I've been saying, "He's coming, He's coming, He's coming" for the past month, every time I start feeling blue. Now I can say, "He has come! The Lord Jesus has come once again in His threefold manner. Let the Christmas season begin!"

It's been a strange year. A lot of sorrow, a lot of joy. I feel like 2005 shook me to my core. My family and I are so blessed by God, even the ones who don't know it. My heart aches for the world, for the suffering of all of us, for our losses, for our despair. We are a mess of pottage, we human beings holding on to what we can in this world where fear threatens to overcome hope.

But the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness could not overcome It.

Deo gratias, Deo gratias, Deo gratias. Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.

Whatever our thoughts about the war in Iraq, we should all pray for the Iraqi elections today, that God would console, enlighten and unify all Iraqi citizens of good will, that they might put aside fears, rivalries and contentions for the sake of electing a government that will serve the needs of all the people of Iraq.

And while we are at it, we should make that same prayer for our own country(ies).

Come, Holy Spirit,
Fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.

Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created.

And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.

Delawareans & non-Delawareans alike: join us in asking the Lord to intercede before the Throne to help keep destructive embryonic research out of Delaware.

Eight Days of Prayer. Why not a novena? Because this is an action in intercessory prayer for Catholic and non-Catholic Christians alike.

Dear Friends,

We are writing to inform you about an important campaign called "A Rose and a Prayer" taking place here in our state of Delaware to stop Senate Bill 80 (SB 80). The state legislature is set to vote on this bill on January 12, 2006. SB 80, if passed, will legalize the destruction of human embryos and the creation of human clones for medical research. This campaign is aimed at mobilizing the faith community here in Delaware to: 1) Pray, 2) Send a Rose (to your rep), and 3) Call (your rep). Our goal is that each rep will get hundreds of roses and calls from constituents.

This is an important bill because, if passed, it will serve as "model legislation" for other state legislatures around the country, allowing the creation and destruction of human embryos for medical purposes all across the country. Conversely, if it is defeated, in part due to this campaign, A Rose and a Prayer will become a model that can be used to make sure such legislation is not passed elsewhere. Thus, it is important that we as people of faith let our voice be heard regarding this very important issue.

Part of the campaign is to have 8 days of continuous, 24-hour-per-day prayer between January 4 and January 12. So what are we asking of you? We are asking that you will prayerfully consider joining with us in this effort to stop SB 80. It would consist of committing to selecting an hour period to pray that SB 80 will not be passed. In addition to praying, we are asking that you register at http://www.aroseandaprayer.org . By registering, the campaign will send your representative a red rose on your behalf. These will be sent at no charge to you (or you can give a $2 donation to offset this cost). Lastly, we are asking that you call your representative and tell them to vote NO with regard to SB 80. Contact information for your representative can be found on the website. Also on this website is a flyer, which can be printed and distributed to others.

In addition, we would love for some of you to join us as Day Captains as we are looking to grow this effort exponentially. We need a few committed people to help get the word out amongst the various local churches and other faith communities. If you would like additional information please contact me at ellen@aroseandaprayer.org. If you would like a poster as a reminder for your church, they can be sent to you free of charge by contacting Ellen at this website.

Again, the goal is to have as many people praying and contacting their representative as possible. Thank you for your time and consideration. We appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

Ellen Barrosse