Family prayer for a New Year
The Basha family -- Shadi, 12; Hani, 9; Walid , 47; and Jamila, 44, pray during Mass July 27 in the Church of St. Catherine in Bethlehem, West Bank. Parishes throughout the West Bank celebrated special Masses for Gaza, Iraq and Syria. (CNS photo/Debbie Hill) (July 28, 2014) See WESTBANK-CHRISTIANS July 28, 2014.
O God our Father, by the light of the Holy Spirit, lead us to be thankful for the gift of faith and for a new year. May we grow in our relationship with Jesus, your Son. May we be confident witnesses to Christian hope and joy to all we meet.
May everyone in our family be willing to begin anew with a clean slate. We know that you are always ready to forgive us. Help us to be willing to forgive ourselves and to forgive one another.
As we begin a new year, remind us of our truest values and our deepest desires. Help us to live in the goodness that comes from doing what you want us to do. Help us to put aside anxiety about the future and the past, so that we might live in peace with you now, one day at a time.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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