Petitions/Prayer of the Faithful for September 18, 2016

Ellen McHugh wrote these petitions for St. Mary's in Painesville, Ohio:

Prayer of the Faithful for September 18th, 2016

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant: As people of faith, we pray now for ourselves and for all those throughout the world in need of God’s generous mercy.

For our church leaders who give witness to Jesus who became servant of all—may the Gospel message they share influence the hearts and minds of all people to become defenders of life, agents of peace, and advocates of mercy.  We pray to the Lord. 

For all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world; that their work may reflect your will in promoting justice and peace.  We pray to the Lord. 

For our candidates and catechumens; may the grace of the Holy Spirit guide and uphold them to joyfully witness and share your gospel as children of the light.  We pray to the Lord.

For the most vulnerable among us; for the poor and the homeless, for the sick and their caregivers.  And for all of us at St. Mary— open our hearts to your Spirit that we may bear witness to your infinite love and saving grace.  We pray to the Lord.

For the beauty of the created world at harvest time:  Inspire us to manage faithfully the riches of this good earth that, in our caring, we may give witness to your sustaining love.  We pray to the Lord

And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them]. We pray to the Lord.

Let us pause now and silently offer to the Father our own particular intentions [allow for silence. . .].  We pray to the Lord.

Celebrant:  God of glory and majesty, help us to serve you faithfully as children of the light—to be for others what Jesus is for us: pardon and peace, new life and blessing. We ask this in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen. 

Petitions/Prayer of the Faithful for August 21, 2016

Ellen McHugh has written these petitions for Sunday, August 21, 2016:

Prayer of the Faithful for August 21th, 2016

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant: As people of faith, we pray now for ourselves and for all those throughout the world who are in need of God’s generous mercy.

For our church leaders and for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world—that their work may reflect your will in promoting justice and peace.  We pray to the Lord.

 

For all those suffering in regions devastated by wildfires and floods—and for the men and women who work to alleviate their suffering.  We pray to the Lord. 

For our parish ministries; for those who selflessly volunteer their time and for the people they serve.  Help each one of us to discern Your call to stewardship—may Your presence in our lives be an impetus to “cross the narrow gate” in the service of others.  We pray to the Lord.

For students and teachers beginning this new school year, that the Spirit of God may grant them the gifts of self-discipline, wisdom, and understanding.  We pray to the Lord.  

Today, as we celebrate Mary as our Patroness, may her steadfast presence always serve as a sign of hope and a source of unity and peace for all of us at St. Mary.  We pray to the Lord.

And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them]. We pray to the Lord.

With the prayers of Mary, we place our own private intentions in silence before our loving Lord.  [allow for silence. . .].  We pray to the Lord.

Celebrant:  Merciful God, through the power of your Spirit, help us to serve you with faith and fidelity, to be for others what Jesus is for us: pardon and peace, new life and blessing. We ask this in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen. 

Petitions/Prayer of the Faithful for August 14, 2016

Ellen McHugh wrote these petitions for St. Mary's church in Painesville, Ohio:

Prayer of the Faithful for August 14th, 2016

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant: As people of faith, we pray now for ourselves and for all those throughout the world who are in need of God’s generous mercy.

For the universal Church celebrating the Feast of the Assumption: We pray that Our Lady’s intercession may protect us—and all people—from division and discord, and direct our hearts into the ways of peace and justice.  We pray to the Lord. 

For those who govern our nations and make laws: for the wisdom and courage to honor the dignity of all human life from conception until death. We pray to the Lord.

That during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we recognize mercy as the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness. We pray to the Lord.

For our parish ministries; for those who selflessly volunteer their time and for the people they serve.  Help each one of us, Lord, to discern your call to stewardship—may the presence of Jesus in our lives be for us, as for Mary, an impetus to help others.  We pray to the Lord.

When our faith falters, help us to be encouraged by St. Paul’s words today, “to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,” to set aside the sin and brokenness that divides us and bring peace to our hearts, our homes, and our world. We pray to the Lord.

And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them]. We pray to the Lord.

Let us pause now and silently offer to the Father our own particular intentions [allow for silence. . .].  We pray to the Lord.

Celebrant:  Merciful God, through the power of your Spirit, help us to serve you faithfully, to be for others what Jesus is for us: pardon and peace, new life and blessing. We ask this in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen. 

Petitions/Prayer of the Faithful for August 7, 2016

Prayer of the Faithful for August 7th, 2016

19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant: As people of faith, we pray now for ourselves and for all those throughout the world who are in need of God’s generous mercy.

For our Holy Father Pope Francis—for our bishops, priests, and deacons to whom you have entrusted with much; inspire and sustain them to be faithful stewards of your will on Earth. We pray to the Lord.

For all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world; that their work may reflect your will in promoting justice and peace.  We pray to the Lord. 

For the sick and for all who suffer—for migrants and refugees and all who are in danger; that they may be relieved and protected.  We pray to the Lord.

For all those who work to end violations of human dignity, who give voice to those who go unheard, who help those who are most vulnerable.  We pray to the Lord. 

For all of us at St. Mary—and for our diocesan family: May our joyful and prayerful gathering at the Fest renew our commitment to put our faith and hope in You, to be agents of peace, defenders of life, and advocates of mercy.  We pray to the Lord.   

And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them]. We pray to the Lord.

Let us pause now and silently offer to the Father our own particular intentions [allow for silence. . .].  We pray to the Lord.

Celebrant:  Merciful God, through the power of your Spirit, help us to serve you faithfully, to be for others what Jesus is for us: pardon and peace, new life and blessing. We ask this in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen. 

Petitions/Prayer of the Faithful for July 24, 2016

I've been out of town without a computer for much of the last month and thus unable to post Ellen McHugh's weekly petitions. Here's what she has written for tomorrow's mass. 

Prayer of the Faithful for July 24th, 2016

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant: As people of faith, we pray now for ourselves and for all those throughout the world who are in need of God’s generous mercy.

For the universal Church; for Francis our pope, our bishops, priests and deacons; for all those who live the Gospel message with courage, constancy and love—strengthen them with the gifts of your Spirit. We pray to the Lord.

For world leaders and for the whole human family. May our recognition of the dignity of all mankind lead us to mutual understanding and peace. We pray to the Lord.

For the most vulnerable among us, for those who feel abandoned or hopeless; for the sick of our parish and for their caregivers; for all those who respond with compassion to the needs of those suffering. We pray to the Lord.

For a renewed commitment to our prayer lives. As we pray, open our minds and our hearts; help us to trust in you, to be open to your Spirit. We pray to the Lord.

In this coming week dedicated to Natural Family Planning, we pray for married couples and for those who serve in this ministry. May all married couples bear witness to you and may they recognize, in the gift of children, your infinite grace and blessing. We pray to the Lord.

For the gift of family; for your blessing as we gather today as one family. Strengthen our commitment to serve you. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church. We pray to the Lord.

And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them]. We pray to the Lord.

Let us pause now and silently offer to the Father our own particular intentions [allow for silence. . .]. We pray to the Lord.

Celebrant: Merciful God, through the power of your Spirit, shape us to be for others what Jesus is for us: pardon and peace, new life and blessing. We ask this in the name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

My own special petition: for mothers giving birth to babies during this hot summer. Let the babies be born healthy into loving families, and let the mothers be healthy and happy during the birthing. Let us pray to the Lord.