Sunday intercessions, 6 February 2022, the Fourth Sunday before Lent

‘The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets’ (Luke 5: 2) … fishing boats and nets in the harbour in Rethymnon, Crete (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Let us pray:

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory’ (Isaiah 6: 3):

Heavenly Father,
we pray for the nations of the world and for own country…
we pray for all who make decisions about our health …
we pray for the poor, the captives,
the blind, and all who need freedom …
for all who feel at sea and adrift …
may they know God’s favour and God’s blessing.

Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

By the grace of God we are what we are, and his grace towards me has not been in vain (see I Corinthians 15: 10):

We pray for the Church,
that we may find God’s grace towards us
in ordinary lives, in ordinary places, in ordinary time…

In the Church of Ireland this month,
we pray for the Diocese of Clogher and Bishop Ian Ellis …

We pray too for the Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe,
and the new bishop, Bishop Michael Burrows …

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer,
we pray this week for the Church of Ireland.

In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer,
we pray for all in our dioceses suffering
from despair, depression and addiction.

In our community,
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.

‘Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will preserve me; your loving-kindness, O Lord, endures for ever’ (Psalm 138: 7-8):

Holy Spirit, help us to bring good news to all who suffer …

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 all who feel pain and loss …
We pray for all we love and all who love us …
We pray for our families, friends and neighbours …

We remember all who have died recently …
and all whose anniversaries are at this time,
including Kevin Doyle, Lynda Smith, Maurice and Pamela Hewson …

May their memories be a blessing to us.

Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy.

The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (6 February 2022, the Fourth Sunday before Lent) invites us to pray:

King of Kings,
May you guide us in our calling.
Stir us to go where you send us,
With hope and faith in our hearts.

Merciful Father …

The fish or Ichthus symbol is a symbol of Christ … this one remains discreetly unnoticed in the pebble mosaic of the former church courtyard in Kaş in Turkey (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)