PLEASE SCAN DOWN FOR PRAYERS FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2024 – FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
CHRISTMAS DAY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2024
PRESIDER
As we rejoice with the good news of the Saviour’s birth, we bring our prayers to the Father who has worked wonders for us.
MINISTER OF THE WORD
On this Christmas morning/night we pray that the news of Christ’s birth fill our hearts with gratitude, joy and love for our Almighty Father who sent his only son to sanctify our lives and bring us salvation.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
Just as the shepherds carried the good news that a child was born who would be a Saviour for all, we pray that we too recognise our duty as Christians to also proclaim the glory of God and Christ’s message to all the world.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
We pray for all family members who through emigration, illness or other personal reasons are separated from loved ones this Christmas that God’s comforting and strengthening love will sustain them.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
We think of those in our community who have lost loved ones in the last year. May they find consolation in the goodness of the Father who sent his only Beloved Son onto this earth to show his love for us.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus we remember those, who like Mary and Joseph, are homeless this Christmas and pray for an urgent and generous response to their plight.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
As our children enjoy the wonder of Christmas day, we pray for those children who are suffering hunger, homelessness and terror in areas of conflict throughout the world. We pray that the peace of the Christ birth be theirs, their parents and neighbours in 2025.
. We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
We pray for all those present at our Mass today and for their families, and for those joining us on our webcam service, that their Christmas holiday may be a happy and peaceful one.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord, hear our prayer
We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
PRESIDER
God of Love and Prince of Peace hear our prayers and inspire us to be joyful messengers of the good news of salvation to all the world. We make these prayers through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
THE ABOVE PRAYERS ARE FOR CHRISTMAS DAY, DECEMBER 25 2024
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2024
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
PRESIDER
With joy and gladness in our hearts, we bring our prayers to the Father, who to show his love for us, sent his only Son into the world to bring the good news to the poor and heal the contrite of heart.
MINISTER OF THE WORD
In today’s Gospel we read how the pregnant Mary was greeted with joy by her cousin Elizabeth. We pray for all women who are preparing for childbirth at this time that the birth of their child be a safe and happy one for them and their families.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
We pray for the unborn. We pray Lord, that you who have given us life, enlighten the world to an awareness that all human life is sacred because it is created in your image and likeness.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
As we look forward to the joys of Christmas, let us remember those who have this year lost loved ones. We pray that Christ’s promise that they are united in love with the Father who created them is a consolation to them at this time.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
We pray that at this time of joy, we be conscious of those who are in financial distress, the poor, the homeless, and that we may, in the true Christian spirit, share with them what we ourselves are blessed to have.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
We pray that in today’s commercialization of Christmas, we ourselves do not forget the real wonder of the birth of Christ and the wonderful gift which God our Father bestowed on the world.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
We pray for the people of Sudan who are suffering from war and hunger, that that country’s rival military factions lay down their arms and follow the path of peace and harmony.
. We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
As we prepare for the birth of the Prince of Peace, we pray for an end to hostilities in Palestine and Ukraine.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord, hear our prayer
We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers.
We pray to the Lord R. Lord hear our prayer
PRESIDER
Ever loving and generous Father, we ask that you hear these prayers as we celebrate with joy your everlasting love for us. We make these prayers through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
THE ABOVE PRAYERS ARE FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22 2024
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
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We thank all those who have subscribed to date.
Prayer for Victims of Abuse in our Church
Loving Father, as members of your Church, we are deeply sorry and heartbroken by the depth of trauma inflicted on victims of crimes of psychological, physical, spiritual and sexual abuse in our communities by representatives of our Catholic faith. Lord open our hearts, minds, eyes and ears to the meaning of the ‘Body of Christ’ so that we hear the pain of those who were abused. Teach us to know how to act in genuine solidarity with all victims of abuse, their families and advocates as they strive for justice and healing.
A Prayer for Peace
Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the true King of peace.
In You alone is found freedom.
Please free our world from conflict.
Bring unity to troubled nations.
Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart.
Dispel all darkness and evil.
Protect the dignity of every human life.
Replace hatred with Your love.
Give wisdom to world leaders.
Free them from selfish ambition.
Eliminate all violence and war.
Glorious Virgin Mary,
Saint Michael the Archangel,
Every angel and saint:
Please pray for peace.
Pray for unity amongst nations.
Pray for unity amongst all people.
Pray for the most vulnerable.
Pray for those suffering.
Pray for the fearful.
Pray for those most in need.
Pray for us all.
Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, hear our prayers.
Jesus, I trust in You!
Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE EARTH (Martyn Goss, Diocese of Exeter)
God our Creator, maker and shaper of all that is, seen and unseen; You are present in the breadth and depth of the whole of creation, and in the processes that make life possible. Yet, we are distracted by the gods of the marketplace. Our lives have become fractured and fragmented. In our brokenness we disturb the Earth’s capacity to hold us, Call us back from the brink. Help us to choose love and not fear, to change ourselves and not the planet, to act justly for the sake of the vulnerable, and to make a difference today for the life tomorrow. We make this our prayer in your name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.
A Prayer for our Earth
All powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Amen. (Laudato Si’, 246)
A Prayer Before Meals
Loving God, we ask you to bless this food which comes to us through the work of many people, from the sowing of seeds in the earth, to our table here today. Help us to always care for your beautiful creation. Amen.
PRAYER FOR RACIAL HEALING
God of justice, In your wisdom you create all people in your image, without exception. Through your goodness, open our eyes to see the dignity, beauty, and worth of every human being. Open our minds to understand that all your children are brothers and sisters in the same human family. Open our hearts to repent of racist attitudes, behaviors, and speech which demean others. Open our ears to hear the cries of those wounded by racial discrimination, and their passionate appeals for change. Strengthen our resolve to make amends for past injustices and to right the wrongs of history. And fill us with courage that we might seek to heal wounds, build bridges, forgive and be forgiven, and establish peace and equality for all in our communities. We make this prayer through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
COMMUNION PRAYER
O Godhead Hid, Devoutly I Adore Thee
O Godhead hid, devoutly I adore Thee,Who truly art within the forms before me; To Thee my heart I bow with bended knee, As failing quite in contemplating Thee.
Sight, touch, and taste in Thee are each deceiv’d; The ear alone most safely is believ’d: I believe all the Son of God has spoken, Than Truth’s own word there is no truer token.
God only, on the Cross lay hid from view; But here lies hid at once the Manhood too: And I, in both professing my belief, Make the same prayer as the repentant thief.
Thy wounds, as Thomas saw, I do not see; Yet Thee confess my Lord and God to be: Make me believe Thee ever more and more; In Thee my hope, in Thee my love to store.
O thou Memorial of our Lord’s own dying! O living Bread, to mortals life supplying! Make Thou my soul henceforth on Thee to live; Ever a taste of Heavenly sweetness give.
O loving Pelican! O Jesu, Lord! Unclean I am, but cleanse me in thy blood; Of which a single drop, for sinners spilt, Can purge the entire world from all its guilt.
Jesu! whom for the present veil’d I see, What I so thirst for, oh, vouchsafe to me: That I may see thy countenance unfolding, And may be blest thy glory in beholding. Amen.
Words: St. Thomas Aquinas, 13th Century.
PRAYERS FROM POPE FRANCIS
PRAYER FOR PROTECTION FROM CORONAVIRUS
O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Our Refuge and our Hope, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.
“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God”.
In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our Mother and seek refuge under your protection.
Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes towards us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.
Mother of God and our Mother, pray for us to God, the Father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew. Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.
Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity and continued health.
Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.
Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.
Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity, that they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions inspired by farsightedness and solidarity.
Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Beloved Mother, help us realise that we are all members of one great family and to recognise the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.
Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course.
To you, who shine on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.
PRAYER FROM CHURCH OF IRELAND ARCHBISHOP MICHAEL JACKSON
Almighty and All–loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we pray to you through Christ the Healer for those who suffer from the Coronavirus Covid–19 in Ireland and across the world. We pray too for all who reach out to those who mourn the loss of each and every person who has died as a result of contracting the disease. Give wisdom to policymakers, skill to healthcare professionals and researchers, comfort to everyone in distress and a sense of calm to us all in these days of uncertainty and distress. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord who showed compassion to the outcast, acceptance to the rejected and love to those to whom no love was shown. Amen.
ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
St Alphonsus Liguori
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Blessed Sacrament,
I love You above all things and I desire You in my soul,
Since I now cannot receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart,
I embrace you and unite myself to you;
Permit not that I should ever be separated from You. Amen.
ACI Submission to Conference of Irish Bishops – 01/10/2019
I use the Prayer of the Faithful on this site very often. I find them to be very topical & relevant to people’s lives. The prayers echo, to a great extent, the Scripture Readings of the day. Sincere thanks to all concerned for this wonderful service
ACI thank you for your kind comment Tom. We think it important that, in the only part of the Mass where the laity have an input, the Prayer of the Faithful should be immediate and reflect the concerns of the community at that particular moment in time as well as relating to the overall theme of the day as dictated by the readings and gospel.
Editors
Peace and all good! Greetings from Holy Cross Catholic Church Nicosia, Cyprus. I am so delighted that I have found your site. Thank you so much! May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire you who have been given the gift to put into words what many of us find to be truly a challenge. Thank you for sharing your gift with us so that we can share them with our parishioners.
I agree with you.
I am a lay servant of liturgy in our Ten O’clock Family Mass here at Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine, Namugongo/Uganda where I find your postings of “The Prayer of theFaithful” most relevant and indeed Universal.Your posts inform our own needs and underscore our Catholicism pretty well indeed. I thank you from the heart and ask you always continue to pray for us, for conversion and repentance in the world, and all those in need.
I am one of those people who enjoy the content of the prayers, and as one of the leaders in our Small Catholic Community in Lilongwe, Malawi, we adopt them for use when our community is leading in liturgy. We will be leading in liturgy on 15 January 2017 and I will be relying on your next post, I wonder when that will be? Stay blessed and may the Holy Spirit continue to guide you.
Peter,
Thank you for your mail and we appreciate your comments. With regard to your query, as we try to reflect the “now” in our prayers, we tend to upload each Sunday’s prayers by the Friday noon prior to the Sunday.
Consequently, we expect to upload the prayers for Sunday 15th Jan by noon on Friday 13th Jan.
Thank you for delightful prayers, short but very impact full. May God continued to increase your gift .
I am from Papua New Guinea, I enjoy reading the prayer of the faithfulls.
I am planning our whole school mass for the Feast of St Brigid and I am wondering if you write prayers of the Faithful for this day?
Kelly from New Zealand
Kelly,
St Brigid is, after St Patrick, our most revered Irish saint and we will certainly be honouring her with special prayers on her Feast Day, February 1st. We will also be thinking of your school and hopefully the children will be making St Brigid crosses on the day and hanging them on the walls at home during the rest of the year.
Love these prayers of faithful all down to earth. But I work in a church and lately they are not ready on a friday before one so I do miss not having them …
Ann,
Sorry, just recently saw your comment and am only now replying. We appreciate your deadline and have set our own now to be up on site each week by 12.00 noon Fridays. We want to wait until Fridays to be as relevant as possible for the weekend Masses.
Thank you…..
I, too, look for your prayers sooner than Friday – we try to have ours ready by Thursday (with the option to update them if something happens).
Hi Fionnuala,
Our Prayer of the Faithful editor says:
“Fionnuala,
“Thank you for your comment regarding the update of our Prayers of the Faithful every week. In fact, following similar requests, we have been updating the prayers each week by 1.00pm each Thursday for at least the last six months or so. Perhaps, because our previous target was Friday, you did not notice this change.
“We are appreciative of all comments received and try as far as possible to meet the needs of those who find them helpful each week in ensuring that the voices of the non-ordained are heard in their Mass.
Regards,
Editor”
I just found this site just love the prayers of the faithful, would be good if we remember the sick as well as the departed, especially the departed Missionaries…God bless keep up the great work
I am delighted.
I am very delighted with this site because it provides an important part of the liturgy during Holy Mass. May God inspire the writer more so that Christians benefit from that gift of writing.
March 17 our 45th ann. Please share prayer of the faithful esp. we are at the Church where we got married at the Phil. We live in USA.
Thanks & God bless.
Many blessings, Lulu, on you, your spouse and your whole family. July 15th, 2019 will be our fiftieth anniversary. We live in Coleraine, Northern Ireland – but have a son, a daughter-in-law and three granddaughters, all American, in Boston. Stay warm, stay prayerful, stay safe! Sean O’Conaill
Is breá liom do phaidreacha.Is iontach an chabhair agus an spreagadh dom iad agus mé ag cur paidreacha le chéile I gcóir an Aifrinn Gaeilge i Séipéal Naomh Peadair i mBré
.Féachaim chuige go bhfuil ár n-urnaí bunaithe ar scrioptúr an lae agus ar cad atá ag tárlú sa bhaile agus ar fud an domhain .
Beannacht Dé oraibh,
Will you be posting Prayers of the Faithful for Christmas day next week?
Thank you for the query Father Paul. Our Prayers editor assures me that Christmas Day prayers will be uploaded by 6.00 p.m. on Saturday December 21st 2024 at the latest.
I don’t have any comment. But I humbly ask this favor:
Kindly send me the daily prayer of the faithful.
Thank you & Godbless!
