Hear Our Prayer. Raymond Chapman

to those who are seeking truth and cannot find their way: lead them to the feet of Christ.

      Receive the souls of the departed into the Kingdom where all journeys end and all worship is fulfilled in glory … As little Bethlehem was made great by the divine birth, so may those who were humble and unregarded in this world be numbered with the saints in heaven.

      We make our offering of prayer to Christ, King, Priest and atoning Sacrifice.

      THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST (FIRST SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY)

      Matthew 3:1–17

      Let us pray to God who in baptism has called us to be his body on earth.

      Send the Holy Spirit upon the Church, that the glory of the Son may be known and proclaimed … Bless all who come for baptism, fill them with grace to walk in the way of Christ whose example they have followed. Bless those who are leading people to know the Lord.

      Cleanse with the water of holiness all that is corrupt in the world today. Speak with the voice from heaven to those in authority and lead them into the right way … Teach them that all their power comes from one who is greater than they, the source of all power.

      Bless all those who at this time are preparing for baptism, for themselves or for their children … Give them the light of the Holy Spirit, to lead them to new life in Christ … May all that we do in our daily lives be pleasing in the sight of God.

      Be with those for whom the glory is veiled by suffering and let the light of heaven shine upon them again … As Christ followed the way of human obedience, so may he bring healing to the sick and comfort to the sorrowful.

      Let the heavens be opened to those who have passed from this world … Cleansed by baptism and kept faithful by the Holy Spirit, may they find all joy and peace in the glory of the Father.

      We pray in the name of Christ, the Son, the Beloved.

      SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

      John 1:29–42

      Let us pray to God, who guides all who seek him in faith.

      As you have called your chosen ones to be your witnesses, give power to the Church to witness faithfully … Since by grace we have known the true Messiah, may we make him known to others … As the first disciples followed Christ to his dwelling, so may his servants at this time come to him and rest with him.

      Bless the people of this world with wisdom to know the Lord and the will to follow him … Holy Spirit, descending on him and abiding in him, enter into the dark places of the world, to banish ignorance and reveal the Saviour who has come.

      As Andrew brought his brother to Christ, so may we bring to him those who are close to us but do not yet know the fullness of his love … May he come into our homes and make them his own … May he, the great Teacher, give light to all who teach and all who learn in this community.

      Have mercy on those who seek rest and cannot find it; give them hope in Christ who calls the seekers to find their peace in him … Come to the lonely ones who have no one to walk with them and show them the way … May they find human friendship, and divine love.

      Grant eternal rest to those who have come at last to where Christ dwells in glory … As they have sought him and tried to serve him in this world, may they see him with full vision and abide in him for ever.

      We pray in the name of Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

      THIRD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY

      Matthew 4:12–20

      Let us pray to God who has called us to his service.

      Give to the Church a burning zeal to win souls for Christ … Empower the shared ministry of all believers, so that human love may serve the love of God and make it known … Let your people never be deaf when you call them to your work, whether it is great or little.

      May the people who sit in darkness see the great light of God and know his presence among them … Bless all our work in this world, but help us to know that it is not the whole of life … Enrich the skills and talents of daily labour, opening them to new service for the Kingdom.

      Be present with our families and all the families of this community … Increase our love for one another but save us from the clinging selfishness that will not share our security with those who have none … When we are called to be apart from one another, keep us confident that we are not separated from your protecting love.

      Come close to those who have had to leave their homes and loved ones … Comfort parents who are lonely when children have gone away … As the disciples were given the power of healing, bless all those who care for the sick in mind or body.

      Receive into the heavenly light those who have passed through the shadow of death … 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