Prayer of Intercession

25 December 2023

Prepared by Joram Calimutan

Christmas Day

O God of life and history, we thank you for your unconditional love that manifest in the birth of Jesus in a manger. His birth in a lowly manger, contrary to the standards of the rich and powerful kings and rulers signifies your preferential option for the poor, the deprived and the oppressed. You, O God, is a god who tramples the rich and mighty. You O God, is a god of justice and righteousness.

 

O God of the poor and powerless, we recognized that in our joyful celebration of Christ’s birth, many of our siblings—brothers and sisters are unable to have at least a decent food on their table. Millions have let the night passed with empty stomachs and hoping that in days to come they will have their fill. Grant us O God, the compassion that in our own little way we can feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty.

 

O God of hope, we continue to pray for the people of Palestine. For more than three months, thousands of children, youth, women, elderly are massacred by the indiscriminate bombing and genocide of the Israelite. The Palestine people whose land was the birthplace of Jesus Christ are struggling for liberation and against illegal occupation and genocide for 75 years now. Grant us the courage O God, that in our joyful celebration we express our solidarity with the Palestine people in their quest for liberation and end to illegal occupation.

 

O God of peace, we pray for millions of migrants, refugees and other displaced people in our midst. They are victims of abject poverty, unemployment, landlessness, climate change, war and conflict that forced them to leave their families and home countries behind. They, O God, are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ [whom along with his father Joseph and mother Mary become migrants and refugees in Egypt to escape Herod’s tyranny and fascism] while longing to be with their families and loved ones in the home countries. Strengthen them O God, so that they resist all forms of racial discrimination, abuse and exploitation while working in a foreign land and persevere in their call to address the root causes of forced migration.

 

O God, our source of joy and healing, we pray for our brothers and sisters who are sick and bedridden. We pray for people who are suffering, imprisoned, victimized, deprived and dehumanized. May they find the joy amidst hardship that they are encountering at present, a joy that strengthen their faith to be healed and freedom from all forms of dehumanization that trample their being as a person created in your image.

 

O God of love, we pray for your church—the One Body of Christ and the community of believers. You bestowed upon us Christ mission and ministry of loving the people who need God the most. People whom our society ostracize and marginalized, labelled as sinners and unlovable—like the poor, the deprived and the oppressed. May the light of Christ continue to shine and guide your church as she live-out her faith by loving the unlovable, by being faithful to Christ message of justice, compassion and solidarity.

 

In our ecumenical prayer cycle we pray for people of Japan, North Korea and South Korea. We particularly bring our concern and prayer for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula. They are struggling for so long to be reunited as one country. May they continue to persevere and strive for a way of peace until their dream of reunification be realized.

 

As we end our prayer of the people. May I invite to pray the Lord’s Prayer. You can pray it in your own language.

 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen