Prayers of the Faithful Today
April 23
Saint George, martyr / Saint Adalbert, bishop and martyr
○Optional Memorial
Liturgical Color: Red
Prayers of the Faithful for Saint George, martyr / Saint Adalbert, bishop and martyr
Option 1
1.For the Church, that the martyrdom of Saints George and Adalbert may remind her that the Easter faith is not a comfortable possession but a conviction worth dying for — and worth living for with the same totality, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
2.That world leaders may protect the freedom of Christians and all religious minorities facing persecution today, honoring the witness of those who gave their lives rather than deny the truth, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
3.For Christians suffering violence and discrimination for their faith in every part of the world, that the Easter victory of the martyrs may be their living hope in every moment of danger, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
4.That we may ask ourselves the martyr's question in the safety of our daily lives: is my faith in the Risen Christ worth everything? — and let our answer shape how we actually live, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
5.That our parish may be a community of courageous witnesses — not yet called to martyrdom, but willing to be counted, to speak, and to act for what we believe, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Optional:For our sick, bereaved, and all who have asked for our prayers.Lord, hear our prayer.
For N. and all the faithful departed, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Option 2
1.For the Church, that in the spirit of Saint Adalbert — who left the familiar to carry the Easter Gospel to unfamiliar peoples — she may have the missionary courage to cross every boundary of comfort and culture, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
2.That civil authorities may never suppress the freedom of those who preach and teach the Gospel, knowing that every silenced preacher has had a thousand successors in the history of the Church, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
3.For missionaries and evangelists who work far from home in difficult conditions, that the Risen Christ who sent them may sustain them through every obstacle and opposition, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
4.That we may draw from the Easter faith of the martyrs the courage to speak of Christ in the ordinary environments of our daily lives — at work, in our families, among our neighbours, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
5.That our parish may honour the legacy of the martyrs by being bold in its witness — unashamed of the Resurrection, and unafraid to be known as the community of the Risen Christ, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Optional:For all who face danger or persecution for their Christian faith today.Lord, hear our prayer.
For N. and all the faithful departed, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Variations if Optional Memorial is not celebrated
Option 1
1.For the Church, that she may be an instrument of the Father's drawing — creating the conditions in which people can hear God's voice and find themselves moving toward Christ without quite knowing why, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
2.That those in authority may govern in ways that allow people to seek God freely — protecting the spaces of silence, community, and conscience where the Father's drawing can be heard, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
3.For those who feel a pull toward faith they do not yet understand — who sense something drawing them but cannot name it — that they may follow that pull toward the One who is himself the living bread, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
4.That we may receive the Easter promise with open hands today: whoever eats this bread will live forever — and come to the Eucharist not from habit but from hunger, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
5.That our parish may be a community shaped by the bread Christ gives — his flesh for the life of the world — generously offering that life to all who come near, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Optional:For our sick, bereaved, and all who have asked for our prayers.Lord, hear our prayer.
For N. and all the faithful departed, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Option 2
1.For the Church, that she may never tire of proclaiming the contrast Christ makes — your ancestors ate manna and died; whoever eats this bread will live forever — and offer the world what Moses could not, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
2.That world leaders may not be satisfied with what perishes — policies and programmes that address the surface of human need — but attend also to the deeper hungers that the living bread alone can satisfy, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
3.For those who have heard and learned from the Father — who are being drawn toward Christ and toward the Church — that nothing may obstruct that drawing and that someone may be there to welcome them when they arrive, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
4.That we may come to the Eucharist this week as those who are truly hungry — who have tried everything that perishes and know it is not enough — and receive the living bread with gratitude, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
5.That our parish may live the Eucharist outward — the flesh given for the life of the world flowing through our community into practical care for the hungry, the lonely, and the lost, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Optional:For a deeper hunger for the Eucharist in our parish community.Lord, hear our prayer.
For N. and all the faithful departed, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Pro Life Option
1.That the Church may proclaim that the flesh Christ gives for the life of the world includes every unborn life — that the God who gives his body for us will not withhold his love from the smallest body in the womb, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
2.That lawmakers may be drawn by the Father toward the truth that every human life deserves legal protection — and may follow that drawing to legislation that reflects it, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
3.For women who feel a pull toward choosing life for their child but fear they cannot manage it — that the Father's drawing may complete its work in them, and that real support may meet them at the moment of decision, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
4.That we may give ourselves as bread for mothers in need — our time, our resources, our presence — as Christ gave his flesh for the life of the world, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
5.That our parish may be nourished at the altar and sent out as living bread — practical, costly, generous — for the mothers and unborn children who need us in our neighbourhood, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Optional:For all who provide food, shelter, and support to mothers and young families in need.Lord, hear our prayer.
For N. and all the faithful departed, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
How to Use These Prayers
- Choose your option: Select from the available prayer options based on your celebration.
- Customize if needed: Click "Edit" to adapt the prayers to your parish's specific needs.
- Download: Click "Download PDF" to get a printable version.
- Use during Mass: Have a lector read each intention, with the congregation responding "Lord, hear our prayer."
About Prayers of the Faithful
The Prayers of the Faithful, also known as bidding prayers or general intercessions, are an essential part of the Catholic Mass. These prayers allow the congregation to intercede for the needs of the Church, the world, those in authority, those oppressed by various needs, the local community, and the deceased.
Our daily prayers are carefully crafted according to the liturgical calendar, ensuring that each day's intercessions are appropriate for the specific celebration, whether it be a solemnity, feast, memorial, or ordinary day of the liturgical year.
Features:
- ✓ Updated daily according to the liturgical calendar
- ✓ Multiple options for each day
- ✓ Editable prayers to fit your parish needs
- ✓ PDF downloads for easy printing
- ✓ Liturgical colors and rankings displayed
- ✓ Free to use for all Catholic communities