Week of Sunday 24th May [St. Bede’s Day]

This week, we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and also
The National Week of Reconciliation.

Our Prayer of the Week is the Collect which is also on our Readings Sheet:

Almighty God,
At the feast of Pentecost
you sent your Holy Spirit to the disciples
Filling them with joy and boldness to preach the gospel:
Empower us with that same Spirit
to witness to your redeeming love
and draw all people to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
one God, now and forever
Amen.

We also pray this Rainbow Prayer, in honour of Reconciliation.

The Rainbow Prayer
Dear loving Lord, Creator of all
You created us all in your own image
One image – many colours
One image – many cultures
You made us come together like a rainbow
separate parts but coming together in one creation
Help us to see the beauty you have created in each and every one of us.

Dear loving God, we are your creation
Hear the cries of your people
You gave us ears to hear and eyes to see
Open our eyes to what you want us to see
Help us always to look to you to see the wisdom of your ways.

Dear loving Lord, creator of all
You gave us hearts to love and minds to reason
Help us to understand our differences and grow in love for each other
Help us to come together as the rainbow comes together,
many colours, shining as one creation over all the earth
As you intended us to be.
In the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Rev’d Robyn Davis, NATSIAC Life Member, Diocese of Bendigo
https://www.abmission.org/pages/prayers-for-reconciliation.html

For our song this week, we hope you enjoy this version of “Breathe On Me Breath of God”.

Our window this week is the window dedicated to St Augustine of Canterbury.

Prayers During This Pandemic

Church leaders, including our Archbishop, ask us to pause for prayer at 8 am every Friday.
We are asked to pray for:
* An end to the pandemic
* Healing for people suffering from the illness
* Those researching a vaccine
* Our political and community leaders as they try to provide wise
leadership
* Our health workers, as they are at the front line.

Almighty and All–loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
We pray to you through Christ the Healer for those who suffer from the Coronavirus Covid–19
in and across the world.
We pray too for all who reach out to those who mourn the loss of each and every person who has died as a result of contracting the disease.
Give wisdom to policymakers, skill to healthcare professionals and researchers, comfort to everyone in distress and a sense of calm to us all in these days of uncertainty and distress.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
who showed compassion to the outcast, acceptance to the rejected and love to those to whom no love was shown. Amen. 
 
Archbishop Michael Jackson (Dublin & Glendalough)