Intercessory Prayer
Intercessory prayer is a key tradition in our faith, where we seek the aid of saints and each other to present our petitions to God. This practice highlights the communal nature of our spirituality, emphasizing that the prayers of the faithful can bring about God's support. By engaging in intercessory prayer, we express solidarity with those in need, trusting that our collective prayers can invoke God’s mercy, healing, and guidance. This form of prayer strengthens the bonds within the our community and reaffirms our faith in the power of prayer and God’s kindness.
We can pray to saints because they can intercede on behalf of us, much like asking a friend to pray for you. The idea is that saints’ prayers can help bring one’s requests to God, supported by biblical passages like Revelation 5:8, which depicts saints in heaven offering prayers to God.
Churches of the Home can also gather to pray for the needs of loved ones, friends, and even strangers. Through these prayers, we can bring comfort, healing, and guidance to those in need, fostering unity and compassion within our Churches of the Home.
The ways we can intercede for others are endless. Here are a few practical ideas to consider from the Fellowship of Catholic University Students:
Write down people’s names and pray for their needs daily.
Imagine the people you want to pray for in your own mind or place their pictures somewhere near where you pray. Seeing their faces can motivate you to pray for them more specifically and more regularly.
Pray with others in person. Your prayer doesn’t have to be alone and in silence. It’s great to pray for people when you are with them. Be sure to get their permission first, ask them what they need prayers for and then pray out loud for their needs. Praying in this way can be very powerful. Instead of just saying “I’ll pray for you,” they get to hear your prayer right away in that moment.
Pray at specific locations. Maybe it’s where you have Bible study; maybe it’s a place that needs conversion; maybe it’s a room where you study, work or teach: All of these places are great reminders to intercede for others daily. By praying in specific places, you ask for God’s blessing upon all who enter there.
Pray as you plan. Our work should be God’s work, first and foremost. Therefore, whenever we begin an apostolic task, we should ask for God’s guidance and blessing on all we are about to do.
Consider offering up some sort of fast or penance alongside your prayer for others. Jesus himself notes the spiritual power of prayer paired with fasting (Mk 9:29), and St. Paul describes the value of offering up our suffering for the Body of Christ: “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Col 1:24).
In addition, Resurrection's prayer chain, prayer shawl ministry, and prayer intentions forum on the parish app are a few ways you can practice intercessory prayer.
Join us for Mass this weekend
in person at 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 AM on Sunday, on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.
READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES
VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION
The quest for eternal life involves more than just following commandments. It is simplicity and generosity that can lead to a more fulfilling life. Who are those people in your life that reflect this spiritual lesson? Join Fr. Paul as he reflects on this weekend's scripture readings.
FAMILIES
WEEKLY BULLETIN
(click to read)
PARISH LYCEUM
The Parish Lyceum will feature a variety of topics, guidelines, and relevant information to nurture the PIESS of our lives – physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social.
NEWEST MEMBER IN OUR FAMILY OF FAITH
Auditio Divina Podcast
Katie and Tony pray with the song "Have a Little Faith in Me" by John Hiatt.
Lyrics:
When the road gets dark
And you can no longer see
Just let my love throw a spark
And have a little faith in me
When the tears you cry
Are all you can believe
Just give these loving arms a try, baby
And have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
Have a little faith in me
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ONGOING EVENTS
Ruby and Res
Of course Ruby was curious about the Bread of Life.
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