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Prayers of the Faithful Today

August 26

Tuesday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Weekday
Liturgical Color: Green

Prayers of the Faithful for Tuesday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Option 1

1.That the Church may never strain out the gnat while swallowing the camel—always placing judgment, mercy, and fidelity at the center of her mission rather than peripheral observances, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
2.That leaders of nations may attend to the weightier things of the law: justice, mercy, and good faith—not performing well-publicized small gestures while neglecting the great demands of the common good, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
3.For those whose faith has become a matter of external appearances only, that God may stir in them a hunger for the interior holiness Christ calls the weightier things of the law, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
4.That we may cleanse the inside of our cup—our hearts, our intentions, our hidden motivations—knowing that outward observance means nothing if it covers inner greed and self-indulgence, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
5.That our parish may be known not for elaborate external piety but for the weightier things: genuine justice in our community, active mercy for the suffering, and faithful love for God, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Optional:For those who practice their faith outwardly but struggle with interior conversion, that God may renew them from within.Lord, hear our prayer.
That N. and all who have died may be found clean within by the mercy of God who sees all things hidden, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.

Option 2

1.For Pope Leo XIV and all who lead the Church, that they may teach the faithful to prioritize mercy, justice, and fidelity—without neglecting the legitimate disciplines of the Church, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
2.That civil society may be challenged to look beyond surface performance in its leaders and demand the interior virtues of honesty, equity, and genuine commitment to the common good, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
3.For those who are rigidly focused on minor rules while neglecting those who suffer—the poor, the marginalized, the outcast—that their eyes may be opened by Christ's rebuke, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
4.That we may ask ourselves honestly: what is the gnat I strain out while swallowing the camel?—and humbly open ourselves to the deeper conversion God is asking of us, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
5.That our parish may cultivate genuine interior holiness: a community where mercy flows freely, where justice is actively sought, and where fidelity is not a performance but a lived reality, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Optional:For a deeper spirit of mercy and genuine justice in our own lives and community.Lord, hear our prayer.
That N. and all who have died may be purified by God's mercy and welcomed into the fullness of eternal truth, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.

Pro Life Option

1.That the Church may never strain out the gnat of social concerns while swallowing the camel of abortion—always placing defense of the most vulnerable life at the center of her witness, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
2.That lawmakers may attend to the weightiest thing of all in a just society: the protection of every innocent human life from its very beginning, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
3.For mothers in crisis pregnancies whose needs are met not with mercy and fidelity but with pressures to abort, that they may find communities who offer genuine justice and care, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
4.That we may examine our own commitment to life—not merely in words but in the cup of practical mercy we offer to mothers, children, and families in need, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
5.That our parish may be a community whose interior life matches its exterior witness: genuinely just, genuinely merciful, and genuinely faithful to every human life entrusted to our care, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.
Optional:For those who provide practical support to mothers in need, choosing mercy over judgment.Lord, hear our prayer.
That N. and all who have died, including unborn children, may be received by the God of mercy and justice into eternal life, let us pray to the Lord.Lord, hear our prayer.

How to Use These Prayers

  1. Choose your option: Select from the available prayer options based on your celebration.
  2. Customize if needed: Click "Edit" to adapt the prayers to your parish's specific needs.
  3. Download: Click "Download PDF" to get a printable version.
  4. 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