4th Sunday of Lent 18th March 2007

4th Sunday of Lent 18th March 2007

Priest: Lord God, our light and our salvation,
help us to speak to others
of our joy and consolation in your presence.
Secure in your love we pray for all our needs

Reader 1. We pray for our diocesan family; for Archbishop Vincent and bishops Philip, David and William, and for all priests, deacons, religious, and lay men and women.
May we experience afresh, through repentance and the sacrament of Reconciliation, God's mercy, grace and healing.
We pray for all those in our diocese
who will be received into the Church at Easter.
(Pause) Lord in your mercy..

2. We pray for people who are searching for meaning
and true happiness in their lives;
may we help them to discover Christ as the one
who will fulfil their needs.
(Pause) Lord in your mercy. ..

3. On this Mothering Sunday we pray for all mothers;
may they always experience joy and love from their children.
We pray for mothers and children who are separated from each other by distance, bereavement or estrangement. (Pause) Lord in your mercy...

4. We pray for the healing of relationships in our families;
and for the grace we need to forgive or to ask forgiveness. (Pause) Lord in your mercy. .

May Mary, the sorrowful Mother, who stood at the foot of the Cross, join her prayers to ours as we pray, Hail Mary...

In silence let us bring our own personal intentions to the Lord.

Priest: Father, you created us in love with the gift of free will.
Give us the grace to live in your light,
and to stay clear of illusions and self-deception.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

3rd Sunday of Lent 11th March 2007

3rd Sunday of Lent 11th March 2007

Priest: Lord God, our light and our salvation,
help us to meet you in prayer, to walk in your ways.
Knowing that you respond generously to us,
we turn to you with our needs and prayers.

Reader: 1. We pray for the Church that, through the holiness of the lives of Christians, all people may come to know
God's unconditional love for them. (Pause)
Lord in your mercy. ..

2. We pray for all law-makers throughout the world;
may they enact laws that are just
and which respect the gift of human life,
especially the rights and dignity of the unborn,
the sick and the elderly. (Pause)
Lord in your mercy...

3. We pray for the problems of people in North Staffordshire
especially for those connected with health, education, employment and social integration.
May we grow as an active and caring community. (Pause)
Lord in your mercy...

4. We pray for this parish community;
may Lent give us the opportunity to choose a simpler life-style, based on prayer, fasting and almsgiving,
and to grow in awareness of the needs of others.
We pray for the sick and housebound of our parish,
and for all who visit and bring them Holy Communion (Pause) Lord in your mercy...

May Mary, Mother of the Church join her prayers to ours as we pray, Hail Mary...

In a moment of silent prayer let us bring our own personal intentions to the Lord.

Priest: Father, we thank you for your Son and we acknowledge him, with gratitude, as the Saviour of the world.
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen

2nd Sunday of Lent 4th March 2007

2nd Sunday of Lent 4th March 2007

Priest: Lord God, our light and our salvation,
we thank you for the desire that you have planted in our hearts, our yearning to see your face.
With trust and confidence we come before you in prayer.

Reader: 1. May the glory of Christ proclaimed by the Church be a constant source of wonder and joy for the whole world.
We pray for our diocesan family; for Archbishop Vincent and bishops Philip, David and William, and for all priests, deacons, religious, and lay men and women.
May we catch a glimpse of the glory of God in each other.
(Pause) Lord, in your mercy. ..

2. We pray for all the children of Abraham, for Jews, Christians and Muslims; that we may all recognise our common belief in the one God, treat each other with dignity and respect, and seek ways to work together.
(Pause) Lord, in your mercy. ..

3. We pray for the needy and hungry of the world,
and for the development and relief work of CAFOD.
May the Friday Fast Day serve to remind us of the call to live more simply and put our faith into action.
(Pause) Lord, in your mercy. ..

4. For ourselves that, by prayer, fasting and almsgiving,
and by living more simply,
we may build up our homes as holy places.
(Pause) Lord in your mercy...

May Mary, who was always responsive to the Word of God, join her prayers to ours as we pray, Hail Mary.. .

In silence, let us bring our own personal intentions to the Lord.

Priest: Father, enable us to see, as Abraham did,
the wonder of your promise.
Give us the courage to take the paths which lead to eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.