Responsorial Prayer for the Anglican Primates

Date added: 11/01/2016

Responsorial Prayer for the Anglican Primates 

Gracious Father, your Son came as Emmanuel:
Be with the Primates now and always.
Your Son had no place to lay his head;
Bless their homes and households while they are in Canterbury.
Your Son called disciples; disputed with authorities; was always with the poor.
Give us grace to see his face in one another.
Your Son was lifted up to draw all people to himself;
May the Primates, through being together, be the more ready to share your life with your world.
Your Son gave his life as a ransom for many:
Strengthen us to take up our cross and follow him.
Your Son was raised in the power of your Spirit;
Inspire us to walk in his risen life.
Your Son breathed the Spirit on his disciples
Breathe on us all your Spirit of forgiveness and healing.
Your Son commissioned the disciples to go into all the world:
Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory.

Calling God, you sent your Spirit upon the nervous apostles;
Enable us to speak and listen in all your languages.
Your Spirit opened your heaven to Stephen:
Reveal to us when to give way, and when to stand firm.
Your Spirit called Saul to be your apostle Paul:
Show us where we have been persecuting you.
Your Spirit opened the eyes of Peter;
Show us what changes and what never changes.
Your Spirit was with both Peter and Paul in Jerusalem:
Show us when we need each other to see you.
Your Spirit inspired Paul on the Areopagus:
Give us words to say when we face new challenges.
Your Spirit led Paul out of prison:
May your truth set us free.
Your Spirit guided your church to record the words of eternal life:
When we have nowhere to turn, be our companion into the unknown.

God of grace and mercy, in the face of judgement, your Son told us where we could always find him. 

He was hungry in the desert. We are hungry.
Open our eyes to where we each are hungry.
He was thirsty on the cross. We are thirsty.
Open our lips to where we each are thirsty.
He was naked in the manger. We are naked.
Open our lives to where we each are naked.
He was a stranger in his home town. We are strangers.
Open our hands to where we each are a stranger.
He asked for help in Gethsemane. We need help.
Open our hearts to where we each need help. 
He was in prison in the High Priest’s house. We are in prison.
Open our souls to where we are each in prison.

We say together:

Almighty God,
whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain,
and entered not into glory before he was crucified:
Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross,
may find it none other than the way of life and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.