‘Beware of those who swallow the property of widows while making a show of lengthy prayers’ … as we mark the World day of the Poor, the whole Church will with determination seek to become ‘Church for the Poor, the Church of the Poor’ challenging all injustice and inequality
[reader:] LORD OPEN OUR EYES…
[response:] TO SEE YOU POOR AMONG THE POOR
‘The Lord brings justice to the oppressed, gives bread to the hungry, upholds the widow and orphan’ … that the COP26 Climate Conference will with courage listen to the ‘cries of the earth, the cries of the Poor’ and act decisively and with courage to heal the planet and bring justice to the poor
[reader:] LORD OPEN OUR EYES…
[response:] TO SEE YOU POOR AMONG THE POOR
‘Elijah the prophet went to the pagan widow of Sidon’ … that our Global Synod which we have begun will truly listen to the voices of today’s prophets and the cries of those on the edges of the Church and have the courage to listen to the Spirit seeking a new way to be the Church
[reader:] LORD OPEN OUR EYES…
[response:] TO SEE YOU POOR AMONG THE POOR
‘The Poor widow had only two small coins’ … we pray that each of us will work to end poverty in our city, our country, our world: we pray especially for all whom we serve through our food bank and through the Churches Winter Night Shelter project
[reader:] LORD OPEN OUR EYES…
[response:] TO SEE YOU POOR AMONG THE POOR
The Widow of Sidon said ‘ I am preparing this myself and my son to eat’ … For our young people that they will be inspired by Jesus, the Poor Man of Nazareth, to listen to the Spirit within them and joyously become ‘Good news to the poor’ of our world and build a new and more equal global community
[reader:] LORD OPEN OUR EYES…
[response:] TO SEE YOU POOR AMONG THE POOR
For a more equal distribution of health care and vaccinations among the poorer countries : and in particular we pray for …
bring eternal life to all who have died recently: …, and all victims of Covid, and violence and war;
and everlasting peace for all whose anniversaries are at this time:
[reader:] LORD OPEN OUR EYES…
[response:] TO SEE YOU POOR AMONG THE POOR
We ask Mary, Refuge of the Poor, to help us liberate the world of poverty and injustice…
HAIL MARY…
We pray now for other needs in a moment of silence