Catholic Faith Formation Resources

"PRAYER FOR COMPASSION" Often the world pushes us to be tough, to go against our natural instincts of gentleness and kindness. We are called to help calm the storms—and transform the world through love. Lord, preserve my gentle spirit, especially in the midst of chaos. The world pushes, and I want to push back. Help me to be more like you: forgiving and loving, yet strong. Teach me kindness and gentleness in all I do and say. Give me the strength to handle the ways of this world with love. Lord, I trust in your ways. Come Holy Spirit, fill me with compassion for others. Ignite in me the fire of God’s love. Help me to reach out to those who will cross my path today. I want to participate in your compassion. I want to reach out with your heart, with your power of mercy and love. I want to do more. Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart, so that it may overflow with compassion for all I meet today. Amen. Source: Franciscan Spirit "PRACTICE AND LIVE ...

"Our Common Home" A Prayer for Stewardship God of all creation, At the beginning of time You placed a single mandate on humankind To be stewards of creation To replenish and nurture through all generations What you have made We kneel today amid that same creation— A world that is, in many ways, more splendid than ever But, in too many ways, scarred beyond recognition Turn us from our unmindfulness Help our touch be light Help us renew the world that supports us So we may once more know creation As it was in the beginning Amen. Source: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) "CARE FOR GOD'S CREATION" “ What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up? ” (Pope Francis, Laudato Sí, no. 160) What kind of world do you want to leave to your children, to your grand-children, and to future generations? Another of the “seven themes” of CST is “Care for God’s Creation.” Pope Fran...

Bread of Tomorrow Community O God, the source of our common life, when we are dry and scattered, when divided and alone, we long for connection, we long for community. Breath of God, breathe on us. With those we live beside, who are often strange to us, whom we may be afraid to approach, yet who have riches of friendship to share, we long for connection, we long for community. Breath of God, breathe on us. With those we have only heard of, who see with different eyes, whose struggles we try to imagine, whose fierce joy we wish we could grasp, we long for connection, we long for community. Breath of God, breathe on us. With those we shall never know, but whose lives are linked with ours, whose shared ground we stand on, and whose common air we breathe, we long for connection, we long for community. Breath of God, breathe on us. When we are dry and scattered, when we are divided and alone, when we are cut off from the source of our life, open our graves...

Prayer for Solidarity Almighty and ever-living God, empower your one human family to join hands on our journey of faith. Send us your spirit of hope, so that we may work to alleviate human suffering and foster charity and justice in our world. Amen Source: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops "SOLIDARITY" "We are all one family in the world. Building a community that empowers everyone to attain their full potential through each of us respecting each other's dignity, rights and responsibilities makes the world a better place to live." Attributed to Saint John Paul II How do you seek to recognize and respond to the needs of another human person? One of the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching is the principle of solidarity: "We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our neighbor has global di...

Prayer of Compassion Lord, open our eyes, that we may see you in our brothers and sisters. Lord, open our ears, that we may hear the cries of the hungry, the cold, the frightened, the oppressed. Lord, open our hearts, that we may love each other as you love us. Renew in us your spirit. Lord, free us and make us one. Amen Source: St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta "SEEING THROUGH EYES OF NONDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS" “Stop judging that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you meas-ure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?.... You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.” [Mt. 7:1-3, 5] Who do you see when you look at a stranger? Many of our disputes today are caused by the way we see or don’t see reality. If we are hones...

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.