Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s first reading moves me to pray for Fr. Satish and our entire Parish Staff. After praying this scripture from 1 Thessalonians, I invite you to pray with me the Prayer for Priests, published by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. As we pray for Fr. Satish and all priests throughout the world, let us fold into that prayer our IC Parish Staff. As our first reading states, they all do indeed work night and day to proclaim to us by their preaching, teaching, and ministry, the Gospel of God. My reflection today is simple, it’s a call to prayer.
Here is the Prayer for Priests (and our IC Staff):
Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests.
Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.
Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.
Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.
Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.
Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.
Amen.
Today is also the first day of school for Immaculate Conception School. May I also invite us to pray for the teachers and staff. Here is a prayer, also from the USCCB:
Lord God,
your spirit of wisdom fills the earth
and teaches us your ways.
Look upon these teachers.
Let them strive to share their knowledge with gentle patience
and endeavor always to bring the truth to eager minds.
Grant that they may follow Jesus Christ,
the way, the truth, and the life,
forever and ever.
R/. Amen.
Finally, today, let us pray for ourselves and for one another, that as our first reading invites us, we would receive God’s word through our leaders, as it truly is, the word of God, and that this living word would be evident and alive in our lives. We offer these prayers today, confident in our loving and generous God who hears and responds with an outpouring of grace upon grace, through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Elizabeth Wourms