FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – Good Shepherd Sunday
The Church’s deepest call is to love without limit: may all humanity know the love the Father lavishes upon us – may the love Christians bear one another unite the Church and heal our world … we pray especially for our Chief Shepherd, Pope Francis and our own Bishop Declan: may they listen to God’s People so as to guide us wisely and courageously
[reader:] LORD YOU CALL US…
[response:] YOUR WILL BE DONE…
The World’s call is to be human and in this pivotal decade to heal creation itself, to protect the life and well-being of every person and the planet we share: that all races and nations will struggle for peace rather than struggle in war: for the peoples of Middle East, the Congo, Mali and Cameroon and the world’s many theatres of conflict; for a more humane heart in the UK and Europe to those migrants who risk their lives to escape terror and poverty; for decisive action to combat global warming for future generations
[reader:] LORD YOU CALL US…
[response:] YOUR WILL BE DONE…
Our Parish Community’s call is to embrace Jesus’ challenge to be the Shepherd for the people of the Inner City: may we be God’s ‘field hospital’, gathering the poor and broken into healing, hope and life, and challenging every form of racism and discrimination: following the Shepherd may we reach out to all and inviting them to the Table of the Lord
[reader:] LORD YOU CALL US…
[response:] YOUR WILL BE DONE…
Some are called to ordained ministry or the religious life: for the students of our Diocese studying for the priesthood in seminaries and for those preparing for the permanent diaconate; for our young women and men that they might welcome God’s call to serve with their whole lives in ordained Ministry and Religious Life; for the Church that we might be open to new forms of ministry that the Spirit calls and shapes in our age and for our world
[reader:] LORD YOU CALL US…
[response:] YOUR WILL BE DONE…
All of us are equally called through Baptism and Confirmation to holiness and to ministry: for catechumens preparing for Baptism and Confirmation in the coming weeks; may we all answer the call to be shepherds one to another, serving the Kingdom and the Gospel, with love for one another and our world; that those called to the single life or to Christian marriage may give themselves faithfully to their particular vocation
[reader:] LORD YOU CALL US…
[response:] YOUR WILL BE DONE…
We are all called to life and wholeness: for all suffering from Covid, especially in India at this time and for all health-care workers caring for them; the housebound of our parish, and for …;
for all who have died recently, especially … Fr Hans Kung and all who have perished on the refugee journey to freedom;
for those whose anniversaries occur at this time: Stephen Lawrence, and …
[reader:] LORD YOU CALL US…
[response:] YOUR WILL BE DONE…
Let us ask Mary, who uttered her ‘Yes’ to God’s Call, to pray that each will embrace our vocation more profoundly …
HAIL MARY…
Let us pray in a moment of silence to listen to the voice of the Shepherd and follow him…