prayer

 

​"When evangelizers rise from prayer, their hearts are more open; freed of self-absorption, they are desirous of doing good and sharing their lives with others." - The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis, #282, 2013

All lasting and meaningful relationships are sustained by conversation. They grow through listening and sharing, through asking for help and from gaining direct from what the other has to offer. Prayer is the sustaining force in our ability to grow in our relationship with the Lord Jesus, and God, our Heavenly Father.

Growing in your individual prayer life, learning to pray with others and coming to understand the various ways in which prayer, both individually and as a group of believers, is essential to the work of evangelization. Prayers of intercession, thanksgiving, repentance and praise all play an important part in deepening our relationship with Jesus, and in assisting us to bring the good news to others.

​The work of evangelization depends on individuals as well as groups of people who will regularly commit to praying.

In The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis tells us: "The great men and women of God were great intercessors. Intercession is like a 'leaven' in the heart of the Trinity. It is a way of penetrating the Father's heart and discovering new dimensions, which can shed light on concrete situations and change them. We can say that God's heart is touched by intercession, yet in reality, He is always there first. What our intercession achieves is that his power, his love, and his faithfulness are shown ever more clearly in the midst of his people (The Joy of the Gospel, #283)."

We are all certainly in need of experiencing God's "power, his love, and his faithfulness" in clearly apparent ways in our parishes and in our daily lives. The call to prayer, however, can be one that fades over time, and soon we find that we are less fervent in taking time to intercede.

This is an invitation and a request to join in a "corporate" effort to intercede that we may experience the Lord's transformative power our lives, the lives of our parishes and in our entire church, both our diocesan church and the church universal.

​The request is simple. Will you give one day each month to pray and fast for the transformative power of God to be clearly apparent in our lives and the life of our church?

Only a few things are required:

​Lord Jesus Christ, 
You have commanded us to make disciples of all nations.
Therefore, we ask you to send Your Holy Spirit
to make us Your instruments in this divine work.
Enlighten us by Your word,
and strengthen us by Your sacraments
so our minds and our hearts may be transformed.
May the manner in which we live our lives
announce the love and mercy you extend to all people.
Permit the Spirit to cause a holy zeal to rise up in us
for the work of evangelization to which You call us.
Set our hearts on fire to bring others to You
and to the Church
which You founded out of love for all.
Deepen our knowledge and understanding
of the teachings of Your Church,
and guide us with Your wisdom in passing on the faith.
Allow this gift of right judgment
to show us when to listen
and when to speak Your word.
Give us the courage to proclaim the Gospel
even when faced with adversity.
May we help others to live life to the full through You
and to experience the glory of Your kingdom.
We entrust our evangelization efforts to the protection
of our diocesan patroness,
Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption,
as we make this prayer to You,
and the Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. 

Amen.

Imprimatur
The Most Reverend Lawrence E. Brandt, JCD, PhD
Fourth Bishop of Greensburg
August 15, 2013 ​​

​For those who prepare petitions to be used at the Prayers of the Faithful (the universal prayer), we offer the following list to assist you to include a petition oriented toward evangelization as a part of your eucharistic liturgies:

• That the Holy Spirit will open our hearts and prompt us to reach out in love to those members of our parish who are no longer worshipping with us, let us pray to the Lord.
• For our family members, neighbors, friends and co-workers who have distanced themselves from the church, that we may extend a welcoming invitation back to the church, let us pray to the Lord.
• For the members of our parish, and all who make up the Diocese of Greensburg, that we open ourselves to have a deeper encounter with Jesus in our lives, let us pray to the Lord.
• For all those who feel alienated from the Lord Jesus and his church, that we may be willing instruments to aid in their healing and return, let us pray to the Lord.
• For the Lord to instill in each of our hearts a love for one another, which leads us to become more fully a church community that reflects the love of Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
• For all of us gathered here, that our hearts may be transformed by the Holy Spirit, enabling us to work actively to draw all people to Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
• For a process of transformation to occur in each of us as we participate in the celebration of the Eucharist, that our reception of the body and blood of Christ will prompt us to become people who welcome others with open arms and loving hearts, let us pray to the Lord.
• For the members of our parish, and all those who serve in roles of leadership and ministry among us, that we ourselves may experience ongoing conversion and spiritual renewal, let us pray to the Lord.
• For all those in roles of ministry, for our bishop, Edward, for our priests and deacons, for those in religious or consecrated life, and for lay ecclesial ministers, may they be guided by the Lord to provide for the needs of his people so that an increase of faith may shine forth in our diocese, let us pray to the Lord.
• For God to raise up individuals in our midst who will dedicate themselves to the work of evangelization and to inviting others to a relationship with the Lord Jesus and his church, let us pray to the Lord.
• That we have the courage to reach out to and share our faith with those who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
• For the future of the church, that our hopes for its continued growth will also correspond to our willingness to live out our faith in our daily lives, let us pray to the Lord.
• For an increase in participation in the sacraments, particularly reconciliation and the Eucharist, that the love and forgiveness we find available to us in these encounters with Christ will fuel a renewal of zeal in our faith lives, let us pray to the Lord.
• For the poor, the sick and all those who suffer, that our concern for them and our actions on their behalf will allow us to become credible witnesses to Christ's presence in our midst, let us pray to the Lord.