INTRODUCTORY REFLECTION
In quick succession, Saul undergoes a dramatic conversion, preaches in Damascus, turns up in Jerusalem, stirs up a heap of trouble and is dispatched to Tarsus.
A decade of silence follows, according to biblical scholar Tom Wright (Paul: A Biography. NY: HarperCollins, 2018, 68-83). How did Paul spend these years? Wright surmises three things. He ‘earned his own living in the family business,’ ‘he prayed, he studied, and he figured out all sorts of things’ and he ‘listened to the ideas all around him, in the philosophical and political as well as the religious cultures of cosmopolitan Tarsus’.
All this ‘would produce a string of hastily written documents whose compact, explosive charge would change the world’. An extraordinary revolution still being played out.
THE WEEK’S PRAYER FOCUS
We pray for the citizens of the world’s democracies, that they will cherish their civic rights and responsibilities and reject the rise of authoritarian populism.
SAMPLE INTERCESSIONS
These intercessions are offered for selected use at Sunday Mass in the parish alongside those that express local needs and concerns.
PRESIDER
Dear friends, when united with Jesus the true vine, our lives give glory to God and bear much fruit for others. Let us offer our prayers with his for all our sisters and brothers.
READER
We pray for God’s people around the world, that their lives will testify to the transforming power of the Spirit dwelling within us. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for the human family, that in every nation the God-given dignity of each human being will be recognised, respected and upheld. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for children, the elderly and all whose health and wellbeing are at risk from global warming, that their right to be protected will be honoured by governments and industries. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for Orthodox Christians beginning Holy Week today, that their celebration of the paschal mysteries will refresh their faith in the crucified and risen Lord. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for the displaced and starving people of Sudan, that their extreme needs will not be ignored by the world but met with sustained and generous assistance. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for journalists, especially those reporting from dangerous places, that this week’s World Press Freedom Day (3 May) will reinforce their commitment to bringing the truth to light. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for an end to violence against women, that their right to live in safety in their own homes and in public places will be respected by all. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for those who bear a daily burden of grief or guilt, that the steadfast love of family and friends will help lighten their load and set them free. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
We pray for the recently deceased . . . and for those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time, that they will dwell for ever in God’s loving embrace. (Pause for silent prayer) Lord, hear us.
PRESIDER
God of unfailing love, you make us new in Christ. Remain with us always and make our lives bear much fruit for life of the world. We ask this through Christ, our risen Lord.