August 10

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus,
you talked about the need for us
to have our priorities right,
and not to hoard possessions.
You said that where our treasure is,
there our heart and commitment
will really be.
Touch our hearts
that we may love people
and use things
- and never the other way around.
Inspire us to seek first your kingdom
and use our talents and gifts
for the benefit of others. Amen.

Augusst 11

Lord Jesus,
you are the light of the world.
Let us never cut ourselves off
either from the light and life
that you give to us,
or from the good influence
that others have on us.
When we encounter darkness
in our lives,
enable us to bring to it
the light that we already have
within us. Amen

Quote:

There is a saying: “Be like the sundial
that records only the light and
goodness of the day.

August 12

Let us pray for all priests whom we know:
God our Father, we pray
for those whom you have called
to serve your people as priests.
Every day
may they live in your presence
and deepen their friendship
with Jesus, your Son.
Fill them with your Spirit
and inspire them
to be faithful in prayer
and always place their trust in you.
May they grow in faith and compassion
as they celebrate
the Sacraments of your love
and bring good news to the poor
and healing to the broken-hearted
Inspire them to live in such a way
that they are credible witnesses
of the transforming power
of your love,
as they share the hopes and the joys,
the sorrows and the frustrations
of those entrusted to their care.
Give them the gifts they need
to accompany your people
along the path of holiness. Amen.

August 13

Let us pray:
Lord, if I ever cut people off
or isolate myself
from the needs of others,
alert me to what I am doing.
Open my eyes
to see what unites people
rather than what divides us.
Show me
how to build bridges
between people
rather than putting up walls
that divide. Amen.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, you said
that no-one could have greater love
than to give up their life
for someone else.
Remind us
in our personal circumstances today
that care and compassion
and love and sacrifice
can change everything. Amen

August 15

And so we pray today:
Mary, our Mother,
your total giving of yourselfa
reminds us
that we hold in trust
from God our Father
all our accomplishments
and talents and gifts
- trusted as we are
to offer them in his service,
and bring happiness and well-being
to our brothers and sisters.
Your “Yes” to God’s invitation
to be the mother of his Son
reminds us
that prayer is not just words
but is from the heart.
We ask you to pray to Jesus for us
that the Holy Spirit
may live fully in us, too,
so that we may pray
in the way that each of us finds best.
So may we be prepared to join you
in saying “Yes” to God our Father,
that Jesus may be born anew
in our hearts.
Amen.

August 16

And so we pray today:
Mary, our Mother,
your total giving of yourself
reminds us
that we hold in trust
from God our Father
all our accomplishments
and talents and gifts
- trusted as we are
to offer them in his service,
and bring happiness and well-being
to our brothers and sisters.
Your “Yes” to God’s invitation
to be the mother of his Son
reminds us
that prayer is not just words
but is from the heart.
We ask you to pray to Jesus for us
that the Holy Spirit
may live fully in us, too,
so that we may pray
in the way that each of us finds best.
So may we be prepared to join you
in saying “Yes” to God our Father,
that Jesus may be born anew
in our hearts.
Amen.

August 17

1 When Pope John Paul II visited Britain in
1982 he focussed on each of the Sacraments
in turn. During his visit to York,
couples were invited to renew their marriage
vows. We’ll base our prayer today
on themes in his sermon at that time:
2 Let us pray for people who are married,
that they may make choices to live sincerely
and in compassion, in gentleness
and patience, bearing with one another
and forgiving one another. In these ways
may their relationships grow and develop,
and so may they remain faithful
to each other in good times and bad.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
3 Marriage is a sign of God’s faithful and
unbroken love. Let us pray that families
may share in God’s love, and grow as
communities where young people are
guided to maturity.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.

4 Let us pray that families may be generous
in extending their love to lonely and
burdened people locally, and to those
who are on the margins of society.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
5 We pray for those who know the pain of
failure in marriage. We pray for those
who know the loneliness of bringing up
a family on their own. We pray for those
whose family life is dominated by tragedy,
or by illness of mind or body.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
6 We see many damaged relationships
around us. We ask for the gift of being
able to build bridges between people.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.

OCTOBER
zz
This day, Father,
may my eyes be opened
to see the beauty
in all that is ordinary - yet special -
around me.
May the glory of all that you have made
remind me of your presence
and lead me closer to you.

October 26

1 We’ll use as our prayer today
a psalm from the Bible
in which we give thanks for all of creation,
knowing that what we see
can inspire us
to grow in a sense of wonder:
2 Lord our God, how great you are,
and I give thanks to you.
3 You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
with the sun to mark our days of work
and the moon for our nights of rest.
4 Your fingers created the earth
and wrapped it with the ocean
like a cloak.
There the ships sail,
and beneath them
glide the great sea creatures
that you made to play with.
5 You pour down rain
which the ground takes up.
You set springs
gushing forth in the valleys,
and streams that flow
between the mountains,
giving water to all that lives.
6 You make grass grow for the cattle
and crops in abundance for our needs.
You bring goodness to the trees,
and in their branches
the birds build their nests.
Swarms of all living creatures
are so many
that they could never be counted.
What variety you have created, Lord,
arranging everything so wisely!
You send your Spirit,
and all things have life.
Fill us with your Spirit, Lord,
and give us new life,
and renew the earth that you love.
Amen.
(Psalm 104)

The following words are from a poem entitled
‘The New Colossus’ by Emma Lazarus, and
were placed on a plaque by the huge statue in
1903. “The golden door” is a name for New
York Harbour.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse
of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless,
tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”