Prayerful Concerns of Our Parish Community: 2nd Sunday of Easter

Each week, we’ll share the Prayers of the Faithful from the weekend. You may find this a helpful way to guide your own reflections and prayers. Below you’ll find the Prayers of the Faithful from 2nd Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday.
On this second Sunday of Easter, we are asked to reflect on the mercy of God. Trusting in that mercy, we pray:

That our parish and the Church reflect and embody God’s mercy in the way we treat one another and welcome people, especially those who may well have not always been welcome in churches: the poor, strangers, those with mental or physical struggles, those with troubled families, the divorced, members of the LGBTQ community. We pray to the Lord.

As the trees leaf out and the flowers begin to bloom, God, stir our hearts to action to protect this earth and halt dangerous climate change. Show us what we can do as people and a parish to make a difference. We pray to the Lord.

Jesus was known as a healer. We pray for all in need of healing today – physical healing, spiritual and psychological healing, for protection of those who are fragile in any way and those yet to be born. We pray to the Lord.

We pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in choosing women and men to serve our parish as members of the Pastoral Council and Finance Council. For good people to step forward willing to serve, and for all the baptized that we embrace the blessings and the responsibility that baptism gives us. We pray to the Lord.

Like Thomas, may we be willing to ask questions and grow in faith. We pray to the Lord.

We pray today that those who have died may live in the fullness of God’s mercy. At this liturgy we especially remember:
4:30 PM: Dominic Aceto
7:00 AM: The People of the Parish both Living and Deceased
8:00 AM: Nellie and Paul Vaughan, Sr.
9:00 AM: Alanna O’ Connell
10:00 AM: Richard Joseph Patrick Bouchard
5:00 PM: Richard Kress
We pray to the Lord.

Easter is not a day, but a life. God of mercy, hear these prayers, let our hearts receive your love that we might carry on Jesus’ mission of mercy and acceptance in this world. We make these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.