Our Editor for Prayers of the Faithful responds as follows:
Sr Gloria, thank you for your response and your request for daily prayers of the faithful. Regretfully, we can only provide these for Sundays and Holy Days in the Church calendar. We have sought an alternative source for you but have been unable to find any site or publication offering POF on a daily basis. If any reader can enlighten us on this, we would be delighted to pass on the information.
Sr. Gloria can find this link
http://www.adelaide.catholic.org.au/our-faith/daily-intercessions
Hi in our church we ask our teenagers to do the prayers of the faithful. We have had a great response and they have been doing it now for the past 10 years or more. Its a great way to keep teenagers involved in the church. Thank you association of Catholics Ireland for your prayers each week
Love to use these prayers of faithful. But never ready on Friday morning early so I cannot use them or help out the priest and have them done the weekend for him .Pity.
Regards anne
First time I’m getting to this. Ours is a small community called St Gabriel’s Mission Station, a part of St Edmund’s Pastoral Zone Mulang, in the archdiocese of Bamenda in Cameroon. I found these prayers very suitable and easily adaptable to our context.
Thanks a lot and may the Holy Spirit continue to inspire the writers to do more.
Happy Easter!
Many thanks, Wilson. And Happy Easter to you all in St Gabriel’s Mission Station.
Let the Mercy of God locate me,my siblings, the Church all over the world, l pray oh Lord
Hello. I cannot find your old Prayer of the Faithful archive. Can you let me access it?
We do daily intercessory prayers and I would like to share them with those who might be interested. Thank you and God bless.
There is as yet no archive for our Prayers of the Faithful, but your query prompts us to look into that possibility. I will get back soon to let you know if we can soon begin archiving prayers from now on.
Thanks for suggesting this!
Sean
Many thanks, Neelar, for your query. Sean,our ‘expert’ on the website is away on vacation at the moment. I’m sure he will follow up when he returns.
In the meantime wishing you and your community God’s Blessing.
Iam Aldo From Koboko Parish Arua Dioces Uganda.The Prayers Are So Nice And Easy To Read So Please Is It Possible To Send It To My Email Every Sunday
I fear that we cannot yet do that, Aldo. Our resources are as yet too limited. We hope it isn’t too great an inconvenience to come to this prayer page.
Ar maidin mhaith Sean o Naomh Josephs i Toronto, go mbeadh an dillis agat don Domhnach Pentecost seo chugaill sa ghaeilge.
Tá áthas orainn a chlois ó léitheoir i Toronto. Go raibh maith agat as do dhea-mhianta agus táimid buíoch go dtóg tú an t-am chun teagmháil a dhéanamh linn. Go mbealaigh Dia agus an Spiorad Naomh tu féin agus do clainn uile ar an Domhnach Pentecost seo.
We are pleased to hear from a reader in Toronto. Thank you for your good wishes and we appreciate you taking the time to contact us. May God and the Holy Spirit bless you and all your family on this Pentecost Sunday.
We listen to our readers, particularly those who prepare Prayers of the Faithful in their local parish churches, and over the past few weeks, in response to requests, we have brought forward the uploading of the prayers for the following Sunday to Thursdays.
We hope to be in a position to do this each week from now on.
Thank you so much for the prayers, I find it very helpful when I have to prepare for my community here in Nadi,Fiji. Your prayers are truly meaningful and inspiring.
I thank God for identifying this Prayer of the faithful page. It will be helpful for me to always prepare my bidding prayers to read at Church.
I’m so grateful for this prayers of the faithful page,it reflects more on the gospel,and helps me prepare for mass in time,and helps me understand the gospel,thanks for helping in with your page
I have started to send the Prayers of the Faithful to our priest and he has used them – a significant improvement!
Alleluia!
Thank you so much for your prayers I live in Sydney , regularly attend mass but also like to refer and pray before retiring each night. God bless from Kathy
Thank you lectors. May God give you the strength and zeal to carry on. Sylvanus from Cameroon
Discovered your site as a “fall back” from our usual source, and found your prayers very meaningful and relevant. Will use more often in future in preparation of our prayers of the faithful at Mass. God bless you and greetings from Yorkshire!
Nice piece of prayer for our present day world
I really appreciate all who prepare for us this wonderful gift. May you be blessed more and more. Amen.
Tá Aifreann Gaeilge againn gach Domhnach in Eaglais an tSlánaitheora Naofa i mBré,agus úsáidim do phaidreacha mar chnamharlach is me ag cumadh paidreacha i nGaeilge don Aifreann sin.Go raibh maith agaibh.
Âine.
This is a very useful material. God bless you for this.
