Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time C, November 03, 2019
We seek the Lord, as did Zacchaeus, often unable to see him because of our shortcomings. We offer these prayers in hope that we will find tall sycamores that raise us up in wisdom and vision.
- That the Church may be resolute in its commitment to justice, truth, and compassion with zeal that permeates all its members. We pray to the Lord.
- That the leaders of the world may seek peace by putting aside past differences and cultural pride in the best interests of all people. We pray to the Lord.
- That a spirit of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation emerge in the Near East, where diverse religious communities share their lives together.[1] We pray to the Lord.
- That the bishops of the Church who collect taxes from their people to enrich their dioceses will follow in the path of Zacchaeus the tax collector in seeking to see who Jesus is. We pray to the Lord.
- That the people of God will not grumble when others commit to turning away from sin to receive the mercy of the Lord. We pray to the Lord.
- That the victims of the fires in California and those who work to control the fires may be protected from harm and find inspired paths to recovery. We pray to the Lord.
- That we may not be so distracted by the challenges of the world that we fail to observe the goodness and beauty that surrounds us as we praise the name forever of our king and our God. We pray to the Lord.
- That Fr. Christopher may not tire in his efforts for justice knowing that we join with St. Paul in praying that God will keep him worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every effort of faith. We pray to the Lord.
- That those who are seriously ill, and all people of faith, may not be shaken or alarmed by knowledge that the day of the Lord approaches. We pray to the Lord.
- That those who have died may be welcomed into the company of all the Saints. We pray to the Lord.
- For our own intentions that we recall in silence…….. We pray to the Lord.
O God, we ask that through the prayers we offer today, you will call us to come to you and stay with us, as you did Zacchaeus. May we acknowledge our sinfulness and resolve to better serve you and all people so that the salvation that came to the house of Zacchaeus may rest on our houses too. We make our prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.
[1] Intention of Pope Francis for November, 2019
parishionersforjustice.com 
Today i find myself praying that church leaders will take seriously THEIR calling
to LISTEN BETTER to their priests and also HEAR the laity –
who in honest respectful questioning of their leadership WANT IN RETURN HONEST ANSWERS –
and OUR sincere desire to live the faith and serve the people as Jesus taught us to do from the beginning——He gave us the message and we must LIVE that message —
.Let’s pray that LEADERS AND ;LAITY TOO will listen with hearts and minds that need to know God’s love for them and for His church –before they can ever truly pass it on to us and to the whole world!!
THEY WILL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS BY OUR LOVE————EVEN THE LEADERS OF OUR CHURCH NEED TO HEAR AND PRACTICE THIS!
Love God but PLEASE don’t forget to love others! WE WILL KNOW YOU ARE LEADERS WHEN YOU SHOW US BY WHAT YOU DO AND SAY AND HOW YOU ACT AS JESUS SHOWED US!! WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD LEADER??? HONESTY FOR ONE! KINDNESS IS ANOTHER.
LEADERS OF THE CHURCH—YOU BE THAT EXAMPLE FOR US TO FOLLOW!
YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD BY BEING THAT EXAMPLE! WE NEED TO SEE IT IN YOU BEFORE WE WILL EVER BE WHAT WE REALLY CAN BE!
OUR CHURCHES ARE EMPTYING OUT BECAUSE WE DON’T ALWAYS FIND IT IN OUR LEADERS!
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