Year Of Prayer – Preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025
The Year of Prayer
In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, 2024 has been designated a Year of Prayer by Pope Francis.
There is a particular focus on the Our Father, and this presents us with a great opportunity to go back to the basics of prayer.
Our Father,
Who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy name;
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
If the Gospel is a message of Joy, then it is one we should be eager to share with others, and this can be done especially by inviting people to a deeper, prayerful encounter with Jesus Christ this year.
On Evangelii Gaudium Sunday (Sept 2023) the Diocesan Office for Mission encouraged every Catholic to reflect on their life of prayer: what they pray, how they pray, and why they pray. This is for two reasons:
To encourage people to go deeper in their commitment to pray, and in their love of God;
To think about how they might accompany someone else to pray during the coming Year of Prayer.
The Office for Mission is now providing suggestions and resources on the Year of Prayer.
Diocesan Resources click here
In the Parish
The Contemplative Prayer Circle in Advent – An opportunity to come together for a prayerful advent, using a different sacred text each week, with reflection and prayer. Thursdays 6-730 pm for a monthly meeting at St Thomas More’s Parish Hall For more information contact Kathleen on kathleenikelly@yahoo.com
Christian Prayer – What is the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Prayer click here
Other Helpful resources on Prayer
Divine Office, Opus Dei (the work of God) – Liturgy of the hours click here
EWTN Divine office click here
Liturgy of hours with Carmelites click here
Jesuit Prayer click here
The resource by Fr Rob Taylerson (Pope Francis’ Catechesis on Prayer, arranged for each liturgical week) – can be found here:https://www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk/news/diocesan-priest-launches-resource-to-accompany-the-year-of-prayer
A Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024
The week of prayer for Christian unity starts on Thursday 18th January and finishes on the Thursday 25th.
On each weekday there will be a short service held on Zoom at 12 noon. These will be led by different churches in Kidlington as follows:
- Thursday 18th: St Thomas More
- Friday 19th : Methodist
- Monday 22nd: St Mary’s
- Tuesday 23rd: St John’s
- Wednesday 24th: Baptists
- Thursday 25th: St Thomas More
The link to join these prayers is: https://zoom.us/j/95687795744?pwd=Uzd3WVZDWXpqVUdhSzNwVFFrSVdQUT09
Meeting ID: 956 8779 5744
Passcode: 777518
The prayers commentary and reflection can be found at:
or here