BIDDING PRAYERS
PRIEST
Today, on Prisoners’ Sunday, we focus our prayers on all those whose lives are entwined with the Criminal Justice System. God of Hope and Mercy, we offer our prayers to you, knowing you receive them with love.
READER
We pray for the loved ones of those in prison, they who serve their own ‘hidden sentences’ as a result of the stigma associated with imprisonment. We pray they receive the empowerment to move beyond the bonds of social stigma and maintain positive relationships with their loved ones: (pause…) Lord hear us.
Let us pray for those who work throughout the Criminal Justice System: may they work to help create a safer society, promoting justice and mercy on the road to rehabilitation: (pause…) Lord hear us.
Let us remember victims of crime: may they receive all the help and support they need to go beyond the negative effects of what they have suffered. May we all be mindful of the impact of our actions on others. May the Lord heal us and lead us in our journey to new life and hope: (pause…) Lord hear us.
Let us pray for all who are prisoners: through reflection and understanding, may they go beyond their sentence to bring about a future free from crime. Let us follow Christ by reaching out to them in mercy, lending our support to them on their process of rehabilitation: (pause…) Lord hear us.
Let us ask Mary, Mother of God, to pray with us and for us as we say: Hail Mary… etc.
Let us pray in silence for our own intentions.
PRIEST
God our Father, we thank you for receiving our prayers and we ask you to grant what we ask. We make thee and all our prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prisoners’ Sunday