Q: Why did you start writing prayers and reading them to the middle school?
A: Before I read the prayers aloud in school, I had this feeling that I needed to do more for God. Thus, I thought of writing my own prayers, I would only share these prayers with my family at this time because the school year had yet to start. After the first couple of months of being in the sixth grade, I had talked to my mother about if I should say my prayers to the school each week at the Monday morning meeting. She thought that I should, so I started reading prayers every week from then on.
Q: How long have you been writing your own prayers?
A: I have been writing my own prayers since before 6th grade. It was the summer before sixth grade when I got the idea to start writing my own prayers so it has been about two and a half years since I started.
Q: What do you want the students to get out of your prayers?
A: I want the students of Saint Columbkille to feel that they should get closer to God through listening. I hope to encourage people to serve God, whether it is through going to church or helping out people who are in need.
Q: What do you hope to be when you get older?
A: When I get older, I hope to become a priest or something in the church such as a deacon or a friar. I have had this hope of joining the clergy for 3 years and I have had a sort of “calling” to the church since I was a baby.
Q: Anything else you'd like to share about yourself or your prayers?
A: When I go about making my prayers, I first think about the problems we are facing currently in the world and about what my local priest said in his homily. After thinking about those things, I will start writing the prayer. I usually first write my prayer online then print it out to correct it further. Once I have printed out my prayer, I read it to my mother and she picks up on any mistakes and fixes them on paper. Once she has made her corrections, I look them over and change some things if I don’t like how they are written. After I do that the prayer is ready to be said.
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December 13, 2021 Prayer
Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this time of joyful waiting as the birth of our Lord draws near.
Open our hearts to receive Him with peace, love and joy for Jesus is the light that we long for.
May the Lord's Blessing and Peach be upon us all this Christmas as we raise our voices and sing, "Glory to God in the highest. Christ the savior is born. Alleluia. Alleluia."
Amen.
