Third week of Ordinary Time

BACKGROUND: Imagine waking up to find that the neighbours you have known all your life and even sat next to at school, now walk past you without stopping, now forbid their children from playing with yours, now spit at you and even attack you. Imagine having nowhere to turn, that the walls are closing in and that there is no escape. Imagine that you have done nothing wrong, yet you are to be punished nonetheless and no one will stand by you. We are being asked to remember and stand by those who were forced to live through these experiences. We want you to honour those communities which were destroyed in the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

3rd Week in Ordinary Time

We will begin by making the sign of the Cross

Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen

We pause to think of any special intention we want to pray for today.

We light our Form Candle for all our prayers today.

Monday 28th January – Holocaust Memorial Day

Reader: I waited, I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me; He heard my cry. He put a new song into my mouth, Praise of our God. (Psalm 39)

Together we pray:All: God, you created us all in your own likeness. We thank

you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in your world. Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellow

feeling and understanding; show us your presence in those most different from us, so that in all our relationships, both

by what we have in common and by things in which we differ, we may come to know you more fully in your

creation; for you are Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever. Amen

(Anne Frank Trust)

Tuesday 29th JanuaryReader: Jesus said; “Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.” (Gospel of Mark 3:35)

Together we pray:All: God who is unchanging and eternal, keep before us the remembrance of the sufferings of humanity. May

we not seek to forget; may we learn the lessons for the sake of our society today, and seek to lay the sure

foundations of our future. Amen

Wednesday 30th JanuaryReader: Last Sunday was also Education Sunday. The theme offered is ‘Believing and Belonging’ Our prayer is produced by Churches Together in Britain & Ireland for all in education.

Reader2: The spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind, to free the oppressed and announce the Lord’s year of mercy.”(Spoken by Jesus as he read from the Prophet Isaiah.)

Together we pray:All: God of grace and compassion, whose ways are perfect,

whose words give us life, whose love seeks to draw us together in harmony to build your kingdom; may we walk

in truth and graced day by day in our teaching and learning, in our living in community, in the building up of one

another. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Thursday 31st January - St John Bosco

Reader: St John Bosco Patron Saint of young people.The disciples said to Jesus, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ So he called a child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, “I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven… anyone who welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” (Gospel of Matthew)Together we pray:All: Lord, you called Don Bosco to be a teacher and father of the young. Fill us with love like his: may we give ourselves

completely to your service and to the salvation of all people. Amen

We ask Mary, Help of Christians to pray with us... Hail Mary

Friday 1st February – Saint Brigid

Reader: Jesus said to the crowd: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing, how he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time; he starts to reap because the harvest has come. (Mark 4:26-27)Together we pray:All: Lord, keep all young people safe, especially those who are imprisoned by poverty, abuse and neglect. May we be grateful for the life we have been given and try to live it to the best of our abilities. AMEN

School Prayer

Prayer of Saint Benedict

We pray Lord, that everything we domay be prompted by your inspiration,so that every prayer and work of ours

may begin from you, and be brought by youto completion.

Amen

Saint Benedict – Pray for us