Year of Prayer 2024
2025 will be a Jubilee year in the Catholic Church. To prepare for this special year Pope Francis has designated 2024 as a Year of Prayer. During this year we are encouraged to deepen our commitment to prayer and accompany others, especially school communities, in their prayer life.
We should reflect and think about why we pray.
Pope Francis tells us that , “Prayer unites us; it makes us brothers and sisters. It is in prayer that our hearts find the strength not to be cold and insensitive in the face of injustice. In prayer, God keeps calling us, opening our hearts to charity.”
During the year there will be a particular focus on the prayer Jesus taught us, the ‘Our Father.’
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
CAFOD have produced some resources to support us in this Year of Prayer including the following prayer:
Symphony of prayer and praise: A prayer for the Year of Prayer
God of blessings,
in this year ahead,
give us a spirit of listening,
of openness to your word
and longing for your kingdom.
As we journey toward the Jubilee,
a time of new beginnings,
we pray for help and strength,
to heal our relationships with each other
and all creation.
Sing your song of love over us,
renewing our faith and courage,
so we may join our voices together,
discovering new harmonies of hope,
new melodies of reconciliation
Attentive to the Spirit,
and awake to the needs of the world,
may we seek your life-giving presence,
as we join as one global family,
in a great symphony of prayer and praise.
Amen
As part of the Year of Prayer in preparation for the Jubilee Year, the Jesuit Institute have prepared a free booklet called Pilgrims of Prayer, which introduces and guides you through different types of prayer. You can find it below.