PRAYERS FOR SUFFERING AND PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS ON RED

WEDNESDAY

INTRODUCTORY PART

Priest/Leader: God come to my Assistance

All: Lord make haste to Help me.

Priest/Leader: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit.

As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen.

Alleluiah!

Priest/Leader: Let us bring to mind the suffering Church, asking the

Lord to live ever more deeply in the lives of our brothers and
sisters in faith who are oppressed and persecuted for their love of
Christ.

A moment of silence with background music or an opening song

may follow.

PENITENTIAL PART

Lord, as we surrender to you, we lay our drooping spirit in your

arms. We have stained by sin and wrongdoing is staring us in our
face. May the blood of the martyrs the seed of Christians our
consolation and hope to eternal life. Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love. Kyrie Eleison

What I have done has driven a wedge between us. I have sinned
against you, and my heart aches with guilt and shame. Forgive me
for disappointing you. Dip me in the fountain of your forgiveness.
Wash away my sin and bring brilliance to my tarnished spirit.
Kyrie Eleison

Make me over, Lord, with a new heart, obedient spirit and a joy-
filled life. Sin has brought sadness; give me the gladness of your
spirit. Instruct me with the teachings of your truth, so that I may
have wisdom in my secret heart. Kyrie Eleison

Father, I am ready to sing praises of your goodness and your

mercy. Part my lips for singing. You alone have accepted me as I
am; thank you for not despising my broken heart. O Healer,
Restorer, and Strengthener of my soul, I want to live in your will.
Restore me and my relationship with you that I may be whole
again. This we ask through Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Priest/Leader: God of Mercy, we pray right now for our brothers

and sisters, your sons and daughters, our family in these country
and of the whole world. In places in the world where they are
being persecuted for their faith in you. God, we pray for your
strength for them. We pray for your help for them. Lord, we pray
that you would uphold them with your righteous right hand. We
pray that you would give them boldness to follow you and to
proclaim you even at great costs.

God, as we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters and as we

pray in our own lives, we say if we’re to be among that number,
then we say, yes, Lord, we want to follow you. We want to
proclaim you no matter what it costs us in this world. So help us
all to do so faithfully all the way to the end. Help us to endure
faithfully following you as disciples and making disciples of all the
nations no matter what it costs all the way to the end. We pray in
Jesus’ name. Amen!

WORD OF GOD

Reader: A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans

(Romans 8:18-39 )

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Trial, or distress, or

persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? As
Scripture says: "For your sake we are being slain all the day long;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered. Yet in all this we
are more than conquerors because of him who had loved us. For I
am certain that neither death nor life neither angels nor
principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor powers,
neither height nor depth nor any other creature, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.

Reader: The Word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God!

Psalmist: The holy martyrs died for Christ; with their blood they enriched
the earth. Their gift is crowned with everlasting life.

I.

Why this tumult among nations,

among peoples this useless murmuring?
They arise, the kings of the earth,
princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.
Come, let us break their fetters,
come, let us cast off their yoke.

II.

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

the Lord is laughing them to scorn.
Then he will speak in his anger,
his rage will strike them with terror.
It is I who have set up my king on Zion,
my holy mountain.

III.

Now, O kings, understand,

take warning, rulers of the earth;
serve the Lord with awe
and trembling, pay him your homage
lest he be angry and you perish;
for suddenly his anger will blaze.

Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

Priest/Leader: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your Spirit

Priest/Leader: + A Proclamation of the Gospel according to Saint

Matthew (Matthew 10:22-23)

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who
stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in
one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going
through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Priest/Leader: The Gospel of the Lord

All: Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

SERMON PART

A Brief Sharing optional

OFFERING PART

Priest/Leader: Prayer is the bond that unites us in love and

solidarity with our brothers and sisters who suffer and are
persecuted for their love of Jesus.Please join us in praying this Red
Wednesday prayer throughout the world for persecuted
Christians.

Let us pray:

O God of all the nations,

the One God who is and was and always will be,
in your providence you willed that your Church
be united to the suffering of your Son.
Look with mercy on your servants
who are persecuted for their faith in you.
Grant them perseverance and courage
to be worthy imitators of Christ.
Bring your wisdom upon leaders of nations
to work for peace among all peoples.
May your Spirit open conversion
for those who contradict your will,
that we may live in harmony.
Give us the grace to be united in truth and freedom,
and to always seek your will in our lives.

Prayer 1:

For the Church. That the Lord will keep the Pope, the clergy and
the faithful in constant solicitude for all the peoples of the earth.
Lord hear us.

Prayer 2:

For our brothers and sisters afflicted by discrimination and

religious persecution. That the Lord will give them the strength to
respond to hatred with love. Lord hear us.

Prayer 3:

For those in exile. That the Lord protect men, women and children
who have been forced to leave their homeland due to religious
persecution. Lord hear us.

Prayer 4:

For religious freedom. That all people will be able to seek truth,
and that this fundamental human right be protected and fostered
in national laws. Lord hear us.

Prayer 5:

For ourselves. That we who live with freedom of worship will

open our hearts and our hands to help keep the faith alive where it
is most in need. Lord hear us.

Prayer 6:

We pray for leaders, religious and secular, that they may be

inspired by the spirit of co-operation, dialogue and mutual respect
for all peoples in society, so we may together build up a
civilisation of love. Lord hear us.
Prayer 7:

For those who have died. May those who have lost their lives as a
result of their faith be united with Christ in heavenly glory. Lord
hear us.

Priest/Leader:

Heavenly Father, look upon Your people who entrust themselves

to Your mercy. May those of us who enjoy freedom of worship,
never forget the cries of those who bear a heavy cross for their
faith. On this Red Wednesday we offer our heartfelt prayers for
the persecuted Church throughout the world. Confident in the
saving blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, whose death brought life to
the world, we pray for all who profess the Name of Jesus the
Nazarene and for all people of goodwill who suffer, even unto the
blood of martyrdom, on account of violence, religious
discrimination and intolerance on religious grounds. We ask this
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The faithful may now present their individual written intentions

in solidarity with Red Wednesday. Incensation or burning of
prayers might take place.

Pater Noster

(the faithful may now pray the Lord’s Prayer in Orans gesture of
hands)

Concluding Part

All-powerful, ever-living God,

turn our weakness into strength.
As you gave your martyrs the courage to suffer death for Christ,
give us the courage to live in faithful witness to you.

Give us the grace to be united in truth and freedom,

and to always seek your will in our lives.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

FINAL BLESSING… final hymn