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.

As we commemorate the Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul this weekend, we invite you to pray with us as Fr. Tom Elich leads us in a prayer for our Church leaders. Saints Peter and Paul, two of the great leaders of the Church, didn’t always see eye to eye. But, despite their differences, they both stood united on the side of Christ. This teaches us that unity in the Church does not require uniformity, but unity means embracing diversity and mutual respect. We pray for the Church to embody this unity, inspired by the example of Peter and Paul, fostering understanding, forgiveness, and reconciliation through Christ. So, let’s pray.

• Celebrating Saints Peter and Paul: A Prayer for Our Church Leaders

  Celebrating Saints Peter and Paul: A Prayer for Our Church Leaders

  Author: Archdiocese of Brisbane

  
  Saints Peter and Paul are two of the great leaders of the Church in the first decades of its history. But these two apostles did not always see eye to eye. One of the challenges for the early Church was to figure out how much the followers of Christ needed to obey the provisions of the Jewish law. And this became a burning issue when Gentiles started to become Christians. It was resolved in the Council of Jerusalem which said that only the very minimum was required. Paul takes this good news and energetically continues to proclaim the gospel to all. Peter is on-side, but he backs away from the gentile Christian community when Jewish Christians are present. And for Paul this is not good enough, and he criticises Peter openly. But they are both on the same side, the side of Christ!

  It’s a very important lesson for us to see that there can be differences of opinion and different approaches in the Church. Unity is not uniformity. Catholic means all-embracing. Let us pray.

  God of love,

  We give you thanks for the witness of the apostles Peter and Paul.

  We thank you for the bold and fearless leadership of Peter, and the committed zeal of Paul the great missionary.

  We thank you for the diversity of their ministry and the respect they showed for each other.

  We ask you to bring the Church together today in all the diversity of opinion and variety of cultural practice.

  Draw us all into the harmony of mutual respect, so that we may show to the world the unity for which Christ prayed at the Last Supper.

  Teach us to discover, by the example of Saints Peter and Paul, opportunities for understanding and forgiveness, conversion of heart and reconciliation though Christ our Lord.

  Amen.

  In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.