EASTER SUNDAY | SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: WE GIVE THANKS
In this week’s intercessionary prayers for parishes, we pray for all who lead daily lives of care and compassion. Easter Sunday Year C, 20 April 2025.
INTRODUCTORY REFLECTION
Northern Hemisphere Christians celebrating Easter can readily find signs of Resurrection in nature as winter gives way to spring. Not so for those living in the tropics and further south, but this difference can be turned to advantage.
Having to hunker down for chillier nights and days can reinforce our patience and resilience, precious virtues in these troubled times. They give us the wisdom and strength to hold together the ‘now and not yet’ in fruitful tension.
Our liberation from sin and death remains a work in progress. The path to glory is still a way of the cross, but on that way the Spirit of the Risen One gives us strength, peace, patience and purpose. For these gifts we give thanks today.
THE WEEK’S PRAYER FOCUS
For all who lead daily lives of care and compassion, that their faithful love will be a leaven of easter grace changing the world for good.
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, this holy night/day is radiant with the glory of the risen Lord. Let us pray for the light of the Risen Lord to shine healing rays upon our wounded world.
READER
We pray for the whole human family, that in this time of global turmoil nations will come together in a solidarity of hope, friendship and common purpose. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for the church, that in every place lively communities of easter faith will display the joy of the gospel and radiate God’s life-giving love. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for young believers, that next weekend’s Jubilee of Hope for teenagers will be a joyful celebration of their faith in Jesus, Lord of life and love. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for the many whose life is a daily struggle of survival in places of violence, hunger and hardship, that their cries for help will bring the relief they so desperately need. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for the people of Australia and New Zealand, that this week’s Anzac Day observance will unite them in remembrance of the fallen and in hope for peace on earth. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for the voters of Australia, that they will consider the candidates and their policies carefully and vote for those best suited to lead the nation wisely and well. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for Easter holiday-makers, that they will enjoy a refreshing break and return home safe and well. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for residents in aged care facilities, especially those with complex needs, that they will be looked after with understanding, kindness and compassion. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for those who have died recently . . . . , and those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time, that they will be raised to life by the Lord whose love has no end. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
PRESIDER
God of power and might, you raised your Son from the shame of the cross to the glory of heaven. Draw us ever more deeply into his victory over sin and death. We ask this through Christ, our risen Lord.
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PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE: A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH
In this week’s intercessionary prayers for parishes, we pray for all those beset by doubt. Second Sunday of Easter Year C, 27 April 2025.
INTRODUCTORY REFLECTION
It’s only every third Easter season that we have a set of readings from the Apocalypse (or Revelation).
Paradoxically, it has a simple message that is couched in cryptic imagery and symbolism. Its plain truth is one for our tumultuous times – that worldly powers are ultimately no match for the sovereignty of Christ. On the other hand, its mixed bag of visions and coded story-telling make it especially susceptible to misinterpretation in our era of falsehood and conspiracy theories.
Fortunately, the lectionary selections are uniformly inspirational, inviting us to ‘look for the things that are in heaven,’ as Paul advised the Colossians last Sunday. We contemplate the new and heavenly Jerusalem as we await ‘a new heaven and a new earth’ (21:1).
THE WEEK’S PRAYER FOCUS
We pray for all would-be believers still beset by doubt, that they will remain open to a saving encounter with Christ, our way, truth and life.
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, the risen Lord met the fear-filled disciples with a greeting of peace and sent them on a mission of mercy. As we pray for our troubled world, we make that mission our own.
READER
We pray for Pope Francis, that under his leadership the church will grow in faith and healing power like the first community of believers in Jerusalem. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for ministers of the sacrament of reconciliation, that they will be apostles of mercy and peace to all who seek forgiveness for what they have done and what they have failed to do. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for people living with disability, that the Jubilee of Hope for them this week will affirm their true dignity and encourage them to live life to the full. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for journalists and publishers, that this week’s World Press Freedom Day (3 May) will underscore the importance of their work, especially in the many places where they are in peril of imprisonment and death. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for all who have yet to vote in the federal election, that they will cast their ballot conscientiously for a just society and the good of all. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for young Australian men, that they will be blessed with inspiring role models to guide them away from the path of misogyny and violence against women. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for parents, teachers and school students, that the second term of the school year will be a shared experience of discovery and development. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for all who celebrated the sacraments of initiation at the Paschal Vigil, that today’s octave will be an occasion of personal thanks and community joy. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
We pray for those who have died recently . . . . , and those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time, that they will gain eternal life through the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord
PRESIDER
God of boundless mercy, you never cease to call us to new and more abundant life. Free us from fear and bless us with peace. We ask this through Christ, our risen Lord.