PRAYER SERVICE FOR RELATIVES, ELDERS AND FRIENDS
Hymn: Come Holy Ghost, Creator blest….
Leader: Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created
All: And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Introduction:
On 26th July we will be celebrating Parent’s Day. On this day we will ask the Lord for special blessings on our parents. In preparation for this festal celebration, we pray today for all our relatives, elders in the house and community and friends.
A child finds one’s true expression primarily in the family and then in the larger community consisting of relatives, elders and friends “This wider family can help make up for the shortcomings of parents, detect and report possible situations in which children suffer violence and even abuse, and provide wholesome love and family stability in cases when parents prove incapable of this.” Let us therefore thank God and pray for all our relatives, elders and friends who contribute positively to the quality of our lives and make up for what is lacking in our family lives.
Opening Prayer
Leader: O loving God, you, who dwell in the communion of the Holy Trinity, invite the human family to live communitarian lives as one big family. It is you who have assigned roles to those who are part of our family lives. Today as we pray for our relatives, elders and friends we give you thanks for their presence in our lives. Please fill them with generosity of heart and keep them ever cheerful. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gospel Luke 2:41-52 (Use the Bible for reading: Any language)
Leader: A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
The word of the Lord
Reflection: Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived a simple and an ordinary family life, close to others, a normal part of the community. In the episode of the visitation we see how Mary as a true relative goes to Elizabeth to share in the good news. At the wedding at Cana, we see how Mary is there to help out in times of need. “Jesus too readily interacted with the wider family, the relatives of his parents and his friends. This explains how, on returning from Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph could imagine for a whole day that their twelve-year-old son, Jesus, was somewhere in the caravan, listening to people’s stories and sharing their concerns.” In our daily living, we are also privileged to have with us our relatives, elders and friends as Holy Father says, “to provide love and support to teenage mothers, children without parents, single mothers, persons with disabilities…, young people struggling with addiction, the unmarried, separated or widowed who are alone, and the elderly and infirm who lack the support of their children.” Let us ask the Lord to enable us to live together and happily in the presence of each other, loving and caring for each other.
Moment of Sharing: If there are any relatives who are staying with you like your uncles, aunts, cousins, they may share some feelings/ incidents on the happiness they find in living in your family. (after this maintain a brief period of silence)
Hymn: God is so good (3), he’s so good to me. God cares for me (3), he’s so good to me.
I love Him so, (3), he’s so good to me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBMi42a_kpc or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq6I0ceM92A
Prayers of the Faithful
Leader: Trusting in God’s concern for us, we now offer God our prayers and petitions.
Our Response: Lord hear our prayer.
Reader: For our Holy Father Pope Francis, Bishops, priests, deacons, religious sisters that they may make themselves always available to their flock. We pray: Lord hear our prayer
Reader: Lord, bless all our relatives, elders and friends. Grant them good health and loving hearts. We pray: Lord hear our prayer.
Reader: For all the members of our community and the parish community, may we all live in love and communion and help each other to live loving, faith-filled, happy and healthy lives. We pray: Lord hear our prayer
Reader: Lord, we present to you all our relatives, elders and friends who are sick, suffering, or undergoing difficulties in their lives. Please send your Holy Spirit to heal them and guide them. We pray: Lord hear our prayer
Reader: Lord, reward all our relatives, elders and friends who have died. Welcome them into your heavenly kingdom. We pray: Lord hear our prayer
Pray One Our Father and One Hail Mary
Closing Prayer: O loving and compassionate God, we thank you for the gift of our relatives, elders and friends whose presence enhances our lives. Lord, shower upon them your abundant blessings; especially on my relatives (N) elders (N), friends (N). Lord grant them good health, happiness, peace and long life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Final gesture: The relatives and elders in the house will now bless the child/ren.
Dismissal: May the Lord bless us and keep us in His loving care and protection. Amen
Final Hymn: Any hymn of Thanksgiving.