The first priority in Archbishop Mark’s Apostolic Priorities for the Archdiocese of Brisbane, documented in With Lamps Ablaze, is Teaching Prayer. He says, “Often we urge people to pray but don’t really teach them how to pray… Now is the time to teach ways of prayer which are mature and all-embracing. Christian prayer begins not with speaking but with listening; and learning to pray is therefore learning to listen – to listen even to the silences of God. If all we do is speak, then in the words of Jesus we “babble like the pagans” (Matt 6:7). But if we speak after listening and in response to God who always has the first word, then we speak according to the mind of the Holy Spirit. That’s what we need to teach and learn. In the Gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus called the twelve apostles to himself, first of all, “that they might be with him” (3:14). This is where the mission starts: being with Jesus, which is what prayer is.”
Join us for our new weekly series, Let’s Pray, where we invite you to pray along with us. Each week we will invite you to pray a new prayer with us – maybe you don’t know what to pray, or want to pray along with someone, or want to practice your faith through prayer. Our Let’s Pray series is for everyone.
This week, we invite you to join us and Fr Dan Ryan in a prayer to honour and uplift the elderly within the community. Their wisdom, experience, and faith have paved the way for us, teaching us through their lives the perseverance of love, and trust in God. As we join our hearts in prayer, let us acknowledge the invaluable contributions they have made to our lives and the life of the Church. Together, let us seek God’s blessing for them, that they may continue to be surrounded by His grace, comfort, and love. Let’s pray.
- Honouring Wisdom and Grace: A prayer for the Elderly
Honouring Wisdom and Grace: A prayer for the Elderly
Author: Archdiocese of Brisbane
Hello, I’m Fr Dan Ryan. Today I invite you to join me in prayer to remember and uplift our elderly within the community. Their wisdom, experience, and faith have paved the way for us, you and me, teaching us through their lives the perseverance of love, and trust in God. As we join our hearts in prayer, let us acknowledge the invaluable contributions they have made to our lives and the life of the Church. Together, let us seek God’s blessing for them, that they may continue to be surrounded by His grace,
comfort, and love. Let’s pray.In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.Heavenly Father, we lift our hearts to You in prayer for our cherished elderly, the bearers of tradition, wisdom, and faith. In Your infinite wisdom, You have given them the gift of years, and we thank You for the life, experiences, and blessings they have shared with us. Bless them, Lord, with comfort in times of loneliness, strength in weakness, and peace in their hearts. May Your love surround them, Your grace uplift them, and Your mercy reassure them of their invaluable worth in Your eyes and ours. Grant them, O Lord, a renewal of hope and joy in their days. Let their wisdom guide the younger generations, and their faith inspire us all to walk closer with You. Provide them with the compassion and care they deserve, help us to honour and support them in their golden years. May we be their hands and feet, reflecting Your love through acts of kindness, patience, and understanding.
We ask for Your blessings upon them, that they may continue to be a light for us and for the world. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.So in praying for our elderly, let us cherish their wisdom and grace, seeing in them the living testament of God’s love. Thank you for joining us, we hope to see you again. Thank you.