Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim (John 2: 7) … two large jars or pithoi at the Minoan palace in Knossos, Crete (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
Let us pray:
‘Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens and your faithfulness to the clouds’ (Psalm 36: 5):
Heavenly Father,
we pray for the nations of the world and for own country…
that ‘the nations shall see your vindication’ (Isaiah 62: 2)
This morning, we pray especially for the family, friends and pupils of Ashling Murphy,
for women who fear to be on their own,
for an end to gender-based violence,
and for the safety of all.
Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.
‘Jesus did this, the first of his signs … and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him’ (John 2: 11):
Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you for your presence among us,
in word and sacrament, in one another,
we thank you for inviting us to the banquet.
We pray for the Church,
that we may do what you tell us (see John 2: 5) …
In the Church of Ireland this month,
we pray for the Diocese of Armagh and Archbishop John McDowell.
We pray too for the Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe,
the Bishop-Elect, Bishop Michael Burrows,
and we give thanks for the work of the Archbishop’s Commissaries,
Archdeacon Stephen McWhirter and Dean Niall Sloane,
and for the Episcopal Electoral College called to fill the vacant see.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer,
we pray this week for the Church of England,
the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby,
and the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell.
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer,
we pray for the Birr Group of parishes,
the newly-appointed rector, Canon Arthur Minion,
the Priest-in-Charge, the Revd Denis Sandes,
and the congregations of Saint Brendan’s Birr,
Saint Ruadhan’s, Lorrha, and Lougheen and Dorra churches.
In our community,
we pray for our schools,
we pray for our parishes and people …
we pray for our neighbouring churches and parishes …
and people of faith everywhere,
that we may be blessed in our variety and diversity.
Christ have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
‘There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit’ (I Corinthians 12: 4):
Holy Spirit, we pray for one another …
We pray for all who are sick or isolated,
at home, in hospital …
Ruby … Daphne … Sylvia … Ajay …
Cecil … Pat … Mary … Ann … Vanessa …
We pray for those who feel pain and loss …
for those who are bewildered and without answers …
for those we love and those who love us …
for our families, friends and neighbours …
We remember those who are remembered and mourned by parishioners,
those who have died recently, including Louise Corbett …
and those whose anniversaries are at this time,
including Cathy Casey-Byrne, Dorothy Bracken, and Kathleen Shire …
May their memories be a blessing to us.
Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.
The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (16 January 2022, the Second Sunday after the Epiphany) invites us to pray:
God of all things,
help us to discern our gifts
and to use them for the common good.
Let us rejoice in the diversity of creation.
Merciful Father …
Empty tables waiting for the wedding banquet … the miracle at Cana is the third great Epiphany theme (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
1 comment:
Very Comforting
Post a Comment