Praying Together 2021

202 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 grace and peace of God be with you! And with your spirit. COLLECT Let us pray that we will give generously to those in need. (pause) God our Father, keep before us the love you have shown us in Jesus. and help us to be like him in word and deed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. SCRIPTURE A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark 12:41-44 Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies. Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said: “I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. Everyone else gave what they didn’t need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn’t have a cent to live on.” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. RESPONSE Can you imagine what it must be like to have two coins left to live on, and to give them away? The woman in today’s story trusted that God would look after her. Jesus reminds us that it is not about the size of our gift, but whether or not we can give over all of ourselves to God and to others. Young people may not have much money to give, but they can give of themselves by caring for others and sharing generously. Let’ s spend a minute in prayer, asking God to help us be generous in giving of ourselves today. DISMISSAL May the God of hope fill us with joy. 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 31 Ordinary Time 5 November 2021 “I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others.”