This post about Intercessions, It is aimed at all types of readers who are interested in knowing how the supplications should be pronounced before God so that they are attended before the cry of a believing people.
Index of contents
Intercessions
The prayer of the faithful or also known as universal prayer, is a request or intercession that in the meeting of the devotees they make to God while the holy mass is officiated.
It takes place after the priest's talk and prior to the presentation that is made with the offerings, with this act the Liturgy of the Word is closed, which follows the Eucharistic Liturgy.
While the act is performed in prayer, the intentions are narrated by one or more of the attendees, as the whole community that is participating with them makes the same request to God.
To proclaim the prayer of the faithful, it is important to know certain suggestions that we show you below, as examples of supplications depending on the occasion.
Suggestions for preparing the prayer of the faithful
The prayer of the faithful or the universal prayer is generally composed of 4 essential requests that are separated and mentioned by one of the participants of the mass. These are exclaimed before many causes such as:
- For the universal church, its members and their needs: For the Pope and the bishops, the laity, the parishioners, for the union of Christians.
- For people who suffer from needs and difficulties in their lives, such as the sick, the poor, the prisoners, the persecuted, those who are looking for a job.
- For the local community and important religious events such as baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals.
The 4 stages of preparation
The prayer of the faithful or universal prayer is a significant event that occurs during Holy Mass, being the moment when all the faithful come together spiritually to beg God to intercede with his divine grace, to bless his Church and the whole world.
It is a way of answering the call of the Apostle Saint Paul, as evidenced in the sacred scriptures in Philippians 4: 6 “Do not be distressed by anything, nor in any circumstance, go to prayer and supplication always accompanied by thanksgiving, to present and raise their requests to God ”.
It is very important that this act of faith should not be taken as something that does not mark a precedent, the prayer of the faithful is an event that must be carried out with great fervor, so that the supplications that are exclaimed during the mass, must be performed:
- Do it in good time to read the readings of the word and the gospel that correspond to the day, so that we reflect and nourish our soul, by meditating on the Word of God.
- Consider the events of the moment that are being experienced worldwide, the nation, the diocese, or the parish.
- The intentions must be adapted according to the parishioners present, that is, if a Mass is celebrated with intention for young people, adults, families, children, etc.
- Mention short and simple words so that they reach the present audience.
In what way should a prayer intention be formulated?
There are any number of ways to write and narrate a supplication, the two most traditional ways are presented as follows:
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We ask you Lord for (mention the request), we pray to the Lord.
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Lord we ask you for (mention the request), we pray to the Lord.
If you found this post interesting, we invite you to read our article on: How to pray the thousand Jesuses?.
Examples of how to make intentions for the prayer of the faithful
To have a model of how to request the intentions, some are indicated in the case of: Petitions by the Universal Church.
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“We ask you Lord for your Church, so that it has the strength to continue proclaiming the Good News, even if problems arise; renew her strength and provide us with faithful according to your will and your heart, we pray to the Lord ”.
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"Lord we ask you for the unity of all Christian believers, you have exclaimed to us, as evidenced in the bible in Ephesians 4.3, give us the grace to work together with love and respect, let us pray to the Lord."
Pleas for public issues
- We ask you Lord for our people in charge of carrying out policy issues, so that they are lucid and take care of protecting the most vulnerable, we pray to the Lord ”.
- "Lord we entrust all our leaders responsible for politics, so that with their strength and humility they work for the benefit of the entire nation, we pray to the Lord."
Supplications for people with any ailment
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We beg You Lord for all the people who are going through difficult situations in their life, going through tests of physical or mental illnesses, so that they may keep faith and hope in them, and have relief together with their families for the care of those who suffer, we pray to the Lord ”.
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"Lord we give you and we entrust all the victims of violent situations of any abuse, so that they have the grace to rebuild and forgive those who mistreated him, let us pray to the Lord."
Pleas for the events of local life
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"We ask you Lord for our entire parish community, that the Holy Spirit touch and renew all believers with the flame of your love, in order to build a community of life and that we can support the most vulnerable, we pray to the Lord ”.
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"Our Lord, we come to you to ask for all Christian couples, so that they follow your example of being faithful to the promise of conjugal love, and that they be true witnesses of your sublime love, let us pray to the Lord."
Summary
In the prayer of the faithful or also universal prayer, the people who attend the celebration of Holy Mass, participate responding to the Word of God that is received with fervor, while the priest offers to the Most High, their requests to save and protect to all.
This prayer should be performed during the celebration of Mass, because it is when there are a large number of faithful to raise petitions before the Church, for all beings in the world, the rulers, for those in need and for the salvation of souls and the whole world.
It should be borne in mind that the order to make the intentions will be as follows:
- For the needs of the Church.
- For the people who rule the countries and for the salvation of the world.
- For the people who suffer any obstacle in their life.
- By the local community.
Although depending on the celebration that takes place in a special mass, the intentions may be directed according to the event that is held. The priest who officiates the mass is the one who must direct and guide the petitions.