Weekly Prayers of the Faithful

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, A, January 25, 2026

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Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, A, January 25, 2026

God our Father in these difficult times we come to you asking that our anguish may take wing, all darkness may be dispelled, and your light may shine upon us.     

  1. That we may embrace the Christian call “to serve the Gospel and our brothers and sisters, to offer our lives without expecting anything in return, or any worldly glory.”[1] We pray to the Lord
  2. That all governments will “renounce war as an instrument for narrow national interests and proclaim that military action must be seen only as a last resort in extreme situations, not a normal instrument of national policy.”[2] We pray to the Lord.
  3. That today’s celebration of the Sunday of the Word of God will inspire us to respond with greater fervor to the Scriptures which are proclaimed in our midst at each Eucharistic celebration. We pray to the Lord. 
  4. That we will “never take God’s word for granted but, instead, let ourselves be nourished by it, in order to acknowledge and live fully our relationship with him and with our brothers and sisters.”[3] We pray to the Lord.
  5. That we will hear Jesus calling “us to be friends and not leave this call unheeded.  Let us welcome it [and] take care of [our] relationship [with him] so that we will discover that friendship with God is our salvation.”[4]  We pray to the Lord.
  6. That in commemorating the 81st anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp on Tuesday, we will promote the dignity of life in our reflections and prayers for an end to incarcerations based on bigotry or religious belief and an end to genocidal extermination of peoples and cultures.  We pray to the Lord.
  7. That our many activities will not become “a vortex that overwhelms us, takes away our serenity, and prevents us from living to the fullest what is truly important in our lives.”[5]  We pray to the Lord.
  8. That we may learn from Jesus how to be patient with one another in humility and gentleness so that the light shined on our path may heal the wounds of division and indifference that often break communities apart.  We pray to the Lord. 
  9. That the press will “always promote communication that is free and dialogical, animated by the search for truth and without prejudice.”[6] We pray to the Lord.
  10. That for those dealing with terminal illness the Resurrection will “illuminate the mystery of death” and “in this light [lead them to know] that death is not the end but the passage towards full light, towards a happy eternity.”[7] We pray to the Lord.
  11. That those who have died from the fire in Switzerland, the train crashes in Thailand and Spain, flooding in southern Africa, violence in the Iranian protests, shootings in our own country, and all people who suffer from unanticipated injuries or death will be embraced by the loving arms of God.  We pray to the Lord.

God, our Father, may your answer to our prayers help us to heal divisions among us and unite us in purposefully living the Gospel proclaimed by your Son.  We make these prayers through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

[1] Quote from Pope Francis at canonization Mass of St. Devasahayam Pillai, May 15, 2022. 

[2] Quote from statement of Cardinals Cupick, McElroy, and Tobin, Charting a Moral Vision of American Foreign Policy, January 19, 2026.

[3] Quote from Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis, Aperuit Illis, instituting the Sunday of the Word of God. September 30, 2019.

[4] From General Audience of Pope Leo reflecting on the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, January 14, 2026.

[5] Quote from Pope Leo during his General Audience, December 17, 2025.

[6] Pope Leo in his message of best wishes for the 50th anniversary of the Italian newspaper La Republica, January 15, 2026.

[7] From reflection of Pope Leo on the Resurrection of Christ at his General Audience, December 10, 2025. 

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