Diocesan Year of PRAYER (Encounter)

Year of Preparation & Prayer – Encounter  /// Jubilee Year 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope – Discipleship  /// Year of Thanksgiving – Missionary Discipleship 

Fourth Sunday of Easter

All our thoughts and activities should be a part of our daily conversation with the Lord.  There is no aspect of our everyday lives, however mundane, that cannot be offered in prayer to God, and become an occasion of deeper union with Him.  In our fragility, prayer is a mark of our supreme grandeur, for prayer can work miracles in our world, transform lives and history, and serve the coming of God’s kingdom of justice and peace.

Let us pray for the young people of our parish - on this Vocations Sunday we pray that the young people will place their hope for the future in Christ.  We ask Jesus to reveal the plans He has for their lives, and how they will bring them great joy and peace - Lord hear us.

Third Sunday of EasterThe beauty and mystery of Creation create in the human heart the first impulse that evokes prayer (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2566).  It is an experience that many of us have had.  If life's events, with all their bitterness, sometimes risk choking the gift of prayer that is within us, it is enough to contemplate a starry sky, a sunset, a flower..., in order to rekindle a spark of thanksgiving.Let us pray for our parish community - will be a witness to Christ in this place, that we will have the courage to profess the hope we have in our Risen Lord - Lord hear us.
Easter Day:  Saint Luke tells us that of the ten lepers healed by Jesus, only one came back to thank the Lord. This passage reminds us of the importance of gratitude. It shows the great difference between hearts that are thankful, and those that are not; between people who see everything as their entitlement and those who receive everything as grace. As Christians, our prayer of thanksgiving is inspired by gratitude for the love of God, revealed in the coming of Jesus, His Son and our Saviour.Let us pray for all those in Prison - we pray that their time in prison will help to make amend for their offences, and return to society reformed.  We also pray that the dignity of prisoners will always be upheld, that despite what they have done, they may be treated as the Children of God they are - Lord hear us.
Palm Sunday:  At the darkest hour of His suffering on the cross, Jesus continues to pray, using the traditional words of the Psalms, identifying Himself with the poor and abandoned of our world.  In those moments, the crucified Lord takes upon himself the burden of all the sins of the world; of all our sins.Let us pray for those who find it hard to forgive - we pray for all those who are struggling to forgive those who have hurt or wronged them.  We ask Jesus who suffers with us, to free them from the grudge they carry. - Lord hear us.
Fourth Sunday of LentReflecting on how constant prayer was the driving force of the missionary activity of the first Christians, Saint Luke tells us that they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).  Today too the Church’s life is centred on prayer, which unites us to Christ, and inspires our witness to the Gospel, and our charitable service to those in need.Let us for all families scarred by disagreement - we pray that the Spirit of Peace will fall on all families, but especially those who are separated in anyway.  We pray that all families will places of love and forgiveness - Lord hear us.
Second Sunday of Lent  Contemplative prayer is an act of the heart, by which we fix our gaze in faith upon Jesus, quietly pondering His word, and His saving mysteries.  In praying before the Tabernacle, “I look at him and he looks at me”. By gazing on our Lord in this way, we come to feel His loving gaze upon us, and our hearts are purified. This in turn enables us to see others, in the light of that truth and compassion which Jesus brings to all.Let us pray for those who create national policy around the care of those with mental health issues - that each person in a position of authority, seeks always to recognise the needs of the individual, as well as the community, ensuring that no one is left marginalised or disadvantaged - Lord hear us.
First Sunday of Lent - Pope Francis shows us some ways to approach the struggles in prayer as they arise.The saints recognize that prayer is not always easy, for our human nature is frequently distracted or tempted by seemingly more important priorities.  Many of the saints experienced long periods of spiritual dryness, and even darkness.  They teach us that the only response to these temptations is greater perseverance.  In our daily efforts to persevere in prayer, may we trust that our own spiritual combat, like that of Jacob and the angel (Genesis 28:16), will bear fruit in a deeper and more mature relationship with the Lord.Let us pray for those who promote the care of those with mental health issues - may we work to challenge the silence in our society about mental health issues, and do all we can to encourage an openness of mind in our communities - Lord hear us.
Sixth Sunday of the Year - Pope Francis' Catechesis on Prayer.  The Psalms do not always use refined and genteel language, and that they often bear the scars of existence. And yet, all these prayers were first used in the Temple of Jerusalem, and then in the synagogues; even the most intimate and personal ones.  “The Psalms’ many forms of prayer, take shape both in the liturgy of the Temple, and in the human heart” (Catechism 2588).  And thus, personal prayer draws from, and is nourished first by the prayer of the people of Israel, then by the prayer of the Church.Let us pray for those who work to alleviate mental health issues - may society be more open to recognising the signs of mental health, and may health services provide all that is needed to care for those troubled in mind, in our society - Lord hear us.
Fifth Sunday of the Year - Pope Francis' Catechesis on Prayer.  If we do not pray, we will not have the strength to go forward in life.  Prayer is like the oxygen of life.  Prayer draws down upon us the presence of the Holy Spirit, who always leads us forward.  For this reason, I (Pope) speak a lot about prayer. Let us pray for those troubled with mental health - may Christ, who felt the fullness of human suffering, be close to our brothers and sisters who are suffering today - Lord hear us.
