Prayers for Earth Week - Celebrating God's Grace in Creation

Father, you have given us life on this earth and have met us with the race of redemption.  Bestow your greatest blessing on us, the fullness of eternal life. Amen. 

Almighty God, we give you thanks for bringing us safely to this evening hour.  May this lifting up of our hands in prayer be a sacrifice pleasing in your sight.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Lord, you are the source of unfailing light.  Give us true knowledge of your mercy so that we may renounce our pride and be filled with the riches of your house. Amen

You, O God, Majestic Creator, are the origin of all life.  Nothing can exclude itself from your creative influence.  You are wonderful in your words and in your sovereignty.  O Lord and King, Majestic Creator, you have made your mystery transparent in the world you have created.  May we worship you in your creation and in your providence. Amen.

God, King of all peoples and all ages, it is your victory we celebrate as we sing with all the skill at our command.  Help us always to overcome evil by good, that we may rejoice in your triumph forever.

God our Saviour, hear our morning prayer: help us to follow the light and live the truth.  In you we have been born again as sons and daughters of light: may we be your witnesses before all the world.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Father, you protect and strengthen those who hope in you; you heard the cry of your Son and kept him safe in your tent in the day of evil.  Grant that your servants who seek your face in times of trouble may see your goodness in the land of the living. Amen

Let us together praise the Lord, from whom we have rain from the heavens and abundance from the earth. Let us bless God, whose might has created the earth and whose providence has enriched it. God has given us the earth to cultivate, so that we may gather its fruits to sustain life. O God, from the very beginning of time you commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation and every fruit of every kind. You provide the sower with seed and give bread to eat. Grant, we pray, that this land, enriched by your bounty and cultivated by human hands, may be fertile with abundant crops. Then your people, enriched by the gifts of your goodness, will praise you unceasingly now and for all ages unending. Amen

Lord, watch over us by day and by night.  In the midst of life’s countless changes strengthen us with your never-changing love.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from our selfishness, and we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, happy to be known as companions of your Son. Amen

Father, the body of your risen Son is the temple not made by human hands and the defending wall of the new Jerusalem.  May this holy city, built of living stones, shine with spiritual radiance and witness to your greatness in the sight of all nations. Amen

We thank you, creator God, for the fruits of your creation. Keep us so mindful of its needs and those of all with whom we share, that open to your Spirit we may discern and practice all that makes for its wellbeing, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen

All-powerful and ever-living God, at morning, noon, and evening we pray: cast our from our hearts the darkness of sin and bring us to the light of your truth, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

God our father, glorious in giving life, and even more glorious in restoring it, when his last night on earth came, your Son shed tears of blood, but dawn brought incomparable gladness.  Do not turn away from us, or we shall fall back into dust, but rather turn our mourning into joy by raising us up with Christ. Amen

Father, you illumine the night and bring the dawn to scatter darkness.  Let us pass this night in safety, free from Satan’s power, and rise when morning comes to give you thanks and praise.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Blessed are You, Lord God, Creator of all that lives! On the fifth and sixth days of creation you called forth every kind of fish in the sea and bird in the air, and all animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all creatures his brothers and sisters, for he saw in them a sign of Your fatherly care for us. Give us the grace to always do Your will and praise You for all of Your beauty in creation. Praised be You, Lord of all! Amen.

Father, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, to save us and restore us to your friendship.  Look upon our contrite heart and afflicted spirit and heal our troubled conscience, so that in the joy and strength of the holy Spirit we may proclaim your praise and glory before all the nations. Amen

With joy and gladness we cry out to you, Lord, and ask you: open our hearts to sing your praises and announce your goodness and truth. Amen

God our Father, you conquer the darkness of ignorance by the light of your Word.  Strengthen within our hearts the faith you have given us; let not temptation ever quench the fire that your love has kindled within us.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen

We praise and thank You, Lord, for the gift of living water. Guide us to use it wisely, learn from its humility, consume it sparingly, and protect its purity, so that with St. Francis, we may truly enjoy water. Amen.

Prayers by Mother Teresa

Deliver me, O Jesus: From the desire of being esteemed From the desire of being loved From the desire of being honoured From the desire of being praised From the desire of being preferred to others From the desire of being consulted From the desire of being approved From the desire of being popular. Deliver me, O Jesus: From the fear of being humiliated From the fear of being despised From the fear of being rebuked From the fear of being slandered From the fear of being forgotten From the fear of being wronged From the fear of being treated unfairly From the fear of being suspected And, Jesus, grant me the grace To desire that others might be more loved than I That others might be more esteemed than I That in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I decrease That others may be chosen and I set aside That others may be preferred to me in everything That others may become holier than I, provided that I, too, become as holy as I can. Amen. 

Heavenly Father, you have given us a model of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth. Help us, O loving Father to make our family another Nazareth where love, peace and joy reign. May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic and vibrant with joy. Help us to stay together in joy and sorrow through family prayer. Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our family especially in their distressing disguise. May the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus make our hearts meek and humble like His and help us to carry out our family duties in a holy way. May we love one another as God loves each one of us more and more each day, and forgive each other's faults as You forgive our sins. Help us, O loving Father to take whatever You give and to give whatever You take with a big smile. Amen.

