Prayer Archives - Montreal Anglican

A Prayer from the Diocesan Representatives

Stacey Neale — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 15:08:41 +0000

Loving God, maker of all creatures great and small, we thank you for blessing us with companion animals. We are privileged to have the opportunity to care for and be cared by our various pets. They bring us immense pleasure and comfort, fill our homes with life and love, and ask for nothing in return.
At the height of the Covid19 pandemic, those who had pets were comforted and grateful. Others, who yearned for pets, procured them and were rewarded with great joy. We confess that with the return to in-person office hours and the onset of high inflation, many among us are no longer able to give our companion animals the attention they need and deserve.
Gracious God, we lift in pray those among us who are forced to abandon their pets due to lifestyle changes. This loss is hard as these owners truly want to keep their companions, but can’t. We pray that you will soften the hearts of those who manage restrictive leases and maintain narrow policies for seniors’ residences. May they come to appreciate that the benefits of pet ownership outweigh the inconvenience and cost.
Creator God, we pray that through your Divine hand you will be with these surrendered and vulnerable animals. Like us, they are scared of the unknown and dislike change. Some are grieving owners who have died while others are skittish due to mistreatment and neglect. We thank you for bringing people into their lives who will love and care for them just as they are. We pray that you will sustain and guide all staff and volunteers who work for rescue organizations and shelters as they are the first point of contact for these orphaned creatures. We pray for all foster families who open their hearts to them as they wait impatiently for forever homes.
Eternal God, we implore you to be with all pet owners when they must say goodbye to their companions due to illness, old age, or accident. Help them discern the right time to seek euthanasia and not feel guilty with this difficult decision. This loss is hard and the void is great. We pray for comfort and peace for the bereft. Ultimately, we pray that humans never lose the zeal for companion animals nor the love and responsibility that comes with this bond.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Valerie Bennett and Stacey Neale

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The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer – Canada

Valerie Bennett — Thu, 18 May 2023 14:55:40 +0000

Gracious God, we take this time of prayer to lift up the sacred relationship between the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Crown. As the new Carolean Era begins, we pray that you will open all hearts to renew these ties with sincerity and purpose. We offer our thanks and praise that His Majesty King Charles III met with Indigenous leaders prior to the coronation to hear their concerns and to begin the conversation anew. We pray that this on-going dialogue will be open, informed, and lead to meaningful reconciliation.

God of truth and sorrow, we confess that we are not always as engaged as we could be with Indigenous issues. We pray that saying the land acknowledgement each Sunday will move us beyond words to action. Help us to affirm Indigenous people as equal brothers and sisters in Christ with inherent rights who are due respect, freedom and peace. Help us to listen to their stories of marginalization and inter-generational abuse with compassion and love, and move us to join with them in creating safe spaces for the healing Spirit to walk in. Help us to make every effort to investigate the mystery of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and to become advocates in this search for justice. Help us to take seriously the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to understand how it is being applied to Canadian law.

God of hope and possibilities, we thank you for instilling in His Majesty King Charles III a genuine interest in Indigenous practices and a sincere willingness to listen and learn. May his long-term commitment to the Indigenous People of Canada be an inspiration to others. We pray that this relationship continues to grow and to yield impactful change. From monarch to commoners, we are all called to serve one another and it is through this sacred act that the Kingdom of God will be lived out here on earth.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Valerie Bennett and Stacey Neale

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The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer – Canada

Valerie Bennett — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 21:23:52 +0000

Creator God, in the beginning, you formed us from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into our lungs. This breath is yours to give and to take. We give you thanks for this precious gift. As we enter into Lent and prepare ourselves to recreate once again the death of your Son Jesus Christ on the cross and to celebrate His triumphant resurrection, help us to remember that, for the departed, death is not the end, but a joyful beginning.

Pain bearer be with those who remain and whose sorrow fills their hearts with grief and loneliness. It’s been three years since the pandemic started this deluge of death. As we age and more loved ones die, this heaviness grows deeper and deeper. Gracious God we are weary of death and the sadness it brings. We pray you will help us find new ways to engage with dying, to speak about death, and to deal with its consequences. Knowing that we will all return to the dust, we beseech you Sustainer God to open for us unexpected and positive visions for accepting this bitter truth.

God of consolation, we offer prayers of gratitude for the people in our lives who accompany the dying and who offer support in times of sorrow. May their words of sympathy, time spent with mourners, and kind gestures be beacons of comfort and light. We pray for those who lack such blessings and are alone at their time of death or in their grief for lost loved ones. We beseech you Gracious God to bring people into their lives at this moment of need and we give thanks for this special service.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Valerie and Stacey

For more information on AFP-C, contact Valerie Bennett and Stacey Neale at valstacey@bell.net

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A Prayer from the Diocesan Representatives

Valerie Bennett — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 21:19:52 +0000

God of concord and peace, we give you thanks and praise for the concept of Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Every January, we pray as one Church to heal our divisions, to build up our relationships, and to celebrate our diversity. We are called to this journey of reconciliation by remembering the prayer of Jesus that we would all be one, just as You and He are one so that the world would believe also.

God of unity and conversion, help us to truly see how this common desire to love, worship and adore you can light our path together within the Church and beyond. By studying your Word, praying in harmony, and living justly, we pray that our love for you grows deeper and bolder every day. We beseech you to help us to realize that we should not keep your love and Good News to ourselves, but share it with all the world.

God of action and justice, help us to bring this sentiment of abundant love and praise for you to the wider world that aches with conflict, hate and greed. A united Church is tantamount to a united and peaceful world. We pray that through our passion for you and your blessed Son, this work of healing will transform the world.

Gracious God in Your mercy, hear our prayer and help all Christians make these objectives theirs. Amen.

God bless,

Valerie and Stacey

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The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer – Canada

Stacey Neale — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 22:24:53 +0000

Heavenly Father, we thank you for bringing us safely into this Advent season of great anticipation. With restless hearts and trepidation, we are cautiously planning for festive events within your church and at home. We long to enjoy our beloved Christmas bazaars, pageants, concerts, and worship free from the anxiety of COVID. We humbly acknowledge that this year will still be different from pre-pandemic celebrations, but we are delighted to be able to gather again with family and friends and to hear our choirs sing cherished carols.

Gracious Emmanuel guide us as we continue to work out the COVID guidelines for worship and in-door gatherings. Ease our anxiety as we welcome strangers to our parishes who might not share our passion for being vaccinated, wearing masks, and keeping our distance. We pray for patience among your faithful who are growing weary of these rules and for hope that one day soon this pandemic will leave us.

Wonderful Counselor, we thank you for giving us this time of deprivation. Through this journey we have come to realize just how many blessings we have and how we take them for granted. Help us to move out of this pandemic world as a more welcoming people, quick to love and help others, and slow to anger and fear.

Prince of Peace be with us as we walk in your ways. Help us to serve you by supporting those in need, visiting the sick and lonely, and reaching out to refugees and captives. We thank you that we can once again experience the joy of sharing with others in-person and witnessing their delight in being together.

Light of the World bring us your joy and peace this Christmas and protect us from the disappointment of unforeseen circumstances. Help us to never lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas and to do everything possible to keep you at the centre as you are the reason for the season.

To you, O Lord, belong all glory and honor.

Amen.
God bless, Valerie and Stacey

For more information on AFP-C, contact Valerie Bennett and Stacey Neale at valstacey@bell.net

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