22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time August 28, 2022

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time August 28, 2022

We approach the Father with our petitions, asking for the humility to know and accept his will for us. 

1. That the cardinals gathering with Pope Francis in an extraordinary consistory this week will reflect on the Roman Curia not as a high place of power and prestige but as a communion of service, mercy, and compassion toward all the people of God.  We pray to the Lord.
2. That world leaders may not compete for places of honor at international gatherings but may seek places where they may work humbly for the well-being of those who suffer.  We pray to the Lord.
3. That observances of the six-month anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine may bring renewed determination to bring peace and security to those who suffer in both nations and in other parts of the world.  We pray to the Lord. 
4. That we will not seek status based on possessions or honors but may know that the best place is with the Lord in all the actions of our lives and at the Eucharistic banquet. We pray to the Lord.
5. That we may conduct all our affairs with humility knowing that we will be loved more than a giver of gifts and will find favor with God.  We pray to the Lord.
6. That we will not expect repayment for the kindnesses we offer to others but instead will welcome the blessings that will come at the resurrection of the righteous.  We pray to the Lord.
7. That we will have the humility to forgive those who have harmed us and to seek the forgiveness of those whom we have harmed.  We pray to the Lord.
8. That God the father of orphans and the defender of widows will provide a home for refugees and those displaced by war and violence and will lead forth all who have been imprisoned to prosperity.  We pray to the Lord.
9. That the ravages of droughts in China, Europe, and North America will be eased so that farms may flourish, fires may not develop, food shortages may be avoided, and suffering will be eased.  We pray to the Lord.
10. That those who gather at tables in the Catholic Center of the Diocese of Venice will not see their places as positions of honor but as positions that challenge them to raise up those who are in low places or who have suffered at the hands of the bishop.  We pray to the Lord.
11. That Fr. Christopher and all who are facing medical procedures this week may be in competent hands and may experience quick recoveries.  We pray to the Lord.
12. That we might observe Tuesday’s International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances with remembrance for the thousands whose human rights have been violated when they were kidnapped, dragged off, or killed without disclosure of their fate or whereabouts and with insistence on effective measures to terminate these acts^[1].  We pray to the Lord.
13. That those who suffer from illnesses without proper medical care will be comforted by family and friends and be blessed by the gentleness of God’s healing hand.  We pray to the Lord. 
14. That the children who have died from war, starvation, or violence will be granted peace in the embrace of the Lord for all eternity.  We pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, we call to you from the low and high places we inhabit on this Earth.  May we not believe that the blessings you have granted us entitle us to even more so that we may humbly find your will in the responses to these prayers which we make through your Son, Jesus. Amen.

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^[1] Based on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Fact Sheet No. 6/rev 3.

Click to access FactSheet6Rev3.pdf