Feast of St Patrick
St Patrick –The Great Evangeliser
Introduction
Briefly chat with someone next to you:
Scripture Reading St Paul’s letter to the Romans (10:13-15)
Briefly reflect on the application of this reading to the life of St Patrick
Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 100)
Response: Cry out with joy to the Lord Cry out with joy to the Lord , all the earth Serve the Lord with gladness Come before him singing for joy (Response) Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, We are his people, the sheep of his pasture (Response) Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise Give thanks to him and bless his name (Response) Indeed how good is the Lord, Eternal his merciful love He is faithful from age to age (Response) All: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever more Cry out with joy to the Lord Intercessions
Gracious and loving God, renew our church with the vision and courage of St Patrick who was fearless in his mission of evangelisation Lord hear us R: Lord hear our prayer St Patrick was unswerving in his commitment to transforming the Irish in the spirit of the Gospel. Like St Patrick may we seek to be messengers of the Good News Lord hear us R: Lord hear our prayer The faith which St Patrick brought to Ireland is the same faith which millions of Irish have carried in their hearts to many distant lands over the centuries. Strengthen in us the conviction that we too can make a difference in the legacy of goodness and faith we leave. Lord hear us R: Lord hear our prayer Bless especially today all those places and people that have St Patrick as patron. Bless too the people of Ireland. May there be peace in their hearts and peace throughout the island Lord hear us R: Lord hear our prayer Pour your love into the hearts of so many migrants to our country who enrich parishes and society in lives enlivened by their Christian faith Lord hear us R: Lord hear our prayer Optional: Name any special intention to bring to this prayer gathering. We Pray
God of mystery, God of love, we thank you for the example and inspiration of the multitude of heroes of the Christian faith whom we venerate as saints in the Catholic tradition. Today, we thank you especially for St Patrick’s gift of faith to the Irish, a gift that has been shared so widely down through the centuries. Strengthen the faith in each of us and may the living of our faith inspire belief in others. We make this prayer in the name of your Son, Jesus. All: Amen The prayer Breastplate of St Patrick was probably written after his death. Nevertheless it encapsulates a legacy of
Celtic and Christian spirituality that was a feature of the early church in Ireland. A Google of the long version of the Breastplate will reveal a number of themes: Invocation of God as protector; God’s presence in nature; community with the Trinity; the omnipresence of Christ. |
Hymn of St Patrick |