So, above all else, what I need from God is hope: that a brighter future exists somewhere, that there is an end to the storm, that the end of the journey will be a place of rest. More importantly, I need hope that I can aid in that future in some small way, either through my work, or through my creations: much like how other creations inspired me to continue. As long as I have that, it would be enough.

May I do what must be done, not just because I wish it, but because it is necessary.

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I have been so used to just moving up another grade after each school year. Now that every day gets me nearer to finishing college, I feel conflicted, lost, and confused about what steps to take after graduation. There is no more grade level to move up to, unlike when I was in elementary moving up to high school. There's no more structure to follow. I am faced with the uncertainty of my future, with the struggle to identify what it is I want to pursue and who it is I want to become. I feel stuck at this point in my life, not wanting to be drawn back or left behind but also not knowing how to move forward (and being afraid to do so). I pray that God bless me with courage and wisdom, allowing me to make sense of my circumstances and consequently make the right reflections and decisions moving forward.

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Currently in my junior year when I just realized that I feel behind my batchmates in terms of their achievements and experiences that would definitely benefit them after graduation. I tried joining an org where it currently challenges my time for myself and other things that I really wanted to do. However, as I remember that I have to be in par with other's progress, I would sacrifice some of my time for a potentially better outcome. I come to the Lord to guide me in this journey of becoming better for myself and lessen the worries and comparison I make between myself and others. Whatever my future will be, I know that God would remember how I did my best efforts to reach where I would want to be..

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Within the past months, I’ve been feeling more and more distant from the people I consider close to. I’m not sure if they also consider me as a “close person.” Is it because I’m not doing enough? Is it because I’m not desirable as someone to accompany? All these thoughts form in my mind and it hinders me from looking at the positive side of things. Aside from that, I find it difficult to control my anger issues.

I offer this prayer for me and those who wish to surrender their anger to God’s graces and for those who feel alone. Heavenly Father, I come before You with a heart burdened by anger. I confess that at times, I have allowed my anger to control me and lead me away from Your path. Today, I surrender my anger to You. Help me discern righteous anger from unrighteous anger, and give me the strength to respond with love and grace. Lord, Help Me Cling to Your Promises and Comfort Lord, because I expect you to will fulfill your promises in my life, I know I can be at peace. I know that these feelings of loneliness drive me to you which brings peace in a way I can't understand.

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I experienced a huge setback during my midterms despite preparing a lot for it. This discouraged me and made me rethink if I truly belong to this school. However, I still have the drive to keep moving forward. I pray that through the hardships that I will continue to encounter, the Lord will guide me and stay by my side to grant me courage to never stop believing in myself.

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For the past few months, I’ve been struggling to keep my will alive, to even look forward to tomorrow. The burden I’ve carried for the past two years is becoming harder to bear. I feel like I’m not enough, and I don’t know what my future holds, especially since I don’t have the freedom to choose my own career. This lack of control only adds to my frustration and anxiety. On top of that, there’s my father, whose infidelity has shattered our family. I still carry a grudge, and I can’t find peace because his selfishness broke everything apart—not just for me, but for my brother as well. My brother was my only best friend and someone who always fought for me in our family. He was vocal about being supportive and loved being cared for by me, but I can’t comprehend that he has now given up on life. The person he once looked up to, our father, broke his desire to be with us in the future. My brother felt the burden of being the father when ours left us temporarily, and that weight crushed his spirit over several months.

Which is why here I am, asking you, Lord, for guidance with these struggles that have been drowning me and making me feel like I’m suffocating. I thank you for the strength you’ve given me over the past years, for allowing me to yearn for my brother while still holding on to my own dear life. I humbly ask for your love and guidance to help me find my path again and free me from these feelings of not being enough, the fear of my own future, and the grudge I hold against my father. Even though I don’t condone his actions, I want to be free from the anger that is only weighing me down further, dragging me closer to rock bottom and I want my brother to finally rest in peace without him having to worry about me which is why I am letting go of this anger for myself.

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One of the crosses I carry would be the uncertainty of what is ahead for me. For years my family have already written down what I am supposed to do, and I am unsure if I want what they have prepared for me. I remain hopeful despite these tough times, but I can not help but wonder if I will really not be able to live a life I want for myself. I pray that I find the clarity and courage to do and act what He would want for me.

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At this point in my life, I am currently unsure where my path will lead me. Sometimes the weight of uncertainty can take a toll on my mental health but I still make sure to take things slow and to find comfort in the Lord. In the end, I always choose to be grateful for God's grace and guidance. I pray and trust that His plans for me will guide me to consolation and to bring about the future that He plans for me.

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To do so much yet not enough. To be someone new when I yearn for who I was. To love despite it all.

This college, I have tried to navigate the sides of myself that I have yet to discover. But why do I find myself asking, “what would old me do”? I’m evolving and that’s who I want yet at the same time I miss her. I miss me. The stress, the grind, the achievement of it all. And so I take a step back, and now it’s as if I have wasted my years. Now I try to go back but given my environment, I am no longer at the top of my game. To this I wonder why? I am finally in an environment that isn’t as taxing. At least, as compared to the one I was in for 12 years of my life. I can finally manage my time. But how can I when all my life I was taught to cram and manage high-stress levels? Do I fail to pace myself because I don’t know how or because it feels familiar? Not only that, but life happens despite it all. It stops for nothing, even when I already have several crosses to carry.

To this I am here, and I pray to the Lord to give me strength. To give me courage. But most of all, to give me love. So that I can be just like Him. To be the love I adore in all my friends and family. To do everything in love and to do everything for love. To love despite it all. To appreciate, to forgive, to give grace, and to be kind just as He is. Because at the end of the day, I want to be grateful to be experiencing the gift that is life—and that’s tied with everything that comes with it.