Praying Together 2021

114 Gather Light a candle as a sign of God’s presence and sit quietly. Ring a bell or chime to start the prayer. May the love of God be with you! And with your spirit. COLLECT Let us pray for pardon and peace. (pause) God of mercy, may your goodness surpass both what we deserve and what we desire. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. SCRIPTURE A reading from the book of Sirach 28:2-7 If you forgive your friends when they mistreat you, your prayers will be answered and your sins forgiven. If you stay angry with someone, don’t expect the Lord to heal you. Don’t ask God to forgive you, if you don’t have pity on others. God won’t forgive you, if you stay angry at someone. So stop holding grudges and start obeying God. Think about the commands and the promise of God Most High. Then forget about the sins and the ignorance of others. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. RESPONSE Today’s reading tells us that we should forgive others because God forgives us! God’s forgiveness is a gift, and we are supposed to pass that gift on to others. Watch a short video by PurseGOD Kids called “How Stuff Works #4 – Forgiveness”. Do you think the children did a good job of explaining the importance of forgiveness? After watching the video, spend a quiet moment in prayer, asking God to help you forgive others. DISMISSAL May the peace of Christ dwell in our hearts. Amen. May God bless us in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Ring the bell or chime to signal the end of the prayer. Extinguish the candle. Tuesday Week 14 Ordinary Time 6 July 2021 “God won’t forgive you, if you stay angry at someone.”