Praying Together 2021

192 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 peace of Christ be with you! And with your spirit. COLLECT Let us pray that God will guide our steps. (pause) God, ever faithful and true, hear us when we cry out to you and guide us on the path of life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. SCRIPTURE A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 10: 46-52 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving, they were followed by a large crowd. A blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting beside the road. When he heard that it was Jesus from Nazareth, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” Many people told the man to stop, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him over!” They called out to the blind man and said, “Don’t be afraid! Come on! He is calling for you.” The man threw off his coat as he jumped up and ran to Jesus. Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man answered, “Master, I want to see!” Jesus told him, “You may go. Your eyes are healed because of your faith.” Right away the man could see, and he went down the road with Jesus. The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. RESPONSE Let’s close our eyes as th e quiet music b egins. (Read slowly, pausing at the end of each sentence) . Imagine you are sitting outside your school at the beginning of a busy day. You are blind and cannot see anything. What do you hear around you? What do you smell? What can you feel on the ground? All of a sudden, something is different. Someone important is coming your way… it is Jesus! Everyone is excited and walking alongside him chattering noisily. You don’t know exactly where Jesus is, but you need to get his attention so you start crying out. What would you say? Just as you are starting to worry that Jesus has passed by without noticing you, you hear Jesus’ voice. What does he say to you? Jesus sits down beside you as you tell him about the things you would like him to do for you in your life. What does Jesus say to you about your life right now? Suddenly you feel healed by Jesus’ presence and you can see again. How do you feel? Jesus tells you that your faith has healed you and continues on his way. Let’s spend a few quiet moments now, remembering that we can always call out to Jesus who hears us. DISMISSAL May God protect and heal us. 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. Friday Week 29 Ordinary Time 22 October 2021 “Your eyes are healed because of your faith.”