Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time C, August 18, 2019

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time C, August 18, 2019

Our faith can be marked by zeal and will be challenged by those who do not believe.  We come to the Father with prayers that we may be drawn out of the pit of destruction.

1. That the Church may be strong in proclaiming Jesus’ love and peace to the world amidst the divisions that exist among cultures, religions, and ideologies. We pray to the Lord.
2. That leaders of nations will defend the rights of all people, proclaim justice, negotiate with enemies, and ensure the well-being of refugees and all victims of violence. We pray to the Lord.
3. That the world will be ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit that comes down from heaven to inspire and comfort people of good will. We pray to the Lord.
4. That violence and shootings in the cities of our nation will subside through the repudiation of hatred and a renewed commitment to build communities that thrive in safety and peace. We pray to the Lord.
5. That families divided by rejection of faith may find healing and renewal through mutual respect and the gift of God’s grace. We pray to the Lord.
6. That St. Isabel parish, which recovered from the destruction of Hurricane Charley, will overcome the current attacks on its well-being and the divisions it experiences so that it may effectively proclaim God’s love through its life of faith. We pray to the Lord.
7. That human life will be respected from its inception until natural death and not be viewed as merely a situation that can be manipulated or destroyed for scientific or personal convenience. We pray to the Lord.
8. That prophets in our time who work for faith, justice, and mercy will persist, as did Jeremiah, despite rejection and persecution by those with hardened hearts and minds. We pray to the Lord.
9. That Father Christopher may not grow weary and lose heart in his efforts to preserve his priesthood, and that he may be inspired by the Holy Spirit to present his case well as he resists those trying to throw him into a cistern to hide the truth . We pray to the Lord.
10. That those who are ill may know that despite their afflictions, the Lord thinks of them and is the deliverer who comes to their aid. We pray to the Lord.
11. That those who have died may be welcomed into the everlasting unity of heaven where all divisions cease. We pray to the Lord.
12. For our own intentions that we recall in silence…….. We pray to the Lord.

O God, we come to you acknowledging that we are afflicted and poor, yet you think of us.  We ask that you not hold back in helping us and delivering us from all that deters us from living our faith to the fullest. We make our prayers through Christ our Lord.  Amen.