Prayerful Concerns of Our Parish Community – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
We share these Prayers of the Faithful from the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sept 23-24, 2023) with the hope that you find them useful in your personal reflections.
God, your Son Jesus tells us “do not be afraid, I love you, I call you by name.” Yet we do fear, that we have failed, that we are not enough, that it is not true that you love us just because we are, not as a reward for what we can do. So we come today wanting to trust, and yet with our questions.
We pray, give us the desire and openness for an experience like Ignatius: knowing your love for each of us, in our hearts. That experience turned him from a man of luke-warm faith to a man who knew Jesus loved him and wanted him. For that experience, we pray to you Lord….
Today’s Gospel tells us the last and least are loved as much as the first and best. We pray for the last and least among us today, the homeless, those driven by poverty to sell themselves, to steal or deal in drugs, those who bring up families alone, those whose lives are the object of negative judgment by society, those displaced by war, those troubled in mind, body or spirit, we pray to the Lord.
For those who hold power today that they be like the vineyard owner and give all a just wage, we pray to the Lord.
Last week the UN convened a special summit to highlight the extreme dangers of climate change and invited those leaders taking climate action seriously to speak. The US, China and India were silent. Help us, God to move our government to take action that confronts the largest corporation contributing to climate change and pollution. We pray to the Lord.
Grant us the vision to see our parish not as an institution or place we come to, but as a community of which we are all parts, all given gifts and opportunities by you to serve one another and be your face in our world. Help us to see ways in with we can “be with us” in your love. We pray to the Lord.
For the men our of parish who have joined others as a team to build the next ACTS retreat. May the Holy Spirit fill them, inspire them and guide them. For all who are serving us and inviting us into experiences of prayer and reflection. Give us the openness of heart to say “yes.” We pray to the Lord.
For our loved ones who have gone before us. May they know how deep the Lord’s love for them is. At this liturgy we pray especially for:
4:30 PM James C. Driscoll, III by Elaine D. Mullen
7:30 AM Valerie Ingalls McKague by Mom & Family
9:30 AM The People of the Parish both Living & Deceased
5:00 PM David Wallace by Michael & Elizabeth Walsh
We pray to the Lord
Lord, as we call to mind the least and the last today, we ask that you bring us in too, right in, to love and serve you with joyful obedience in the life of your world. Merciful God, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.