BIDDING PRAYERS
PRIEST
We are called as Christians to proclaim the reconciling power of Christ’s death by which we become one with God our Father and with one another. We make our prayers to the Lord for all the graces necessary for our Christian mission.
READER
We pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, our Bishop, Declan, and all priests: may they experience an ever deeper concern for those people in the world who have no faith. We think of those especially who long for God yet fail to recognise what is missing in their lives. Lord hear us.
Let us pray for all those engaged in the work of reconciliation, especially with regard to the world’s trouble spots: may they be given the spiritual energy to persevere in their work even when there is little visible reward for their efforts. Lord hear us.
For those who find themselves unable or unwilling to forgive those who have wronged them: may they come to realise that forgiveness brings them closer to Christ’s reconciling work and that bitterness of spirit is a destructive force in human life. Lord hear us.
We pray for Christians everywhere: may they respond to their vocation as part of the kingdom of priestly people whose special calling is to reconcile all people to God the father through the death and resurrection of Christ his Son. Lord hear us.
We pray with Mary, who gave the world the gift of the Good Shepherd, as we say together: Hail Mary … etc.
In silence, we pray to God our Father for our own personal needs.
PRIEST
God our Father, may the prayers we have made, reconcile us to you and to each other. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A