Use these ideas to explore the prayer that Jesus gave us more deeply.
Use this reflection on Laudato Si' to inspire your prayers today.
Use these ideas to explore the prayer that Jesus gave us more deeply.
Use this reflection on Laudato Si' to inspire your prayers today.
Our Father, dear Father of us all,
we have in you the best Father we could ever imagine.
You protect us and shelter us,
you see in us potential and help us to strive towards it.
You surprise us with joy.
When we wade through the waters of grief and suffering
we find you there walking beside us.
You have given us a wonderful picture of your lovea
father running to welcome home his prodigal son.
We confess we too have been prodigal.
We also have squandered our inheritance.
We have used up the earth’s precious resources
with little thought for future generations,
or for the Father whose gifts we are consuming.
Forgive us for our selfishness which has left us unsatisfied,
and help us to champion the rights of our brothers and sisters.
Surprise us with the joy that comes from living for you, hallowing your name,
through our care for the planet and all of its people.
Amen.
To enter your kingdom, dear Father,
you tell us to become like children.
Children who run and skip and dance,
children who laugh and chatter and sing,
children full of bright hope and potential,
children whose eyes are full of wonder.
We pray for the kingdom of justice and joy,
here on earth as it is in heaven,
where every little child will be cherished.
We pray for ourselves, that we may possess
those childlike qualities that are valued in your kingdom.
Renew in us a childlike sense of adventure,
that we may be willing to take risks in our thinking
and learn fresh truths from you.
Fill us with childlike joy that we can, each day,
experience more of the life of your kingdom.
Amen
For the earth:
for bluebell woods, for cliff top paths,
for sheltered bays, for country lanes,
for the dawn of day, for evening calm,
for moonlight on water, for misty mountains,
for autumn woods and winter trees,
dear Lord, we thank you.
For rainforests’ riches, for wide-open spaces,
for tropical islands, for strange rock formations,
for migrating flocks, for birds in our gardens,
for pink coral reefs and shimmering fishes,
dear Lord, we thank you.
You: the generous landlord, the architect,
the builder and the owner of the earth, our wonderful home:
have allowed us to live here as your guests.
We are ashamed that we have damaged your creation,
by taking too much and by caring too little.
Teach us to live in harmony with the planet and with all of its people.
Prompt us to repair the damage we have done.
The beauty of the earth is only matched by the beauty of Jesus.
May more and more of that beauty be seen in us
as we strive to do thy will on earth, as it is in heaven.
Amen.
Dear Lord, you have given us oceans teeming with fish;
trees, laden with fruit,
prairies thick with golden corn
wonderful bounty in a wonderful world.
We do not ask for what we already have.
Help us to pray this prayer
for those who have daily anxiety for their daily food,
who know what it is to go hungry to bed;
who long to see their children enjoy a good meal.
Come and answer this prayer through us.
Help us to demand less for ourselves.
Give us grateful and generous hearts.
Help us to demand more for our sisters and brothers.
Give us a constant hunger and thirst
to see good prevail.
Give us the grace to work for what we pray for.
Amen
When you walked this earth, dear Lord,
many people came to you to seek their healing.
Others were brought to you by friends and family.
So we take by the hand and gently lead to you
all those we are concerned about,
who are so much in need of your healing touch.
As you were moved with compassion at the sight of a leper
move us with the same compassion.
As you stretched your hand to him in love
prompt us to stretch out our hands in love.
As you brought him healing,
move us by our efforts and our generosity
to bring healing to many.
As you helped him to go back to his community,
may we help those who have been outcasts of society.
We long for the world to be delivered from poverty.
May we work with you, dear Lord, to hasten that glorious day.
Amen.
We pray for the world’s poor who live under corrupt government
whose policies keep a few in great luxury and keep the rest in poverty.
Thine is the kingdom.
We pray for the world’s poor who do not benefit
from the wealth beneath their feet
because powerful international companies
grow rich from mining, manufacturing and trade,
but do not pay fair wages or care for their workers’ welfare.
Thine is the power.
We pray for all the world’s poor
whose governments invest in grandiose building schemes;
who spend massive amounts on armaments;
who entertain dignitaries in lavish style
but whose people scavenge on rubbish tips.
Thine is the glory.
We celebrate:
the kingship that was proclaimed on the cross,
the power that was demonstrated on the cross,
the glory that shone out from the cross.
We rejoice that right at the heart of the universe is love
and that amazing love has triumphed over all that is evil.
Draw us more and more into that wonderful, all powerful, all glorious,
everlasting love.
Amen.
Patricia Spry, CAFOD supporter