Make us worthy, Lord, to serve those people throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give them peace and Joy. Amen

Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole Return to being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. Amen.

Prayers for Pope Francis

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to Your shepherd, the Pope, a spirit of courage and right judgement, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care may he, as successor to the apostle Peter and vicar of Christ, build Your church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful, look favourably on your servant Francis, whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd; Grant, we pray, that by word and example he may be of service to those over whom he presides so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may come to everlasting life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayers for the Grace to Serve - Love one another as I have loved you

Loving God, help us become attentive to one another and to your Spirit present in each of us.  May we listen to one another with the same respect that the people of Israel gave to your messenger.   Amen.

Gracious God, we can hear the voice of God in the wisdom of one another, but we must listen.  May we listen and speak as God wills for us. This is the way of true wisdom.  Amen.

God of our light, You are the source of all truth.  Help us to speak the truth, remembering that we are part of the Body of Christ. Help us to forgive instead of turning to sarcasm, sniping, hateful words, or worse.  May 

we always keep before us as a prayer, “We are members of one another.”  Amen.

Loving God, you urge us to speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of the destitute.  Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.  May your words be a challenge to us as we come together.  Let us recall the rights of those who are not with us, especially people who are poor or powerless.  May our concern always be for the good of all your people.  Amen

God of Hope, help us learn to listen attentively.  Help us to remember these words from the Scriptures so that when we listen we will learn, and when we pay attention we will be planting the seeds of wisdom. Amen.

God of light, help us to choose words that we can all understand. May we communicate clearly so that we will all be wiser and better.  Strengthen us to share our stories and our experiences.   Amen.

Loving God, may we listen to your words, not only to those spoken in Scriptures but also to the words of truth and charity spoken by our sisters and brothers.  Give us ears to hear the prophet in one another. Amen.

God of our Journey, grant that our words may nourish the soul of one another.  May we all grow in wisdom and understanding.  All of us are of infinite value; may our words honour you, God, by their kindness, honesty and care. Bless us on our journey home. Amen. 

Loving God, help us to listen carefully.  Help us to have the humility to hold our tongue when we have nothing to contribute.  Aid us with the gifts of listening and speaking.  Amen.

Loving God, cleanse our heart of all that might make us cold, withdrawn, bitter, snide, sarcastic, or crude.  Instead, guide our words so that they provide encouragement and hope for one another. Amen.

God of all creation, You hear every desire of our heart. We ask you to give us the grace to keep in mind the words found in the Scriptures.  Help us be nourished by the words we share with one another.  Amen.

Loving God, create clean hearts and generous minds in us so that whatever comes from our mouth may be considerate, just and honest.  May we do our inner work so that our words will be filled with the Spirit of wisdom.  Give us the grace to love one another. Amen.

Healing God, open our ears.  Grant that we may hear your invitations to grace when they come through the Scriptures, nature, friendships, and every gathering of faith, such as this one.  Amen.

Faithful God, help us to use our voice for blessing, encouraging, reasoning, praising, and thanking.  May we always lift up your voice in joyful song to thank you for all your abundant gifts to us.  Amen.

Loving God, help us demonstrate your love every day.  Keep us strong and motivated to do good for everyone.  Help us love and serve one another, as Jesus showed us.  Amen.

Loving God, each of us is created in your image yet we are all unique.  May we learn to accept one another and give each other a chance to show who we are and what we are all about.   Amen.

Loving God, we thank you for all the gifts you have given to us.  May we always know that you are there and that we will not be given more than we can handle.  Amen.

Loving God, you have chosen us to help build your kingdom here on earth.  May we accept this call and respond by exercising prudence, understanding, and love.  Amen.

Loving God, may our words and actions reflect the gospel message.  May we always remain open to serving you through acts of love and compassion. Amen.

Loving God, life is often busy; filled with expectations and commitments.  May we always be willing to answer Jesus’ call to perform the spiritual works of mercy.  It is in taking time for others, that your love and your presence are made known to the world.  May your love inspire us to do this in your name.  Amen.

Prayers for the Beginning of the School Year

Lord Jesus, we ask for Your help as we begin this new school year. Allow us to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before us. Open our eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings. Open our heart and mind to new friends and new teachers. Give us a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with our studies and courage to accept new opportunities. Help us to be attentive to one another and let us experience Your presence in our new friends. Jesus, inspire us to do our best this year! Amen

Lord, Give us insight to see realistically "what is"; but make us dreamers and give us vision of all the possibilities for "what can be." Use us as your instruments to form, inform, reform, and transform those who come to us. We ask this in your name, Jesus Christ. Amen

Loving Creator, Map your goals for us in our hearts. Make our classrooms oases in the busy world. Make them places of warmth and trust. May our affirmation of our students enable them to know that their opinion counts. Free them to stretch themselves as they seek holistic growth in a safe, nurturing, Christian environment. Amen

