Occasional Prayers (3)
Intercession – 4th Sunday
of Lent (Mothering Sunday)
Let us come in the name of Jesus the
Christ, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to present our praise,
our pleas, and our petitions to our always, and ever-loving heavenly Father.
Let us pray.
Abba/Amma
On this fourth Sunday in Lent,
as we celebrate Mothers, Motherhood, and Maternal Love,
Let us remember the spirits of:
Sarah, the
mother who waited; Hagar, the mother who endured,
Rebekah, the
mother who believed,
Jochebed, the mother of Moses, who had a plan,
Naomi, the
faithful Mother-in law, Hannah, who kept her promise, Elizabeth,
who believed in miracles,
Among so many other meaningful mothers,
And, especially, Mary, the surrogate Mother of
our Lord and Saviour, forever blessed among women.
May we all, mothers and fathers, endure our
joy and suffering, and rejoice with Julian of Norwich,
who was shown that,
“When our suffering ends, at last our eyes will open,
And in that sudden clarity
our light will be total.
This light is God, our Father-Mother,
Our Creator and the Holy Spirit,
Inside Christ Jesus, our Liberator.
Our faith is our light in the darkness of night,
And that light is God, our endless day.”
Amen
May your name be holy,
Your kingdom come, and your will be done,
As in heaven, so also on earth.
And so, on earth, you know as well as we do,
The blessings an earthly home can bring,
With the nurture, the emotional and physical
nourishment,
And the enjoyment we may have as family.
Sadly, though, far too many mothers and fathers,
children and grandparents
know nothing of these treasures of family life.
For all the abandoned, lonely, lost, guilt-ridden and
fear-filled fathers, mothers, and children, then,
Lord, show your mercy.
Today, though, we give you thanks for the
Passionate parenting and the protective
Presence of our mothers in particular – of whom we
have thus been so privileged.
Above all, let us remember,
regardless of the circumstances of our lives,
the joy that is Jerusalem above, our free and eternal
mother, and Jesus
who loves us like a mother hen, gathering us under her
wings.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Abba-Father
We pray for Mother Church, and for the archbishops,
Bishops, and all ministers - Ordained and Lay.
For all deacons, teachers,
evangelists, and healers,
for pastors, prophets, priests and pray-ers,
for the administrators,
curates,
cleaners, choristers, and caterers -
all, indeed,
who serve you as your Body
on behalf of your world:
and as we join again, across
the diocese of Norwich in prayer
that 2024 would be a Prophetic Year.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
for peace.
We pray for the liberation of Ukraine,
and justice for the Ukrainians.
We pray for the peoples of Yemen and Sudan,
for the oppressed of China, Hong Kong, and Tibet,
of Russia, North Korea, and Syria,
and…and Abba! - the list goes on!
we pray for peace in Palestine,
and the wider Holy Land:
for Gaza and for Israel,
Gaza City and Jerusalem.
You who came – and who died, and rose again -
to end all hostility between
Heaven and Earth,
Body and
Spirit,
Men and Women,
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jehovah Rapha – God our Healer
Have mercy on all those among us,
or known to us,
who are suffering from
sickness of mind, body, or soul –
perhaps all three –
as well as those who are
addicted, incarcerated, hungry,
lonely, lost, and afraid.
We pray for those we
remember to you, now,
and any others we know -
PAUSE
And for those who mourn, to whom you
have promised comfort, and who
you reassure of resurrection life:
bless and protect them, and us,
and deal kindly and
graciously with us,
bestow your loving favour
upon us, and grant us all Shalom -
the wholeness of peace, faith,
hope and love in your extravagant grace.
Merciful Father, accept these our prayers for the sake
of your son, our saviour, Jesus Christ, AMEN.
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