PRAYER INTENTIONS:  

January 29, 2023 / 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

For Christians everywhere to be empowered and transformed by the teachings of the Beatitudes, we pray to the Lord.

For world leaders, for wisdom, courage and perseverance in all of their good efforts, we pray to the Lord.

For peace and justice in the world and in our societies, we pray to the Lord.

For those who find themselves sick, forgotten or without hope, that the light of Christ may uphold them in their struggles, we pray to the Lord.

For those who have died, that they may find themselves embraced by the eternal love of God, we pray to the Lord.

PRAYERS FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD

Loving Father,

We bring to you the suffering of our world today.

Look kindly upon every person living in fear, suffering persecution, or facing death.

Help us to remember that you are the Father of all of your children on earth.

Fill each heart with an unwavering trust in your Fatherly love.

Forgive us when we have not cared for our earth, the home you have given.

Forgive us when we chose the path of selfishness rather than the path of Love.

Forgive us when we forgot to live as brothers and sisters on this earth,

the way you have shown in fellowship with your disciples.

Look upon us with your compassion,

the way you looked upon the world from the cross.

Remember not the evil we have done,

but see the depth of our repentance.

Give peace to the world,

help us to live anew.

Send your Spirit to guide each our step,

to build rather than to destroy,

to love rather than to hate,

to live rather than to die.

In Jesus’ name,

through the victory of his resurrection,

we pray.

Amen.

©Living with Christ/Novalis Publishing

God of infinite mercy and goodness, with grateful hearts we pray to you today for Peace. You offer us your peace continually (Jn.14:27) and constantly remind us that peacemakers are blessed, “for they shall be called children of God” (Mt.5:9). May your voice resound in the hearts of all, as you call us to follow the path of reconciliation and peace, and to be merciful as you are merciful.

We pray to you for the people of the Ukraine who are experiencing conflicts and deaths. Bless the leaders with wisdom, vision and perseverance needed to build together a world of justice and solidarity, and to break down walls of hostility and division.

To you we entrust all families and pray that they may never yield to discouragement and despair, but become heralds of new hope to one another in this challenging time.

May you continue to inspire all of us to oneness of heart and mind, to work generously for the common good, to respect the dignity of every person and the fundamental rights which have their origin in the image and likeness of God impressed upon every human being.

Grant eternal rest to the dead and quick recovery to the wounded, we pray through Christ our Lord, Amen!

Prayer adapted from: Pope JPII’s Prayer for Peace, shared by St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Catholic Church, Calgary. ©Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary. Used with permission.

Lord God,
No one is a stranger to you
And no one is ever far from your loving care.
In your kindness, watch over refugees and victims of war,
Those separated from their loved ones,
Young people who are lost,
And those who have left home or who have run away from home.
Bring them back safely to the place where they long to be,
And help us always to show your kindness
to strangers and to all in need. Amen.

PRAYERS DURING COVID-19

This special Mass can be celebrated to ask God to bring an end to the covid-19 pandemic. Full details:  Decree  - Votive Mass 

PRAYER FOR THE SICK

Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and Healer of the sick, we turn to you in this time of illness.

O dearest comforter of the troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with your gentle love, and grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden.

Dear God, we place our worries in your hands.

We place our sick under your care and humbly ask that you restore your servant to health again.

Above all, grant us the grace to acknowledge your will and know that whatever you do, you do for the love of us. Amen.

(Thanks to our friends at CARFLEO for sharing this prayer with us.)

PRAYER FOR ANXIETY

Today, I pray For all those who suffer from anxiety in the midst of this exceptional situation we are going through.

May they get comfort, Lord, both in your unlimited Love and in the community.

Holy Spirit, be our light so that we keep faith in the heart of our daily lives and in that way, we may transform fear into hope. Amen.

(Thanks to our colleagues at Prions en Eglise for sharing this prayer.)

PRAYER FROM POPE FRANCIS FOR PROTECTION

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, Salvation of the Roman People, 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.

PRAYER DURING PANDEMIC

They cried to the Lord in their trouble,

And he saved them from their distress;

He sent out his word and healed them,

And delivered them from destruction.

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

For his wonderful works to humankind.

Psalm 107:19-21

Lord God,

I pray for all who have become sick or died by the coronavirus that has been spreading throughout the world.

In your mercy and compassion, deliver us from this disease,

In your holy wisdom, guide all who are working to contain the outbreak,

In your steadfast love, bring healing to all your children who have fallen sick,

Welcome into your arms the ones that died,

Comfort the ones they left behind.

In faith, I place my trust in you.

In hope, I turn to you in my time of need.

In love, I give glory to your name.

In gratitude, I will praise you with my life.

In your Son’s name I pray.

Amen.

Pope Francis' Monthly Prayer Intention: Visit the Apostleship of Prayer website