Every Sunday , we use these prayers for our English mass in South Sudan. Christ Bless
Sarjoh, thank you for your message. It is wonderful to hear that the ACI Prayers of the Faithful are being used by your community in South Sudan. May God Bless you and your community.
Noel.
First time using this site as a Lay minister I used the prayer of the faithful as a guide when preparing for service. Sometimes when time is limited. God bless, continue the great work God has started in each. Blessings from Trinidad and Tobago.
Grate effort, I am using this prayers in our Sunday mass with necessary change. Thank you
Many thanks, Jacob. Where are you based?
God Bless your work.
I love this site, which I have only just discovered, but would request that you add the Celebrant’s opening and closing prayer too!
The Prayer Page Editor responds:
”Fionnuala, thank you for taking the time to mail us. Take a look at the site now and see if we have met satisfactorily with your request.
And wishing all who weekly check in to our prayers a Holy and Happy Christmas.”
Yes, thank you! As a lay person who writes bidding prayers for use in our parish, this is a great help.
Prayers for you all this time of year. Pray for me – the veil has been lifted on the ‘global lawsuit’ and attachments, constitutionally and religiously so I’m in fully fossil fuel industry view.
It’s exactly where a social activist wants to be this time of year. You feel like an eagle landing after a successful hunt crossing river after river.
Angels, what have we done? Together, we’ll cross this river.
I always use your prayers when it’s my turn for our Sunday intersessions, and I know of others that do as well.
Always in line with the gospel and sermon.
Thank you
I am from Sri Lanka. Well I do really appreciate your Ministry. May the good Lord bless you to continue the good work you are doing for his church and for his people. Thank you once again..
God Bless you!
Noel Fernando
Parish of Loughlinstown, Co Dublin
I feel I have to write to you as I would like to thank you most sincerely for your wonderful Prayer of the Faithful link. I use it every week in our Church and I find them very inspirational and extremely helpful.
Again many thanks and God bless you all.
Kind regards,
—
Teresa Devlin
Parish Secretary
Greetings from All the way from Plainview, NY, USA. Your section of the prayer of the faithful is helpful to prepare the weekend liturgy. Thank You so much.
Thanks Tom, plz send more prayers so I can use for my Sunday prayer of the faithful in my church – like for the leaders in our country, for peace in our country, for the sick and homeless,for the Pope, bishop, priest.
I am a new convert to Catholicism and have so much to learn. When I have questions, I turn to the many Catholic websites online but I get different answers and even different quotes from verses in the Bible. I looked up the original novena which is to be said during Jesus’ ascension to Heaven and the Pentecost and each website gives different prayers to recite. How or where can I get accurate information?
Hi Diane,
Because Catholicism is a world-wide church there are variations in English language Catholic websites, while the Bible has gone through different translations into English since print was invented. My advice is to remember that the Holy Spirit is everyone’s most important teacher, and will help you reach a calm personal decision on whatever differences you encounter. So pray as you read, always, remembering that peace of mind is one of the gifts that comes with prayer to the Holy Spirit. As Pope Francis tells us the truth is a person who makes His home with us, not trapped in text on the page. Don’t suppose that you need to master all the long unfamiliar words either. Jesus speaks always in simple words, to our hearts, and the Holy Spirit will give us simple words also, as will any good Christian teacher.
You may encounter websites that try to stir up division in the church, for example by attacking Pope Francis. The Holy Spirit is also the spirit of peace and reconciliation – and that is another reason that prayer is necessary when reading on the Internet. Remember Jesus’s command always: ‘Love one another, as I have loved you.’ The Holy Spirit will be telling you the same, always.
Welcome to ACI!
Sean O’Conaill
Hi Diane,
I fully agree with Sean’s comments.
I would also suggest that you perhaps look at Richard Rohr’s website and ‘The Centre for Action and Contemplation’. You could draw on his daily reflections which are accessible by email. Many people find his words inspirational, opening up challenging topics for consideration usually based on the core teaching of Jesus and the advice to focus on imitating Our Saviour in our daily life rather than placing God on a pedestal to be adored.
I wish you every success in your journey on which I am sure, as Sean suggests, the Spirit will surely accompany you.
Your post of the prayer of the faithful helps me a lot.I use it for our liturgy here in India for our English mass.Can you please post it a week before like a Sunday before.Thanks.Good work.God bless you.
Would you please write for me the prayer of the faithful for Sunday July 14th 2019. I know your post is updated ever thursday but it is little late for me. Can u plz post it a Sunday before thanks. It helps me a lot for the Sunday English mass here in India. Thanks. Please mention for the rain. We need rain for our crops and our farmers.
