Sample Intercessions October 24, 2004

30th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year C
October 24, 2004

Things, events, and news items to keep in mind:

• Click here for this Sunday's readings.
• October 23-24 is the National Weekend of Faith in Action on the Death Penalty.
• Muslims continue to observe the month of Ramadan.
• Fighting escalates in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.
• Sudanese continue to suffer amid civil unrest.
• Presidential and local campaigning continue.

The following are just samples meant to inspire your work. Use them as ideas for your own assembly's intercessions. Read 10 Principles for Writing Intercessions and Step by Step Guide to help you write your own.

Presider
Trusting all things to God, let us lift up the needs of the world.

Deacon/cantor/reader:
For the Church (pause):
for ears to hear the cry of the oppressed,
for eyes focused on the crown of righteousness,
for hands lifted in humble prayer.
We pray to the Lord.

For leaders and all seeking positions of leadership (pause):
for honest campaigning and civil discourse;
for strength to make difficult decisions;
for commitment to serve the weak and oppressed, the widowed and orphaned.
We pray to the Lord.

For all affected by violence and war (pause):
for those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sudan;
for troops and workers serving in places of conflict;
for their families and friends who await their return.
We pray to the Lord.

For victims of crime and those who suffer silently (pause):
for swift attention to their cries for help;
for their attackers and all who have wronged them;
for compassion, wisdom, healing, and forgiveness.
We pray to the Lord.

For prisoners and those condemned to death (pause):
for just judgment and consistent affirmation of life;
for mercy to the sinner and compassion for the guilty;
for justice without vengance and punishment without cruelty.
We pray to the Lord.

Presider:
Blessed are you, Lord, God of perfect justice,
for you hear the wail of the orphan and answer the prayers of the lowly.
Make us a humble people of mercy and compassion
and a persistent voice for all who struggle for life,
so that lasting peace may embrace the earth.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.