Catholic Faith Formation Resources

A Prayer for Nonviolence God, of Mercy and Compassion, open our heart to your grace. We ask You to: Bless us with courage to embrace nonviolence in our everyday . Bless us with vision to seek alternatives when violence appears as the only solution. Encourage us to look deeply at our own complicity that allows violence to continue in our own hearts and in our world. Bless us with insight to see the roots of violence inherent in Mercy’s Critical Concerns. Bless us with the tenacity to stay committed to the struggle to shape a more peaceful, nonviolent world for all your people. O good and gracious God, source of all life, all creation is charged with your Divine Energy. Grant us the strength and courage, we pray, for a radical transformation of own lives and a deeper realization of your Kingdom among us. Amen Source: Sisters of Mercy "PRACTICING AND LIVING THE WAY OF NONVIOLENCE" "An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind....

On October 10, 2021, Pope Francis proclaimed the beginning of a two-year consultative process for the "Synod on Synodality." The term "synod" means "journeying together." Pope Paul states, "Synodality is an expression of the Church's nature, her form, style and mission." The initial phase occurred between October 2021 and April 2022, which provided opportunities to listen to the "People of God" in each diocese, who responded to a series of questions raised by the Vatican. The first session of the "Synod on Synodality" is scheduled to be held in Rome during October 4–29, 2023 and it will be guided by the document Instrumentum Laboris, published by the Vatican on June 20, 2023. The second and final session of the "Synod on Synodality" is scheduled to be held in October, 2024. Some links to other information pertaining to the "Synod of Synodality" can be viewed here.

A Prayer for Life Loving God, Creator of all, We recognize that life is a gift from you. Open our hearts to your Holy Spirit And renew in us a deep respect for all persons: The family, the unborn, the young, the adult, The sick, the disabled, the abused, the imprisoned, The aged, the dying, the homeless, the unemployed, And the oppressed in any way. Bless all of us and instill in us a deep Love for your gift of life. Through the intercession of Mary, Mother and Virgin, may all our words and actions foster Reverence for human life. May we be true witnesses to the truth that all life is precious and has sublime dignity. Lead our nation and our world to this understanding So that we may be a people dedicated to the protection of all your sons and daughters. We ask this through your Son, Jesus Christ, the Word Who became flesh and lived among us. Amen. Source: www.ascensioncatholic.net "REJECT THE "THROW-AWAY" CULTURE" "We have cr...

Respect for Life Prayer God of life and love, you created us in your image and sent your Son to bring us life. Instill in us a respect for all life, from conception to natural death. Empower us to work for justice for the poor. Nourish us that we may bring food to the hungry. Inspire us to cherish the fragile life of the unborn. Strengthen us to bring comfort to the chronically ill. Teach us to treat the aging with dignity and respect. Bring us one day into the glory of everlasting life. We ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Source: Author Unknown "A CONSISTENT ETHIC OF LIFE" "The case for a consistent ethic of life -- one which stands for the protection of the right to life and the promotion of the rights which enhance life from womb to tomb ... is both a complex and a demanding tradition.” Joseph Cardinal Bernardin (d. 1996), A Consistent Ethic of Life (1984) Do you live a consistent ethic of life? CST teaches that all human life is sa...

A Prayer for Peace Lord God of peace, hear our prayer! We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: "Never again war!"; "With war everything is lost". Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens wh...