Dearest Father in Heaven, Bless us all and bless this day of new beginnings. Smile upon this staff and student body, And surround us, Lord, with the soft mantle of your love. Teach this community to follow in your footsteps, And to live life in the ways of Love, faith, hope and charity. We ask this through your name, Jesus Christ… Amen

God, I am not sure if you really exist. Accept me with all my doubts and fears and show yourself to me in such a way that I can somehow move forward. Show yourself to me as love, Show yourself to me as forgiveness Show yourself to me as new life, as the promise of a new beginning. Amen

Lord God, You are a global God. Grace us and grace our students with global vision in our mission to spread your love. May we be trailblazers as we bring that "touch of magic," that touch of your love, to those we meet each day. We make this prayer in your name, Jesus Christ. Amen

Loving Father: Make us feeling people, who empathize with the many emotions which pervade our buildings each day. May we harness the energy of those feelings and use it in building a learning community of students, faculty, administrators, staff, and parents within the nurturing environment of our schools and homes. Amen

May the blessing of the Holy Trinity go with us today. May God’s strength keep us secure. May Christ our true Wisdom guide our learning. May the Holy Spirit make us glad and good. May the enfolding of the Trinity hold us and bring us, at day’s end, safely home.  Amen.

Lord, keep us strong so that we can carry out your works: feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, clothing the naked and being a voice for those who suffer persecution. Bless us this year, so that we may all experience rich friendships, authentic success, and purpose in all we do. Amen

Lord God, In our work as Catholic students and teachers, let us reach out to all, remembering that anonymity is not acceptable for anyone in our communities. May we live our lives so that people recognize you in us...so that wearing the cross would not be incongruous to those who know us. May those in our schools be "pearls" to us, valued for the unique beauty they bring to our communities. Amen

Creator God, May our lives be quilted together in love made visible, as we laugh, love, labour, and learn together. Enliven our spirits that our inner beings may give form and strength to all we do. Finally, grant that we who serve in Catholic schools may love you much, may love one another, and may never forget why we came! Amen.

Loving God, Look upon these students. Let them enjoy their learning and take delight in new discoveries. Help them to persevere in their studies and give them the desire to learn all things well.  Look upon these teachers. Let them strive to share their knowledge with gentle patience and endeavour always to bring the truth to eager minds. Grant that students and teachers alike may follow Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, forever and ever. Amen

Advent Prayers - Come Saviour of the World

Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Loving God,  in the wilderness of the Jordan you sent a messenger to prepare people's hearts for the coming of your Son. Help me to hear his words and repent of my sins, so that I may clearly see the way to walk, the truth to speak, and the life to live for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Father in heaven, the day draws near when the glory of your Son will make radiant the night of the waiting world. May the lure of greed not impede us from the joy which moves the hearts of those who seek him. May the darkness not blind us to the vision of wisdom which fills the minds of those who find him. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Loving God, the grace we desire for this week is to be able to hear the promise and to invite our God to come into those real places of our lives that dearly need God's coming.  We want to be able to say:  "Lord, I place my trust in your promise.  Please, Lord, rouse your power and come into this place in my life, this relationship, into this deep self-defeating pattern.  Please come here and save me." Amen.

Prayers for Advent - Advent of our God

Loving God,  as the shepherds found the Holy Child in a humble manger, so may we learn to look for you in our ordinary, everyday lives. Amen.

Father, in the wilderness of the Jordan you sent a messenger to prepare people's hearts for the coming of your Son. Help me to hear his words and repent of my sins, so that I may clearly see the way to walk, the truth to speak, and the life to live for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Loving God of Advent, help us prepare ourselves for the celebration of your birth by caring for those who are less fortunate.  Amen. 

Father, all-powerful God, your eternal Word took flesh on our earth when the Virgin Mary placed her life at the service of your plan. Lift our minds in watchful hope to heart the voice which announces his glory and open our minds to receive the Spirit who prepares us for his coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

All-powerful God, help us to look forward in hope to the coming of our Saviour.  In honour of your coming into our world and sharing our humanity.  Help us to have a joyous vacation and return to school renewed in mind, body, and spirit. Amen. 

Prayers for Advent - Wait for the Lord!

God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Lord God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

God of power and mercy, open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy, so that we may share his wisdom and become one with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Prayers for Advent - Come Long Expected Jesus!

Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of Your Father and ours. Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord who enlists me in God's own work for justice. Amen

Father, all-powerful God, your eternal Word took flesh on our earth when the Virgin Mary placed her life at the service of your plan. Lift our minds in watchful hope to heart the voice which announces his glory and open our minds to receive the Spirit who prepares us for his coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord, fill our hearts with your love, and as you revealed to us by an angel the coming of your Son as man, so lead us through his suffering and death to the glory of his resurrection, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Lord Jesus, during this final week of Advent remind us that what we celebrate is your birth into our world.  As we approach the joy of Christmas, help us to think more of giving than receiving. Amen.

Father in heaven, the day draws near when the glory of your Son will make radiant the night of the waiting world. May the lure of greed not impede us from the joy which moves the hearts of those who seek him. May the darkness not blind us to the vision of wisdom which fills the minds of those who find him. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.