INTRODUCTORY REFLECTION
In 2005 the United Nations designated 20 December as Human Solidarity Day to promote a global effort to lift people out of poverty, hunger and disease.
Fifteen years later, Pope Francis echoed such solidarity. ‘Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travellers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all’ – Fratelli Tutti #8.
To dream of our common humanity is ever ancient and new. Israel’s prophets, from Amos to the Baptist, heralded a new world of mercy, justice and peace. In Advent we wake to dream again.
THE WEEK’S PRAYER FOCUS
We pray for all envoys in the church’s diplomatic service, that they will engage fruitfully with national governments in the cause of peace and justice for all.
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 John the Baptist we keep watch for the advent of God’s Anointed One. In peace we pray for the needs of the church and the world.
READER
1. We pray for Pope Francis. May his missionary journeys to lands near and far proclaim God’s gift of salvation for the whole human family. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
2. We pray for Christian communities around the world. May they be blessed with the happiness and peace that the apostle Paul wished for the church at Philippi. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
3. We pray for all earth’s peoples. May John the Baptist’s call to integrity, justice and generosity herald the dawn of a new human solidarity. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
4. We pray for world leaders. May this week’s International Migrants Day (18 December) urge them to address the poverty and violence that drive so many to flee their homeland. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
5. We pray for nations and corporations that profit from the world-wide trade in arms. May they invest instead in projects that promote human flourishing. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
6. We pray for all who love and care for nature. May their efforts to tackle the scourge of plastic waste keep our streams and seas healthy and life-supporting. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
7. We pray for the children who have been baptised, confirmed, made their First Holy Communion or celebrated the sacrament of reconciliation this year. May the sacraments they have received bear lasting fruit in their lives. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
8. We pray for one another at this busy time of the year. May we take time to reflect on our blessings and give thanks for them. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
9. We pray for the recently deceased . . . and for those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time. May they rejoice forever in the new and heavenly Jerusalem. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
PRESIDER
God of grace and mercy, you anointed your Son with the oil of gladness. Bless our world, we pray, with the gift of peace. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.