Prayers & Mediations
Reconciliation Prayer
God of compassion,
You sent Jesus to proclaim a time of mercy
reaching out to those who had no voice,
releasing those trapped by their own shame,
and welcoming those scorned by society.
Make us ambassadors of reconciliation.
Open our ears that we may listen
with respect and understanding.
Touch our lips that we may speak your words
of peace and forgiveness.
Warm our hearts that we may bring wholeness
to the broken-hearted
and dissolve the barriers of division.
Guide the work of your Church
and renew us with the Spirit of your love.
Help us and all people shape a world
where all will have a place,
where the flames of hatred are quenched,
and where all can grow together as one.
Forgive, restore and strengthen us
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
The Breath of the Almighty
Lord God, loving Creator,
You fashioned us from clay,
And breathed life into us.
We are made and loved by you.
The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty has given me life.
Heavenly Father,
Your Spirit fills us with hope
And lights the path to fullness of life.
Hear us!
As we cry out to you, uncertain and afraid.
The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty has given me life.
In your mercy, Lord,
Grant us the strength to rebuild
When all seems lost.
And the courage to reach out
To those in pain.
The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty has given me life.
Linda Jones/CAFOD
The Newman Prayer
May Christ support us all the day long,Til the shades lengthen,
and the evening comes,
And the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
And our work is done!
Then, with mercy, may God give us
Safe lodging, a holy rest,
and peace at the last!
The Landings Prayer
Merciful God, let us welcome
our sisters and brothers
with the loving arms of Christ.
May we provide a safe Landings place
for our returnees, as we listen
to their spiritual journeys
with openness and compassion.
Through our ministry of hospitality
may they once more call
our Church their home. Amen
We Cry Out to You
God of all,
we cry out to you for help.
In your mercy, hear our prayer.
Protect us, Lord, and be with us
especially those of us most vulnerable
during this coronavirus crisis.
Move us to reach out in love
to our neighbours near and far.
So that the humble may be exalted,
the hungry filled with good things.
Grant us the courage
not to rush back to our old ways,
but to rebuild our world together,
creating foundations of justice,
with equality and peace for all.
Amen.
Catherine Gorman/CAFOD
Your Loving Care
Lord Jesus,
when you walked with us on earth
you spread your healing power.
We place in your loving care
all who are affected by Coronavirus.
Keep us strong in faith, hope and love.
Bring relief to our sick,
console our bereaved,
protect those who care for us.
We lift our prayer to you Lord,
and trust in your infinite mercy,
as we wait for the daybreak.
Amen.
Prayer for Uncertain Times
Lord Jesus Christ, light of this world,
thank you for the hope you have given us.
Help us to give our worries to you and, above all,
to trust in your unfailing love.
For you have promised us,
“Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
Almighty God, our protector, let us trust in you
to carry us through this time of uncertainty.
Jesus, hear our cries as we mourn those who’ve left us.
Whatever tomorrow may bring,
we will praise your name. Amen.
Sasha Breakenridge, CAFOD volunteer
Pope Francis’s First Prayer to Mary
O Mary,
You shine continuously on our journey
as a sign of salvation and hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who, at the foot of the cross,
were united with Jesus’ suffering,
and persevered in your faith.
“Protectress of the Roman people”,
you know our needs,
and we know that you will provide,
so that, as at Cana in Galilee,
joy and celebration may return
after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform ourselves to the will of the Father
and to do what Jesus tells us.
For he took upon himself our suffering,
and burdened himself with our sorrows
to bring us, through the cross,
to the joy of the Resurrection.
Amen.
We fly to your protection,
O Holy Mother of God;
Do not despise our petitions
in our necessities,
but deliver us always
from every danger,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.
God’s Healing Hand
To our brothers and sisters who have contracted
and are suffering due to the Coronavirus Disease,
we pray that God’s healing hand may rest upon you.
To medical doctors, nurses and the supporting staff
who are in the frontline of the fight against COVID-19,
may the Good Lord sustain you and inspire you
to render your life-saving services with due care,
love and compassion.
To all those who have lost their loved ones
due to the Coronavirus outbreak,
we convey our deepest sympathies.
We pray that their souls, through God’s mercy,
may rest in eternal peace.
We pray that God may grant all bereaved families his consolation and strengthen their faith and hope
in Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord.
Amen.
Prayer adapted from the 2020 Easter Message of the Catholic Bishops of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Pope Francis’s Second Prayer to Mary
“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
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 realize that we are all members of one great family
and to recognize 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.
Prayers From “Believe? Tell Me Why:
Conversations With Those Who Have Left the Church”
by Jose A. Pagola
Learn to Trust
Lord, may I never stop seeking you. May I always seek your face passionately. Give me the strength to seek you. You, who have made me find you And have given me the hope Of always finding you a little more. Lord, my God, grant me To always remember you To know you and love you.Believe in Spite of Your Doubts
Did you not hear his silent steps? He comes, comes, he always comes, At every moment and in every age, Every day and every night In the fragrant days of sunlit April In the somber darkness of the rains in the nights of July He comes, comes, he always comes.By one fallen away from the faith
No human being goes so far away from you
That he cannot find you again.
When someone comes to you,
It matters not at what age or day,
Or his human condition.
If he comes to you with a sincere heart
He will discover your Love
As a fountain of unchangeable newness.
God suffers with us
My candles burnt out At the foot of the crucifix. In the street there was a poor man, His shoes worn out. So I came back to pray Before the wooden figure of Christ. I couldn’t pray, Lord, to your Love In flesh and bone.God desires your welfare
What will become of me without you? Harassed by anxieties and fears I would feel lost in a vast world. I would not know what to love. The future would be a dark abyss: And with a heart filled with sorrow With whom could I share my anxiety?Is God a “Trinity”?
God of infinite tenderness,
Hold me with both your hands:
Your Son and your Holy Spirit.
May your Son unite me to you closely.
May your Holy Spirit mould me
In the image of Jesus Christ.
Holy Father, hold me in both your hands
And place a kiss on my forehead.