25 January 2011

Prayers for the Anglican Primates’ meeting

Patrick Comerford

For the next week I am staying at the Emmaus Retreat and Conference Centre in Lissenhall, Swords, in north Co Dublin, where I am the chaplain to the meeting of the Anglican Primates from around the world, which opens this evening and continues until Monday next, 31 January.

The booklet containing the material for the Daily Eucharist has this photograph on the front cover:

Saint Columba’s Church and Round Tower, Swords, Co Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

The booklet containing the material for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and the Late Evening Office has this photograph on the front cover:

Sunrise at Donabate near Swords, Co Dublin (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2010)

Prayers for the Primates’ Meeting:

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town and Archbishop Phillip Aspinall of Australia have written prayers asking that God bless and empower the Primates in their “heavy responsibilities of servant leadership.”

Prayer for the Primates’ Meeting, from the Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town:

Lord Jesus Christ, you washed your disciples’ feet,
and called them to follow your example.
Bless the leaders of our churches as they gather at the Primates’ Meeting.
As they take counsel together, give them grace to grow in prayer and fellowship,
so they may bear one anothers’ burdens and share one anothers’ joys,
and find mutual support in their heavy responsibilities of servant leadership.
Refresh and encourage them as they meet,
and empower them to lead your people
in lives of faithful worship, witness and service,
that bring your redemptive gospel to this broken and needy world.
Amen

Prayer for the Primates’ Meeting from the Most Revd Phillip Aspinall, Archbishop of Brisbane and Primate of Australia:

Gracious God,
in your Son Jesus Christ
you reveal the fullness of your truth and life
and reconcile us to you and to each other.
Grant that that this meeting
of the Primates of the Anglican Communion
may follow more closely your way,
know more deeply your truth, and
live more clearly your life.
Give the Primates grace
to speak the truth in love,
to listen to the voice of your Spirit
and to live and proclaim your good news of reconciliation and peace for all the world.
We ask this through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is the way, the truth and the life,
and who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.