Praying Together 2021

143 Gather Light a candle as a sign of God’s presence and sit quietly. Ring a bell or chime to start the prayer. The love of God be with you! And with your spirit. COLLECT Yesterday the Church celebrated the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. After Mary died, God took her to heaven to be with the risen Christ. Let us pray that this feast of Mary’s Assumption will be for us a sign of hope. (pause ) Glorious God, by imitating the Virgin Mary’s faith on earth may we come to share her glory in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. SCRIPTURE A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans 6:3-5, 8-11 Don’t you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptised also share in his death? When we were baptised, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptised, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father. If we shared in Jesus’ death by being baptised, we will be raised to life with him. As surely as we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. In the same way, Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. RESPONSE Trusting that our God is near, let us pray for the needs of the world. For those preparing for baptism: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For those who mourn the loss of a loved one: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For those who are dying: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For faith that we will be raised to life with Christ: (pause) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. For the prayers in our hearts today: (pause while students offer their prayers aloud) We pray as one. Gracious God, hear our prayer. DISMISSAL May the love of God burn 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. Monday Week 20 Ordinary Time 16 August 2021 “We were baptised, so that we would live a new life.”