From ACI’s Prayer Editor:
“Maria,
Thank you for your message which is much appreciated. In our Prayers of the Faithful each week, we try to reflect the readings of the particular Sunday or Feast Day and relate them to the message which we see Jesus sending us.
Additionally, we try to identify current concerns relating to what’s going on in people’s lives, in the Church and in the world. We try as far as possible to be immediate. To achieve this, the ultimate approach would be to prepare the prayers early on the Sunday morning or late Saturday night. As this is not practical, we set noon on the previous Thursday as our target deadline.
This appears to be the favoured approach among the various parish personnel who use our website in the preparation and printing of their prayers. We wish God’s blessings on you in your mission of proclaiming the Word.”
ACI Prayer Editor.
~
And if you truly need a special prayer related to an immediate situation, Maria, remember that the Holy Spirit is equally close to all of us all the time – so just pray directly to the Holy Spirit, who will help you put words of your own to the need that you see. If you can comment here, you can do that too!
Thank you for the prayers. They are very meaningful.We use them in Church and people like them because they are topical
Grateful to have the prayers relevant to the days readings. Will certainly adopt this in our church am from Kenya
Thank God for this site! Now I struggle less with fixing lines and intentions for prayer of the faithful in my Church!! I’m a Crossriverian
I am very grateful to the persons involved in this work as I often use this site and get guidance from it to prepare intentions for our parish in Welisara, Sri Lanka
nice
Relevant and topical, i am a deacon and I use these prayers every Sunday. I am In Jamaica
The comments here are very positive and richly deserved. These prayers are very well written, they are reading the times we live in very well and, unlike other sites, offering a response that is free of polemics and had a strong sense of what church really is. I use them in my parish all the times, having for many years written. These, however, are genuinely the prayers of a committed, engaged and well informed lay faithful. Thanks
May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire you who have been given the gift to put into words what many of us find to be truly a challenge. Thank you for sharing your gift with us so that that can share them with our parishioners.
I am very delighted with this site because it provides an important part of the liturgy during Holy Mass. May God inspire the writer more so that Christians benefit from that gift of writing. My prayers, from “HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH, Nicosia Cyprus
This is really helpful for my spiritual growth. I remember one time when mothers in our local community took the liturgy, I search for faithful prayers because I will take it on that sunday. It was really inspiring for the congregation.Thank you and may God continues to blessed you more.God bless you and now we are blessed by your gift.S.t Vincent Den Paul:Holy family parish Solomon Islands.
As per next Sunday reading LK2:22-40 Jesus is presented in the temple. However, 1st intention is based on beatitude. is it correct?
Reply from Prayers Editor
Well spotted Neil.
This Sunday is the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time. February 2nd, however, each year marks the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple. This year, both coincidentally fall on the same day and while normally the Sunday of Ordinary Time would take precedence, we have noted that in some dioceses this year the gospel readings being used are those of the Presentation, while in others it is the Beatitudes.
When we were originally devising this week’s prayers, we were using a missalette which contained the Gospel reading from Matt 5; 1 – 12, the Beatitudes.
Thanks for your input. We have now uploaded Prayers of the Faithful to cater for both approaches. Will have to rap the Holy Spirit on the knuckles for this one.
Prayers Editor
Thank you for your explanation and being kind enough to add more intentions.
Thank you so much to the writers of these prayers. It is extremely generous of you to share your gift in this way. God bless.
Thank you for your wonderful prayers. I use them all the time for my own Parish. Regards, Mike Galea from South Australia 🙂
Hi Mike, Good afternoon from here. I just come across this post and found you on the comment section. Are you a Priest?
Thank you so much for publishing these prayers. May God bless.
So inspiring
This is very useful
Great to hear Emmmanuel! Where are you based?
Prayer of the Faithful
We would like to draw to the attention of our readers of the Prayer of the Faithful section that, in our redesign of our webpage, we have installed a new log-in button in the centre of our Home Page. We apologise to all those who were unable to find this page during this redesign when it was only accessible under Resources/ Liturgy section. Normal service has now been resumed.
As a member of ACI I have a simple request :Could you please replace the word ”Celebrant ” by ”Presider ”?
The present clericalist usage of having a single celebrant named undermines the reality that
the Eucharist is a communal celebration, where ALL celebrate.
In this respect The Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland ( ACP) is ahead as it has already moved to ”Presider ” on its liturgical web page.
Language does matter. Thank you.
From our Prayers Editor
Thank you Soline, for your comment.
