Opening and Closing Prayers

ADVENT
God of power and mercy,
open our hearts in welcome.
Remove from us things that hinder us
from receiving Christ with joy,
so that we may share his wisdom
and become one with him
when he comes in glory,
for he lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.  Amen.

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
ever faithful to your promises
and ever close to your Church:
the earth rejoices in hope of the Saviour’s coming
and looks forward to his return at the end of time.
Prepare our hearts and remove the sadness that hinders us
from feeling the joy and hope which his presence will bring,
for with you and the Holy Spirit,
he is Lord forever and ever.  Amen.

God of power and love,
your eternal Word took flesh on our earth
when the Virgin Mary said ‘Yes’ to your dream for us.
Lift our minds in watchful hope
to hear the voice which announces his glory
and open our hearts to receive your Spirit
who prepares us for his coming.
This we ask through Christ, our Lord.  Amen. 

CHRISTMAS
Loving God,
the light of your glory shines upon us
through the incarnation
of your Son and our Saviour.
May he lead us through the darkness of this world
so that we may know the radiant
joy of life with you for ever.
This we ask through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

God of love, Creator of all,
the darkness that covered the earth
has given way to the bright dawn
of your Word made flesh, and one with us.
Make us a people of this light.
Make us faithful to your Word,
that we may bring your life to a waiting world.
Grant this through Christ,
our Lord and Saviour.  Amen. 

LENT
Lord our God,
you formed us from the earth
and breathed into us the Spirit of life.
But we turned from you, missing the mark.
In this time of repentance, we recall your mercy.
Bring us back to you and to the true life we have
through the life, death
and resurrection of your Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

God of compassion and love,
heal the wounds of our sin and selfishness
and turn our hearts towards you in love
that is reflected in the love we have for others.
May we live the Christ-life of compassion for all,
so that we too can share with Christ
in the renewal of all creation,
hearts and minds raised by the hope of resurrection.
This we ask through Christ, our Lord and brother.  Amen.

Lead us Lord, into the desert of our lives,
that we may find there the spring of eternal life
the hope of Christ risen in our hearts,
the hope that defeats death and darkness
and brings us to the life and light of his love.
This we ask through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Father, help us to be like Christ your Son,
who loved the world and died for our salvation.
Inspire us by his love, guide us by his example,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Father of love, source of all blessing,
help us to pass from our old life of sin
to the new life of grace.
Prepare us for the glory of your kingdom
that your Son reveals to us fully in the resurrection.
This we ask through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

EASTER
Ever-living God,
the joy of the resurrection
is beyond our imagining
and cannot find expression in simple words.
Give us the one Word who fills
us with that joy and the desire
to love and serve you all our days.
We ask this in the name of Christ, our Lord. Amen.

God of love and life,
look upon us with love.
You raise us up as sons and daughters,
and brothers with your Son, our Risen Lord.
Give us true freedom
and bring us to the inheritance
you promise in the life, death
and resurrection of your Son.
We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

God of mercy and forgiveness,
you wash away our sins in water,
you give us new life in the Spirit,
and redeem us in the blood of Christ.
As we celebrate Christ’s resurrection,
increase our awareness of these blessings
and renew your gift of life within us.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Father, we look forward in hope to our own resurrection,
promised us through the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus,
in whom we are now brothers and sisters,
your sons and daughters.
You have restored the joy of our youth
and may our open hearts and fertile minds
respond in praise and glory to you.
We make our prayer through Christ our Lord and brother.  Amen.

ORDINARY TIME
Almighty and eternal God,
when the Spirit came upon Jesus
at his baptism you revealed him
as your own beloved Son.
We have been made your sons
and daughters by water and the Spirit
through our baptism.
Keep us faithful to our calling
to be one with him.
This we ask through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Loving God, you give us the gift of peace,
the true gift of peace that
only your Son can give.
Show us the way of peace
and reconciliation that all those we meet
this day may see your love
and grow in understanding your peace.
We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Father your love is deep within us.
Direct our hearts so we are led by that love,
that our efforts in the name of Jesus
may bring about unity
and peace in our human family.
We ask this through Christ your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Lord, our God, increase our love for you.
May we love you with all that we are
and learn to love others as you love us.
This we ask through Christ our Lord
who first showed us the real power
of your love, he who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

God of life and love,
keep before us the wisdom
you have revealed in Jesus.
Help us to be like him in all we are,
say and do.
He who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.  Amen.

Father, you sent your Word to bring us truth
and your Spirit to make us holy.
Through them we come to know
the mystery of your life.
Blessed Trinity, may your communion
draw us into the dance of life and love
that you share and long for us to make real
in our lives and in the lives of all we meet.
This we ask through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

God of wisdom and love,
send us the Spirit who will teach us truth
and guide our actions that we may live
to praise the God of Jesus.
This we pray in his name,
our brother and Lord.  Amen.

Almighty and ever-living God,
you are our hope and our strength.
Without you we stumble and fall.
Give us strength to walk the road of your Son,
who has shown us the way
and who sends his Spirit
that we may be faithful
and so glorify your name,
our God above all.
We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.