All posts by 3 churches

Christ the King bidding prayers, 15 March 2015 (Laetare Sunday)

bidding prayers, Christ the King

CELEBRANT  God loves us with so much love and is generous in His mercy therefore we turn to Him with confidence as we present our prayers.

READER The response is Hear our prayer

READER For young people to see the Church as gift – a holy people who reach beyond themselves to experience God and to work for the good of the world.

RESPONSE Lord in your mercy/Hear our prayer.

READER For all people who take on the responsibility of the Mothering role.

RESPONSE Lord in your mercy/Hear our prayer

READER That we remember, especially in difficult moments, that we are all “God’s work of art”.

RESPONSE Lord in your mercy/Hear our prayer

READER Give us grace to discern You and courage to proclaim You.

RESPONSE Lord in your mercy/Hear our prayer

READER For people who are suffering in may they experience God.

RESPONSE Lord in your mercy/Hear our prayer

READER  As we stand here, let us think of the hidden, secret parts of our lives where we need God’s love to touch us, and God’s grace to flow into us, raising us from darkness into light.

READER On this mothering Sunday we ask Mary the mother of Jesus to pray with us as we say Hail Mary……

CELEBRANT  God our Father, if it be your will, we ask you to answer these prayers through your son Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen

Christ the King bidding prayers, Holy Thursday, 2 April 2015

bidding prayers, Christ the King

Bidding Prayers for the Mass of the Last Supper

Priest: In this Holy Week we turn to God our Father and ask that our lives may be transformed by Jesus’ sacrificial love.

Reader          The response is;

Lord, transform our lives.

We pray for the Clergy, as they follow the example of the servant king, and lead us on our journey of faith———————- pause ——

Lord, transform our lives.

In this Holy week we pray for the Holy Land where these events took place, and for the peoples who live in that land today. ——————- pause ——

Lord, transform our lives.

We pray for those who are suffering physical or emotional pain at this time, for penitents, for wanderers and for all who seek meaning in their lives ——————- pause ——

Lord, transform our lives.

Jesus gave us a model to follow.  He washed the disciple’s feet.  May we learn to follow his example of service and love to our brothers and sisters ——————- pause ——

Lord, transform our lives.

In silence let us listen to God our Father for a few moments.

Let us ask Mary, the mother of our Lord to join her prayers to ours saying,

Hail Mary………….

Priest: Loving Father may we walk in your ways and follow your example. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord who became the servant of all.

Christ the King bidding prayers, 19 April 2015

bidding prayers, Christ the King

Third Sunday of Easter 19th April 2015

The Celebrant will introduce and also conclude the prayer.

The reader should pause for several moments between the intercession and its response.

Leave about 20 seconds for the quiet prayer. There is no response after this – move straight to the Hail Mary.

 

CELEBRANT: The Lord hears us when we call him, so let us join together in prayer for our needs.

READER: (The response is:) Have mercy and hear us.

READER:  Let us pray for the church, that it may find ways to recognise the important role that woman have in the church and reflect that in its structure and governance.

…….. (PAUSE)……….. God of justice……. Have mercy and hear us

READER: We pray for our candidates in the forthcoming general election. May they embrace the social teaching of the church and pledge to work for the Common Good.

…… (PAUSE)…… God of justice……. Have mercy and hear us

READER:  We remember the people of Libya who have to endure dangerous and difficult conditions, with many losing their lives in attempting to reach security in Europe. With God’s grace may we find ways to help them.

…. (PAUSE)…… God of justice.…. Have mercy and hear us

READER: May we stop doubting, believe in the Good News and share it with others.

(PAUSE)…… God of justice.…. Have mercy and hear us

READER: Let us pray for those who have died recently, especially Edmund Ring, Pat Roberts and Thomas Richards. May they rest in peace and may perpetual time shine upon them.

(PAUSE)…… God of justice.…. Have mercy and hear us

READER: In silent prayer before the Lord let us ask for all our needs.…. (Long Pause)…. Let us ask the intercession of the mother of the risen Lord: Hail Mary, full of grace, etc.

After a short pause the Celebrant will conclude the prayer.

CELEBRANT: Lord God, we ask these petitions of You. In Your abundant goodness grant them through the risen Jesus, Your Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, AMEN.

Source and summit

newsletter

The Mass is often referred to as “the source and summit of Christian life”. This beautiful phrase comes from no less a source than Lumen Gentium, the Vatican Council’s document on the nature of the Church. Another central document after the Council says

“The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God’s action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit.” (Instruction on the Eucharist Eucharisticum Mysterium 1967)

This summer we moved to a situation of fewer Sunday Masses – going from seven to five. Clearly, in view of Fr Tomy’s leaving us, there is no going back to the former arrangements. We are also now in closer cooperation with our neighbouring parishes – St Philip Evans and St Teilo/Our Lady of Lourdes in the so-called “Northern Arc”. This is particularly relevant regarding Fr Gareth Leyshon’s undertaking to celebrate a 9am Mass each Sunday with us. All other Masses are at present celebrated by me.

We now need to reach a decision for a longer term than just the past summer. I am already taking soundings from some groups, and will be meeting with two parish council members from each of our 3 Churches in the next week or two. I am aware from several years ago of other views also.

My own prayerful reflection is that perhaps the Lord is encouraging us to take hold of this new situation and do “something beautiful for God” to quote a well-known book about Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. We should be thinking not so much “What do I want?” but rather “What do we need?” and “What does God want?” Originally my intention was to simply decide and implement a schedule, but I have found it difficult to decide. It is out of that difficulty that I have been led to think a little more creatively. What is the best way for us together to achieve that “communion in divine life” and “unity of the People of God”. So rather than your opinion, which you are still welcome to share, I would prefer your prayers, as I mentioned at Masses last Sunday. And that prayer should be along the lines of “Lord, we/I will do whatever you want”.

Fr Matthew