INTRODUCTORY REFLECTION
To forget or not to forget is today’s question.
In God’s name Isaiah says, ‘No need to recall the past. . . See, I am doing a new deed.’ Moses, on the other hand, warned the people of old, ‘Do not forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ (Dt 8:14).
Paul says he counted everything he once valued as rubbish after being ‘captured’ by Christ Jesus, but in fact he saw his Jewish heritage as fulfilled in Christ, not repudiated.
False remembering – nostalgia – locks us into the past. True remembering unstops the wellspring of gratitude, energises us for the present and frees us for the ever-new future into which God continually invites us.
THE WEEK’S PRAYER FOCUS
For the followers of Christ, that they will truly make their own ‘the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time’.
SAMPLE INTERCESSIONS
These intercessions are offered for selected use at Sunday Mass in the parish alongside those that express local needs and concerns.
PRESIDER
Dear friends, with Paul we are blessed to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. In faith let us pray for a new heaven and a new earth.
READER
We pray for Pope Francis, that his steadfast endeavours in the cause of world peace and church reform will bear timely fruit. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for an end to war in every arena of conflict around the world, that the immeasurable suffering of the innocent will cease and grief give way to hope. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for everyone in a position of power and influence in the world, that they will exercise their leadership with moral integrity and for the common good. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for the First Nations peoples of the world, that their traditional wisdom will teach us all how to care for creation. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for the followers of Islam beginning Ramadan, that their month of fasting, prayer and charity will renew them in spirit and deepen their faith. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for vocational school students in the Solomon Islands, that our support for Project Compassion will help train them to deal with the impact of climate change. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for all victims of human trafficking, that they be set free from bondage and the unscrupulous agents of their exploitation be brought to justice. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for the elect preparing for baptism at the Paschal Vigil, that these last weeks of Lent will strengthen their faith in God and their love of Jesus Christ. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for the recently deceased . . . and for those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time, that they will take their place with all who been raised in Christ. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
PRESIDER
God of boundless mercy, you never cease to make all things new. Fill us with hope and the courage to trust in you. We ask this through Christ our Lord.