SUGGESTED INTENTIONS
FOR THE PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
LENT 2016
These prayers have been composed or adapted from various sources so that
you can keep this Extraordinary Year of Mercy at the forefront of the prayer life
of your community.
At the bottom of the page, you will find a special set of intentions associated
with the Sacrament of Penance and another set addressing the suffering and
acts of terror that continue to plague our world.
Feel free to adapt these texts, as provided by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal., following the
models provided in Appendix V of Roman Missal III (pp. 1303-1315).
FOR ASH WEDNESDAY
That we who wear these ashes as a sign of our repentance
will bring God’s message of mercy to everyone who sees them.
We pray to the Lord.
ANYTIME DURING LENT
That the season of Lent during this special Holy Year
will be lived more intensely as a privileged moment
to celebrate and experience God’s mercy.
We pray to the Lord.
That in this Jubilee Year of Mercy
no one will be indifferent to God’s call
to experience his forgiveness.
We pray to the Lord.
That our Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving
will lead us to rediscover the merciful face of God the Father.
We pray to the Lord.
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That the stomach pangs from our fasting
will prompt us to feed the hungry, cloth the naked and welcome the homeless.
We pray to the Lord.
That those trapped in habits of sin
will change their lives
and experience the love of God
who offers pardon and healing.
We pray to the Lord.
That our Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving
will unite us with those who live on the fringes of society
and break down the barriers of indifference that mask our hypocrisy and egoism.
We pray to the Lord.
That criminals and others whose behavior
distances them from the grace of God,
will change their lives before it is too late.
We pray to the Lord.
That during this Jubilee Year of Mercy,
the Church will invite all to experience the mercy of God,
who never tires of forgiving.
We pray to the Lord.
For the parishes and works of the Diocese of Grand Rapids –
may this Jubilee Year of Mercy
inspire each of us to serve as gateways through which all who enter
experience the love of God,
who consoles, pardons, and instils hope.
We pray to the Lord.
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INTENTIONS FOR THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
For the priests of our diocese who will be celebrating the Sacrament of
Reconciliation this season –
may they be authentic signs of the constant love of God
who pardons and saves.
We pray to the Lord.
That we all may be attentive to God’s Word, confess our sins,
and receive his forgiveness this Lenten season.
We pray to the Lord.
For all who feel burdened by sin –
may they be graced with humility and rigorous honesty
to confess their sins and know peace through the Sacrament of Penance.
this Lenten season.
We pray to the Lord.
That we may forgive those who have harmed us,
and be forgiven by those wounded by our own sins.
We pray to the Lord.
That those who celebrate reconciliation
will leave the sacrament with a new resolve to follow Christ more closely,
knowing they are loved and forgiven.
We pray to the Lord.
That each of us will approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lenten season
to purify our lives of all that is not of Christ.
We pray to the Lord.
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FOR REFUGEES AND OTHERS SUFFERING FROM TERRORISM
Bishop Walkowiak asks parishes to pray regularly for the people of Syria, refugees and exiles, and all who are
persecuted for the faith. Here are two sample intercessions:
That those suffering from the
despicable evils of ISIS and Boko Haram
and the indifference of others
will encounter Christian acts of radical compassion.
We pray to the Lord.
For peace in Syria and in every land where families live in fear.
We pray to the Lord.
For young people who have been deceived by the lies of terrorist groups—
that God may stir up in their hearts
an aversion to violence.
We pray to the Lord.
That Christians who are persecuted for the faith
will be granted peace and charity
to serve as true and faithful witnesses of Christ’s promises.
We pray to the Lord.
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