Healed of all their infirmity, may they rejoice with those who first heard the call of Jesus and walked with him in Galilee.
We pray in the name of Christ, the source of all strength to those who hear his call.
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
John 2:1–11
Let us pray to God who gives freely and beyond measure.
May God who knows the secrets of all hearts and who hears the prayers of all who turn to him in their need, give strength to his Church … We pray that from the weakness of our mortal nature we may draw out the good wine of the gospel, that we may drink of it and bring new life to others.
Come with mercy to the world where so many are anxious about the needs of every day … Give assurance to those who are in doubt, that they may trust in your will to provide, and may offer their resources to the aid of those in need.
We pray for those recently married or preparing for their weddings … Give them joy in each other, faithfulness in their lives together and the support of their families and friends … May Christ bless all families with his presence.
Bless those who have too little for their needs and fear for what is to come … Teach them to ask with faith and to follow where they are led, that they may find the good gifts that are in God’s love.
We pray for those whose hour has come, who have passed from the anxieties and pleasures of this world … May they receive the good wine that is kept to the last, in the heavenly feast where Christ the gracious guest is the host of all who have put their trust in him.
May Christ whose glory has been revealed that we may believe, accept our prayers.
THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST
Luke 2:22–40
Let us pray, as we are commanded by the Law of God.
Give to the Church the spirit of prophecy, to proclaim the light that has come to lighten all nations … As Mary and Joseph made their offering according to the Law, so may all Christian people offer their prayer and praise for the gift of the Son according to his new law of love.
Let all people know that the day of salvation has come and the love of God reaches out to the ends of the earth … May those who administer justice understand that all law and power come from God, to be offered back to him with humility … Give grace to all who teach, that they may be guided in wisdom and insight.
As Jesus found the shelter of an earthly home in Nazareth, may his presence bless our homes and all the families in our community … Bless those who rejoice in a new birth … Be with our older people and grant them still the bright vision of divine love.
Have mercy on parents whose hearts are pierced by the loss or suffering of their children … May the light that was brought by the Son of God be their light in the time of darkness … Bless those who are near to death, that they may be sustained by the sight of salvation.
We pray for those who have departed in peace from this world and entered into the greater life … May the light of heaven shine perpetually upon them, in the realm where the secrets of all hearts are revealed.
We pray in the name of Christ, our light and our salvation.
EPIPHANY 5 (PROPER 1)
Matthew 5:13–20
Let us pray to the Lord who has called us to be faithful in his service.
Give to the Church power to proclaim your great works and to shine as a light that will draw all people to love and honour your name … May your people never lose by sin or negligence the holiness which is given to all who trust in you and seek to do your work.
As people seek their own ways and turn away from obedience, bring them to know that the Law of God is strong and does not change as human fashions change … Give courage to any who have gifts which they do not know, or which they have failed to use, and lead them into the light of the divine purpose fulfilled.
Bless those who do the work of God in our community, who tend the sick in mind or body and bring aid to the infirm … May they have strength to continue, and may they be an example, that others shall follow in the paths of mercy.
Look with compassion on all who have lost the assurance of faith and purpose in life which they once had … May they know that they are not cast out from your love but may be won back to the way that cannot be found by human will alone … Bless those who in sickness and distress still shine brightly in their patient trust.
Receive into glory the souls of those whose light shone as a witness in the world, and have mercy on those whose light was darkened by sin or suffering … May they too shine with the light that cannot be extinguished, and find the peace that they did not find here.
We pray in the name of Christ, in whom all the commandments are fulfilled.
EPIPHANY 6 (PROPER 2)
Matthew 5:21–37
Let us pray to the Lord who has given us a new and greater Law.
Give grace to the Church to follow the commands of the gospel, and to teach them so that all may serve in faith and obedience … Cleanse us from anger, strife and impurity, and empower us to fulfil the example of Christ, in firm resolve and gentle compassion.
Guide into peace a world where there is so much hatred and bitterness, where the power of law is used for revenge and gain, where hurtful words are spoken in scorn … Forgive the breaches of trust, the false promises, the anger which breeds its own destruction … Open the way of reconciliation to the minds that are closed against it.
Wherever disputes threaten the harmony of our homes, where there is hostility towards neighbours, where tension is growing in places of work, teach us to forgive and to acknowledge our own mistakes … Shield us from careless speaking in moments of stress.
Have mercy on all whose lives have been broken by quarrels with those they have loved … Bring healing to the marriages that are falling apart, and comfort where relationships have failed … Grant that those who are in legal difficulties may be relieved and find mercy in the course of justice.
May the departed find rest in the new life where all anger is ended, all injuries forgiven, all damaged hearts made whole … As we remember that promise of glory, let its light shine on our lives in this world and be our guide.
May our prayers be accepted in the name of Christ, in whom alone we may be reconciled.
EPIPHANY 7 (PROPER 3)
Matthew 5:38–48
Let us pray as the children of one heavenly Father.
Fill the Church with the love that does not come from agreement and fellowship alone but reaches out to embrace those who are hostile and scornful … Let no task seem too heavy, no forgiving gesture too costly, because all is done in the strength of God who pardons and saves to the uttermost and has made us his messengers here on earth.
Correct in mercy the errors which divide people into friends and enemies … Heal all divisions which set nations, races, religions in opposition to one another … Cleanse the world of all
