INTRODUCTORY REFLECTION
‘Living trinitarian faith means living God’s life: living from and for God, from and for others. . . . living as Jesus Christ lived: preaching the Gospel; relying totally on God; offering healing and reconciliation; rejecting laws, customs, conventions that place persons beneath rules; resisting temptation; praying constantly; eating with modern-day lepers and other outcasts; embracing the enemy and the sinner; dying for the sake of the Gospel if it is God’s will . . . living according to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit: training the eyes of the heart on God’s face and name proclaimed before us in the economy; responding to God in faith, hope and love; eventually becoming unrestrictedly united with God.’(Catherine LaCugna, God for Us. San Francisco: Harper, 1991, 400-01)
THE WEEK’S PRAYER FOCUS
For all God-seekers, that they will dare to explore the divine mystery and let themselves be loved without limit.
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, welcomed into the heart of our loving God, one yet three, let us pray for the whole human family to find joy in the divine mystery revealed to us.
READER
We pray for Pope Leo and all bishops and church ministers, that they will be impelled by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the saving truth of the gospel without fail. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray for the world-wide church, that the Holy Spirit will continue to raise up visionary leaders with diverse charisms to found new communities. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray for all dwellers on earth, that their hearts will be open to see God’s Spirit at play in the wonder of creation. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray for refugees in every land, that World Refugee Week will renew their hope of ‘Finding Freedom’ and contributing to ‘Diversity in Community’. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray for minority Christian communities in the many different nations of Asia, that with patience and perseverance they will hold fast to their hope of God’s glory. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray for people living in the community while troubled with serious mental health issues, that they will be given and will accept the ongoing support and supervision they need for safety’s sake. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray for the frail aged who are vulnerable to elder abuse, that they will have trustworthy relatives and friends to protect them from exploitation. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray for all who love the world of books, whether as writers, publishers, booksellers, librarians, teachers or parents, that they will inspire the young to explore its riches. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray for those who have died recently . . . , and those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time, that the mystery of the Triune God will be fully revealed to them in the kingdom of heaven. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
PRESIDER
Holy God – Eternal Father, Only-begotten Son, and Spirit of Love – we praise and bless you for your goodness. Draw us ever more deeply into the mystery of your being. We ask this through Christ our Lord.