We Are Church Intl.

Martin Luther

Prayers before the Vigil, 29th October 2017, Armagh

armaghcathedralLord, we pray, in humility, from the love with which we regard the Church,
In the spirit of fraternity and sorority with which we approach our fellow Catholics
and the spirit of vigil, not of protest, in which we gather.

God of the nations,
to your table all are invited
and in your family no one is a stranger.

Lord Jesus, you stood with the poor, sick, and marginalized during your lifetime, and you call us to stand on the side of the oppressed in our society today.  Give us the strength not to remain silent in the face of injustice so that we can work towards a more peaceful, just kingdom on earth.  

Lord, we pray for reunion, on the anniversary of the greatest separation within Your Body on Earth;
For our Churches and our parishes that they may become the family home to all Your children;
 For our Church that it may be infused with a new energy and a new openness that will allow it to fulfill its missionary and Evangelistic purpose.

Lord, we pray for Pope Francis and the leaders of the Church in Ireland, especially Archbishop Eamon Martin outside whose home we gather, that they may be guided by the Spirit in wisdom and understanding, that they may always have open hearts and listening ears to hear the cries of those marginalised through no fault of their own.

And grant us, Lord, a respectful hearing  from those to whom we give this witness.
May we grant them the same respect in our listening to them,
and a recognition by all, that we stand and speak in love of, and in hope for, this Divine Body that is Our Church. 

Lord Jesus, we ask you now
to help us remain with you always,
to be close to you with all the ardour of our hearts,
to take up joyfully the mission you entrust to us,
and that is to continue your presence
and spread the good news of your resurrection.

Amen

(Picture: By Flying jacket - Own workCC BY-SA 3.0Link)