Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 22, 2018

Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 22, 2018

On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we come to the Father as sheep seeking guidance and sustenance in our journeys of faith.

1. For the Church, that she may be blessed with holy bishops who shepherd the people of God with faith, compassion, mercy, honesty, and humility. We pray to the Lord.
2. That world leaders may see their roles as responsibilities to care for the people entrusted to them and to protect them from the wolves and miseries that infect the earth. We pray to the Lord.
3. That bishops and pastors throughout the world whose dioceses and parishes have been torn apart by war, violence, and hatred may shepherd their people with confidence in God’s enduring love. We pray to the Lord.
4. That all people may know Jesus Christ, the stone rejected by the builders, as the cornerstone of salvation. We pray to the Lord.
5. On the fifteenth anniversary of Fr. Christopher’s arrival at St. Isabel, we pray in gratitude for his dedicated service as the faithful shepherd and pastor of all the people and visitors to the parish.  We pray to the Lord.
6. For an increase in vocations to renew the priesthood with individuals who lay down their lives in service to the church and as shepherds seeking the welfare of all people. We pray to the Lord.
7. That Fr. Christopher may not be deterred in his efforts to protect his priesthood agains the wolves who seek to attack him, his flock, and the whole church. We pray to the Lord.
8. That the spirits of those battling serious illness may be raised by compassionate care, the support of friends, and God’s grace. We pray to the Lord.
9. That those who have died may be embraced forever in the arms of the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his own. We pray to the Lord.
10. For our own intentions that we recall in silence…….. We pray to the Lord.

O God, your Son, Jesus, is the Good Shepherd who calls us each by name.  May we know him as he knows us and through that knowledge be led in our lives to accept and respond to his will for our well-being.  We make these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.