Fourth Sunday of the Year - Pope Francis' Catechesis on Prayer.  All human suffering is sacred to God.  So prays the prayer of Psalm 56: “You have kept an account of my wanderings; you have kept a record of my tears!  Are they not written in your book?” (v. 8).  Before God we are not strangers, or numbers.  We are faces and hearts, known one by one, by name.Let us pray for all Christians - as it is the belief in one baptism that unites all Christians, may we seek unity amongst the followers of Christ, so the world will know His peace, healing and friendship - Lord hear us.
Third Sunday of the Year - Pope Francis' Catechesis on Prayer.  If  during prayer, we feel sluggish and empty, we must at that moment, beg that Jesus’ prayer also become our own. “I cannot pray today, I don’t know what to do: I don’t feel like it, I am unworthy”. In this moment, Jesus is before the Father, praying for us; let us trust in this!  If we are trustful, we will then hear a voice from heaven, “You are God’s beloved, you are a child, you are the joy of the Father in heaven”.Let us pray for this parish community - may we who have be anointed as Priest, Prophet and King, at our baptism, live out these ministries, so that all whom we meet will encounter Christ in us - Lord hear us.
Second Sunday of the Year - Pope Francis' Catechesis on Prayer.  Prayer is dialogue with God; and every creature, in a certain sense, 'dialogues' with God. Within the human being, prayer becomes word, invocation, hymn, poetry.  The divine Word is made flesh, and in each person’s flesh, the word returns to God in prayer.Let us pray for those who will be baptised this year - we pray that all those who will be baptised in our parish this year, we ask the Holy Spirit to fan into a flame, their love for Jesus and His Church - Lord hear us.
Mary Mother of God, and the Epiphany - In our readings for these two great Christmas feasts, we see in Mary’s feast, the shepherds, guided by angels, then at the Epiphany feast the kings guided by the star, both coming to do homage to this child who is son of God and son of Mary. Christ is the Mediator, the bridge that we cross to turn to the Father (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2674).  The Holy Spirit extends Christ’s mediation to every time and every place: there is no other name, by which we can be saved (cf. Acts 4:12) Let us pray for all those who were be baptised in our parish in the last year - may they treasure and nurture the gift of faith they have been given - Lord hear us.
The feasts of Christmas, and the Holy Family, help us to marvel at the incarnation - Pope Francis reflects about the form of prayer called meditation, to reflect, seek meaning, to discover ourselves.  Meditating, so to speak, is like stopping and taking a breath in life.  One does not only pray with the mind; the entire person prays, the person in his or her entirety, just as one does not pray only with one’s feelings. The ancients used to say that the organ of prayer is the heart, and thus they explained that the whole person, starting from the centre — the heart — enters into a relationship with God.  The Catechism specifies: "Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion and desire.   This mobilisation of the faculties is necessary, in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ” (n. 2708). Let us pray for all members of our parish - may we hear the call of the prophet Isaiah, to enlarge the tent of our parish, so that all who will connect with our parish this Christmas, will feel welcomed, loved, and encouraged to form a stronger relationship with Christ, through our parish - Lord hear us.
Fourth Week of Advent - Pope Francis reflects on Mary, and calls us to model our prayer life on hers. There is no better way to pray, than to place oneself, like Mary, in an attitude of openness, with a heart open to God: “Lord, what you want, when you want, and how you want”. That is, a heart open to God’s will, and God always responds.   “Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19).  Everything that happened around her, ended up being reflected on in the depths of her heart.Let us pray for our parish - we ask our loving Lord to renew us this coming Christmas, so that we are filled with His desire to reach all peoples, and bring them into communion with God, through and with His Church - Lord hear us.
Third Week of Advent - Pope Francis reflects on the Holy Spirit in prayer.  Very often it happens that we do not pray, we don’t feel like praying, or many times we pray like parrots, with the mouth, but our heart is not in it. This is the moment to say to the Spirit: “Come, come Holy Spirit, warm my heart. Come and teach me to pray, teach me to look to the Father, to look to the Son. Teach what the path of faith is like. Teach me how to love and, above all, teach me to have an attitude of hope”. It means calling on the Spirit continually, so he may be present in our lives. Let us pray for ourselves, and our parish - as we prepare for the birth of our Saviour, may we make room in our hearts to welcome Him, so that in meeting us, all visitors to our parish will encounter Jesus’ love for them, and feel welcome in our parish - Lord hear us.
Second Week of Advent - Pope Francis reflects on an essential dimension of prayer: Blessing.  God’s great blessing is His Son, Jesus Christ.“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. He destined us in love, to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6). Let us pray for us to be a more welcoming, and invitational community - we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with courage to seek and welcome those who are missing from our parish community - Lord hear us.
First Week of Advent - Pope Francis reflects on the importance of thanksgiving to God in prayer.  “Pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit” (1Thessalonians 5:17- 19). Let us pray for for our parish - we ask our loving Lord to renew us this Advent, so that we are filled with the desire to reach all people, and bring them into communion with God, through and with His Church - Lord hear us.