Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) Feb 23, 2020

We pray for stronger faith and the courage to live up to our calling; for the grace to act always with generosity of spirit, until the whole Church models the wisdom which the world counts as foolishness.

We pray for all the unresolved conflicts in our world. We ask the Lord to give us his desire for peace, his spirit of discernment, his understanding of unspoken needs, and his capacity for forgiveness.

We pray for the homes and families we represent, and for all with whom we live and work. May we recognise the opportunities for generous, loving service and put aside any destructive possessiveness or self-interest.

We pray for peace of mind and spirit in all those who are distressed or enveloped in pain. May they know the reality of inner healing, and may even the worst situations becomes places of growth and new life.

We pray for those approaching death with fear, resentment and anger, and for all who counsel the dying and the bereaved. We pray that those who have died will know the joy of everlasting life.