Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary General of the Synod, is calling on Catholics worldwide to unite in prayer in anticipation of the Synod on Synodality starting on October 4 in Vatican City.
“Without prayer, there will be no synod,” Pope Francis said last year. The Synod, initiated in 2021, aims to gather feedback from Catholics, addressing the question of how best to move forward in unity and faith.
Cardinal Grech communicated the essence of this gathering through a heartfelt letter to bishops globally. He described it as a profound “event of prayer and listening” that calls upon every baptized individual. Grech believes that every Catholic has a role to play in this global undertaking, emphasizing that “all of us… are called at this time to unite in the communion of prayer.”
A series of special intercessions and blessings have been crafted for this occasion. These include:
Universal Prayer for Weekdays: A supplication directed to the Holy Spirit, seeking guidance and unity. It invites the “gentle Breath of God” to bring vigor and harmony to the Church.
Sunday Intercessions: Recommended for the two Sundays preceding the Synod’s inauguration. These prayers seek blessings for Church leaders, theologians, young believers, and all Christian communities.
Sunday Blessing: A unique benediction to be shared at the close of Sunday Masses, connecting the global community in hope and anticipation for the Synod.
In his letter, Cardinal Grech further elaborated on the multifaceted nature of prayer, from “listening to the Word of God” to expressing gratitude for God’s constant presence.
Pope Francis and Church leaders invite every Catholic to be a part of this historical Synod. Below are the full text of the prayers below, given by Zenit.
UNIVERSAL PRAYER – INTERCESSIONS FOR A WEEKDAY
To the Holy Spirit, Creator and Lord of the Church who guides her through time and gently urges her ever onward, we address this supplication:
- Come, You who ever makes all things new!
- Come, Holy Spirit, soul of the Church: gather into unity and make fruitful the toil, the hope, and the desire of each one involved in the Synod Assembly, we invoke you.
- Come, gentle Breath of God, who in Jesus revives the dwindling flame, and restore vigor to the bruised reed, we call upon you.
- Come, Creator Spirit, who restores parched bones, gathers the lost, and brings into dialogue languages that do not recognize each other, we beseech you.
- Come, burning fire of God, who purifies every vain thought, burning and transforming every sadness into the joy of new birth, we implore you.
- Come, Beauty of the lowly and the poor, build up the beautiful bride of the Lamb through the tears of those who love peace and hunger for justice, we invoke you.
- Come, God’s Forgiveness, and convert us to your breath that reconciles us for a new fellowship, we call upon you.
- Come, unapproachable Wisdom, and fill us with your synodal gifts, we beseech you.
- Come, unfailing Hope of the Church, and stir up dreams and desires according to the heart of God which, to the human eye, seems impossible, we implore you.
UNIVERSAL PRAYER – INTERCESSIONS FOR SUNDAY MASS
For the XXV and XXVI Sundays of Ordinary Time (A) which precede the opening of the Synod Assembly, we propose several intentions for Universal Prayer:
- For the Church, on the eve of a new phase in the synodal journey, that the presence of the Gospel, alive and at work in her, may make her like the vineyard in the parable, a vital place where all men and women who seek meaning in their life find a place, a word, and a breath of hope, we pray.
- For the bishops and all the participants in the Synodal Assembly, that proposals may spring forth from their listening to the Holy Spirit, so that the entire People of God, in a dynamism of communion, may feel that they are truly participating in the life of the Church and be a living and attractive witness to the newness of the Gospel in the world, we pray.
- For theologians: may the gifts of wisdom and revelation accompany their contribution to the work of the Synodal Assembly, so that the gift of faith may become life in all God’s people, we pray.
- For young people, seekers of truth and authentic witness, concreteness and spirituality; that, as a result of the synodal journey, they may feel increasingly involved in the Church’s life and mission in the midst of the challenges of today’s world, giving to so many, with the enthusiasm of their age, the hope that springs from an encounter with Jesus, we pray.
- For us gathered here in communion with Christian communities throughout the world: that by tasting the goodness of the Lord that comes to each one in the body and blood of Jesus, we may receive from him a fresh view of our neighbor and be made witnesses to generosity in the world in which we live, we pray.
SUNDAY 26 “PER THE YEAR”
BLESSING AT THE END OF THE MASS
The following blessing may be used at the discretion of the priest.
The priest himself says the invitation:
Brothers and sisters, Jesus promised that he would come in the midst of his disciples gathered in his name. In the coming days, in Rome, the Supreme Pontiff Francis will open the first session of the sixteenth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Invoking the Lord’s blessing, we raised our minds to God that, with the favor of the Holy Spirit, he would strengthen us in communion, lead us into all truth and enlighten the participants of the Synodal Assembly without ceasing.
Then the dismissal takes place. The priest, facing the people, stretching out his hands, says:
The Lord is with you.
The people answer:
And with your spirit.
The deacon, or, failing that, the priest himself, says the invitation:
Bow yourselves to the blessing.
Then the priest, extending his hands over the people, says the blessing, answering to all:
Amen.
God and our Father
who spoke in many ways and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets
he directs you and the entire Church in fidelity to his word and in the judgment of his will. R. Amen.
The only begotten, sent in the fullness of time
that he might manifest to all the riches of the Father’s mercy
may he keep you in communion with him and his brothers.
R. Amen.
Holy Spirit, you all, and especially the Synodal Assembly,
it leads to knowing the signs of the times
that, adhering to the will of God in all things,
the fruitfulness of the unity brought forth
promoting the life of the Church and testifying to the Gospel.
R. Amen.
And the blessing of God Almighty,
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
may it descend upon you and remain forever.
R. Amen.
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