Point taken. Done.
Thank you very much Seán for your prompt editing.
Something we can all celebrate !:-)
Soline
Thank you so much for this. But please the headlines of the prayers should always be specify
Our Prayer Editor has responded as follows:
Ashuwa,
Thank you for your comment and suggestion that the prayers contain “headlines” and that these headlines should always be specific. We are aware that some church guidelines also suggest this.
However, as we try to reflect the gospel of the day and both the spiritual and temporal concerns of the faithful at the particular moment, we find that approach to be formulaic and restrictive. We note also that, at least here in Ireland, a similar approach is being taken in official church publications in devising the Sunday prayers.
That said, should any congregations wish to take the headline approach, we have no issue with their editing our prayers to fit within that formula.
Wow! this is great. How do I sign up for this in my mail.
This will be useful for my Outstation (St. Cecilia Catholic Church) in Ghana
God bless you all
Just file the address of this ‘Prayers’ page, Jacob – and come back every Thursday. As this is a regular web service an email version or reminder is unnecessary and would require us to maintain an email circulation list to no purpose.
Thank you for these wonderful prayers! We recently discovered this website here in Ohio, USA
Thank you for your wonderful prayers. I use them all the time for my own Parish. Regards,Rev. Elie Zouein from Saint Charbel’s Parish (Lebanese Maronite Rite ) Fredericton NB Canada
Thank you so much for the prayers. they are spiritually enriching indeed. Be blessed.
Such perfect prayers for these difficult times! All of your efforts and goodwill help the rest of us connect and hover together, so to speak, in God’s flock. Pax vobiscum.
Thanks for your prayers. They have been very inspiring. I hope I will be receiving them through my mail. Again thanks for the good work.
We are grateful for this tribute, Thomas, but don’t have the resources to compile and maintain a mailing list. The latter is in any case surplus to requirements as the Prayer Page is updated weekly, on Thursdays, and can always be found at the same address.
Thank you for these wonderful and topical prayers. I am a Deacon at St. Brendan Parish in Mexico, Mo. USA. You add thoughtfulness and contemplation to our Liturgy. God Bless
The above Act of Spiritual Communion is bad theology, misleading spirituality and unscriptural. Asking God to come into our souls denies our Christian belief, based on Sacred Scripture and ancient tradition, that He is already there, has been from the moment of our conception and will be until the moment of our death when we are invited by God to be with Him in paradise for all eternity. The act of Spiritual Communion, as with Eucharist and other sacraments, is to strengthen and deepen that awareness and draw us, support us and guide us into realising it’s implications for living our daily Christian lives
Our Prayers Editor thanks Aidan for this comment and explains:
“Aidan, you raise an interesting question, the answer to which would be totally out of my grasp of theology and hopefully some of our more knowledgeable theologians will clarify this matter. The prayer originates with St Alphonsus Liguori, one of the Church’s most distinguished theologians and we considered it safe to go along with him until he was proven to be in error. Indeed, in 1831 such was his reputation as a brilliant theologian that Pope Gregory 16th advised that in all matters of theology it was safe to follow his (Alphonsus’s) opinions. On the prayer itself, the invite is to come spiritually into the heart, not the soul as you mention. God may be in our hearts and souls already but is it not spiritually desirable that we should proclaim to Him that he is so very welcome there?”
Yes, Sean, God is in our hearts and souls already and it is spiritually desirable that we should proclaim to Him that He is so very welcome to be there. But that is different from implying that He is not there already and will arrive because of some prayer we have said or sacrament received.
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16
“For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ “ Acts 17:28
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5).
Also Luke 17:21; John 7:38, 14:3; Romans 8:10-11; 1 Corinthians 6:15-20; Galatians 2:20.
