23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time September 07, 2025
Jesus calls us to come after him, leaving worldly concerns that interfere with that call behind. We offer our prayers to the Father asking for the grace to respond with commitment to that call.
- That the canonizations today of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis will inspire young people, and all Catholics, to care for the poor, seek social justice, love the Eucharist, and to serve God in all that they do. We pray to the Lord.
- That the use of children as pawns to further political agendas will stop immediately and that all children will be cherished as providing the promise of a more just, peaceful, and tolerant world. We pray to the Lord.
- That as Paul received Onesimus, a slave accused of theft, into the Church, may the Church welcome refugees, the needy, the disillusioned, and every individual with kindness that reveals God’s love for all people. We pray to the Lord.
- That although we may not know God’s counsel and intentions, the concerns of our minds will not weigh us down; but rather may we live with hope and confidence as our paths are made straight through the intercession of the Holy Spirit. We pray to the Lord.
- That boys and girls in our nation and in every nation may be safe and secure in their schools so that they may grow socially and spiritually, in knowledge and wisdom, to become prophets of peace and tolerance, and stewards of all creation. We pray to the Lord.
- That in commemorating September 11 “hearts may be freed from hatred, we may abandon the logic of division and retaliation, and that a comprehensive vision inspired by the common good may prevail”[1] in our own families and communities as well as in strife-torn areas of the world. We pray to the Lord.
- That the suffering in Afghanistan, worsened by the recent earthquake, will be diminished by assistance that reveals the need to provide opportunity to both men and women in building a just society. We pray to the Lord.
- That even in the darkest days, our hope will remain through confidence that God’s love is there sustaining us and ripening the fruit of eternal life that awaits us.[2] We pray to the Lord.
- That we may recognize the many gifts given to us by God and offer them “in loving service to God and our neighbor.”[3] We pray to the Lord.
- That those who are ill and those who care for them will carry their crosses, with their souls unburdened, and live with hope, confident in God’s love, seeking his will even though their own plans are timid and unsure. We pray to the Lord.
- That those grieving the loss of a loved one may experience gratitude for the gift of that person in their lives which transforms the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy. We pray to the Lord.
God, our Father, in every age you have been our refuge. May your answer to our petitions in these difficult times provide us with shelter and protection so that we may follow your Son without reservation. We make our prayers through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
[1] Quote from post of Pope Leo on his X account, August 22, 2025.
[2] Based on comments of Pope Leo at his General Audience, August 27, 2025.
[3] Quote from Pope Leo to the Augustinian community in Philadelphia on the feast of St. Augustine, August 28, 2025.
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