17th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 27, 2025 (World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly)
God, our Father, we offer our prayers and petitions knowing the importance of humility, persistence, and forgiveness as we seek your will in our lives.
- That we may be a Church of prayer, as taught by Jesus, and may we be persistent in crying out for peace, justice, and security on behalf of those threatened, impoverished, and fearful, confident that the Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. We pray to the Lord.
- That the world will be united in condemning assaults on the innocent who seek only food, water, opportunity, and peace and be determined to bring these inhuman attacks to an end. We pray to the Lord.
- That we will understand through contemplating the lives of Abraham, Sarah, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Moses that “in [God’s] eyes, old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses of hope.”[1] We pray to the Lord.
- That we will be “protagonists in a ‘revolution’ of gratitude and care, to be brought about by regular visits to the elderly, the creation of networks of support and prayer for them and with them, and the forging of relationships that can restore hope and dignity to those who feel forgotten.”1 We pray to the Lord.
- That those whose “bodies are weak [will know that] nothing can prevent [them] from loving, praying, giving themselves, or being there for one another in faith, as shining signs of hope.”[2] We pray to the Lord.
- That health care will be centered on individuals — never shaped by ideological or economic agendas — with special attention paid to the most vulnerable, including the unborn, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, migrants, and those living in conflict-affected areas.[3] We pray to the Lord.
- That gender equality will be achieved by “creating conditions that enable the integral development of women and girls, including access to quality education and healthcare, decent work, and participation in every sphere of life.”[4] We pray to the Lord.
- That our lives will be marked by forgiveness that we extend and receive through confidence in the forgiveness granted to us by our merciful Father. We pray to the Lord.
- For an end to the attacks on seminaries and on Catholic communities and institutions around the world and for the release of the three young seminarians kidnapped in a recent raid on a minor seminary in Nigeria. We pray to the Lord.
- That those who are sick or injured due to the excessive heat or floods of summer may find cool shelters, relief from pain and sorry, and compassionate care as efforts are made that confirm the dignity and value of each human life. We pray to the Lord.
- That the elderly who were abandoned to death under tragic conditions may be embraced by the loving arms of the Lord and receive the eternal care of the angels and saints in heaven. We pray to the Lord.
O God, may the examples of our parents, grandparents, and Godparents who have demonstrated perseverance in faith during the advances of age increase our confidence that you answer all our prayers and are with us in all the stages of our lives. We make these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.
[1] From Message of the Holy Father for the 5th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly 2025 [27 July 2025] (issued, June 26, 2025)
[2] From Angelus message of Pope Francis during his hospitalization (March 16, 2025).
[3] From comments of Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Holy See Permanent Observer to the United Nations, during forum on sustainable development (July 14, 2025).
[4] Quote from Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Holy See Permanent Observer to the United Nations, on Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls (July 14, 2025).
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