How We Write Our Bidding Prayers

At BiddingPrayers.com, we take great care to compose intercessions that are reverent, beautiful, and faithfully adhere to the liturgical norms of the Church.

The bidding prayers you find on this site are primarily written by me, Giuseppe Njualem, a Seminarian at St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario. However, their creation is a collaborative process involving input from my seminary brothers as well as experienced clergy.

Following the GIRM

The General Instructions of the Roman Missal (GIRM) is the guiding light for how we craft these prayers. The GIRM lays out the structure, content, and spirituality that the Prayer of the Faithful should embody.

Some key principles we follow:

  • The series of intercessions should be composed with a sense of brevity
  • They should take a form accessible to the capacities of the faithful
  • The series is intended to pray for holy Church, civil authorities, those oppressed by difficulties, and for the salvation of all
  • The circumstances of the faithful and the needs of the world should be given due consideration

Essentially, the bidding prayers not only petition for the needs of the Church and world but also raise the minds of the faithful to the things of heaven.

A Meticulous Process

Writing prayers worthy of the sacred liturgy requires intense discernment and editing. Here are the steps each set of prayers goes through:

  • I first compose an initial draft, doing my utmost to address the spiritual and temporal needs of the Church and world
  • This draft is shared with a discernment group of my brother Seminarians who are also studying theology
  • They review the prayers through the lens of the GIRM and provide feedback
  • After incorporating their suggestions, the revised draft goes to a group of seasoned priests for further input
  • Taking all feedback into account, I refine the prayers again
  • Only once I am confident they reflect the heart of the Church do I post them on BiddingPrayers.com

This rigorous process of writing, reviewing, and editing helps ensure the prayers are litugically faithful, theologically rich, and prayerfully composed.

A Work of Love

While a labor-intensive process, it is one I find immensely rewarding. To give voice to the prayers of the Church is an immense privilege. With prayerful discernment and adherence to the wisdom of the GIRM, it is my hope that these bidding prayers serve to unite the holy people of God more deeply to the heart of Christ.

Read more about Seminarian Giuseppe Here!