“When we pray to the Father, we are in communion with him and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Then we know and recognize him with an ever new sense of wonder. The first phrase of the Our Father is a blessing of adoration before it is a supplication. For it is the glory of God that we should recognize him as “Father,” the true God. We give him thanks for having revealed his name to us, for the gift of believing in it, and for the indwelling of his Presence in us.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church; 2781)
Whether or not God dwells in our hearts or souls is immaterial as these are figurative descriptions to explain that God dwells within us. Our Christian task is to work with the Holy Spirit to be always aware of that divine presence and in faith, adoration and loving service to others to develop a loving and lasting relationship with God present within us. Sin diminishes one’s awareness of that divine presence (and omnipresence), as grace enhances it. However, sin does not drive out the presence of God, as the Holy Spirit within us is constantly calling us to a deeper and more loving relationship and will keep calling until the day we die. Sin lessens or destroys our awareness of it. Faith is “ a deep and loving “yes” to God and to life that is inherent within each of us.” (Fr. Richard Rohr)
Sean, it shouldn’t surprise us that bishops and priests are currently saying that Act of Spiritual Communion without reflecting on its theological implications. A worse example of that unreflecting attitude is the prayer at Mass which says “…that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God…” The Catholic Church teaches that there is only one sacrifice, that of Jesus the Christ. At Mass we are identifying, through the ancient Israelite and Jewish concept of being present through remembering, with Christ’s original sacrifice, not offering a new sacrifice. So at Mass it is not “my sacrifice and yours” but our becoming present at Christ’s original sacrifice on the cross by gathering as a community to remember it and, in receiving Communion (His Real Presence), to renew and strengthen our faith (our relationship of love with God and He with us) and our awareness of being present to God and He to us, from the moment of our conception to the time of our death and reflecting on how that divine presence within us influences our faith and way of life.
Glad to see this comment, Aidan about “my sacrifice and yours”. Thank you. We also repeatedly say “we are not worthy” what a daft thing to say. We are invited, not because of worth but because we are held in love.
thank you for the topical prayers of the faithful. I came across them by chance. I am a lector in my local church in Nairobi, Kenya and I now use them every time I am scheduled for readings. many people in the church have given positive comments whenever I use them. Thank you for the great work. it has enhanced my growth, spiritually.
To the person or people who compose and publish the Prayers of The Faithful each week a sincere and huge ‘thank you’ and much appreciation. They are so topical and relevant to our daily concerns, needs and our daily life situations . They are a wonderful resource. I find them most helpful and practical.
With renewed gratitude and appreciation
i look forward to using the prayers of the faithful especially the first prayer as it relates to that particular Sunday’s readings and in certain cases insert what ever is applicable to the current situations/circumstances that is faced in our beloved country, Fiji but otherwise, good job and i must congratulate you and thank you so much for sharing on a weekly basis not only for use in Ireland but also other parts of the world.
I use the prayers of the faithful from this site often. It represents the prayers of the community and the prayers are always relevant.
Good Shepherd Parish, Andover, NJ, USA
I refer to your Prayers of the Faithful every week when I am working on my Sunday prep. They are always so relevant to what is going on in the world! Thank you for sharing!
Hello,
Hope you are well. I came across this interesting site when searching for Bidding prayers/Prayers of the Faithful in Irish (i.e. Gaelic). My local church in England is asking people to say bidding prayers in the language of their country for Pentecost (4/June — i.e. next Sun). I blithely agreed without thinking too much of it.
Of course my long distant Leaving Cert Irish is not really up to the task, so I wondered if it is something ACI can help with — either by translating this week’s prayers, or even if you have some generic examples from usual bidding prayer list as Gaeilge.
Thanks in advance if you can help.
Such wonderfully scripted, prayerful, contemporary and topical prayers. Thank you so much.
Thank you for a wonderful prayer
Good evening!
Thank you for sharing your prayers of the the faithful with all. It really helps me prepare the Prayers of the Faithful for our Parish. I could not open this site for a good 6 months and am so very glad to reconnect once again. God bless you all for sharing ! A little request could I receive them a little earlier as Tomorrow as we would be having kids do the prayers of the faithful and they would require a practice. Will truly appreciate! Thank you!
Thank you for the prayers. We find them a great resource in our parish when writing the prayers of the faithful each week being inspired and able to adapt such lovely prayers that are so kindly provided.
How can I get on your EMAIL LIST OR HOW DO i FIND THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL FOR EACH SUNDAY OR DAILY MASS. FR. JOHN J LUDVIK
Hi Rev John,
There is a prominent button for the ‘Prayer of the Faithful’ page centred on our front page, at.
http://www.acireland.ie
Just click that button to get there. You can save that URL link as well for future quicker use, as that link remains the same from week to week.
As this page is updated around midday every Thursday, anyone can access it then or later from anywhere in the world. It would not make any sense to maintain an email list of users as well, and we do not have the resources for that anyway.
Regards,
Sean O’Conaill
Your Prayers of the Faithful are absolutely amazing and worded so beautifully! They touch my heart in so many ways, and I love how they relate to the Sunday readings. Thank you for making this resource available to all, even those of us in a small town in northwest Ohio, USA. Your willingness to share these prayers with so many is truly kind and generous. May God bless you.
Thank you so much for the prayers of the faithful. They really do help me with my daily prayers. May God strengthen and bless you.