In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen Christ, our Saviour and our King, renew in us allegiance to Your Kingship. We pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things. We pray for the grace to obey You before any civic authority. We pray for the grace to fervently bring about Your kingdom in our families and Community. We pray that You will reign in our minds. We pray that you will reign in our hearts. O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in our lives and in the life of the world.
As we reflect on your second, glorious coming and the judgement of all mankind, We beg You to show us mercy and give us the grace to become great saints. We pray that not only will we spend eternity with You but that You may use us sinners to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory.
Christ the King, Your Kingdom come!
Amen.
Daily Theme
Businesses, The Workplace and Economic Wellbeing
In this time of great challenge, we pray for the economic wellbeing of the country. We remember before God those who face great uncertainty in their work. We lift before God those who have lost their jobs and face an uncertain and difficult future. We pray for a renewed commitment to our common life together.
Christ, our Saviour and our King, renew in us allegiance to Your Kingship. We pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things. We pray for the grace to obey You before any civic authority. We pray for the grace to fervently bring about Your kingdom in my family and Community. We pray that you will reign in my mind. O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in our lives and in the life of the world.
As we reflect on your second, glorious coming and the judgement of all mankind, we beg You to show us mercy and give us the grace to become great saints. We pray that not only will we spend eternity with You but that You may use us as sinners to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory.
Christ the King, Your Kingdom come! Amen.
Daily Theme
Elderly, Isolate and Vulnerable
We echo God’s commitment to those most at risk of this virus by praying today for those who are particularly vulnerable and isolated: praying for their deliverance, protection and comfort. We hold before God those who care for them that they would be strengthened and encouraged in this work.
Christ, our Saviour and our King, renew in us allegiance to Your Kingship. We pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things. We pray for the grace to obey You before any civic authority. we pray for the grace to fervently bring about Your kingdom in our families and Communities. O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in our lives and in the life of the world.
As we reflect on your second, glorious coming and the judgement of all mankind, we beg You to show us mercy and give us the grace to become great saints. We pray that not only will we spend eternity with You but that You may use us sinners to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory.
Christ the King, Your Kingdom come! Amen
Daily Theme
Schools and Colleges, Children and Young People
We pray for all those involved in shaping young lives. We give God thanks for the sacrifice and commitment of teachers and all those involved in serving children and young people in education. We pray that all might be nurtured and cared for and that every needful resource would be made available that all lives can flourish even in these difficult times and that no-one would be overlooked.
On Monday, at 7pm, we will celebrate a REQUIEM MASS for All Who Have Died In The Past Year, both those buried from the Parish, and any others related to us in the family of the Parish. The celebration will be Live-Streamed – to join in please go to https://sthelenscaerphilly.com/st-helens-live-stream/
If you have a family member whom you wish to have named and prayed for at this Mass, please send the details – name, date of death, and relationship to yourself, to the Parish office, caerphilly@rcadc.org.
Please print off or view the Order of Service from here.
Christ, our Saviour and our King, renew in us allegiance to your Kingship. We Pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things. We pray for the grace to obey You before any civic authority. O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in our lives and in the life of the world.
As we reflect on your second, glorious coming and the judgement of all mankind, we beg You to show us mercy and give us the grace to become great saints. We pray that not only will we spend eternity with You but that You may use us sinners to bring others into Your kingdom for Your glory.
Christ the King, Your Kingdom come! Amen.
Daily Theme
Family, Friends and Loved Ones
We lift to God those we hold in our hearts. Praying for their health, their well- being and their sense of hope. We pray that even when loved ones cannot physically be together they would not feel apart.
We ask for God’s help in our communicating and our caring.
Writing of the issues surrounding the pandemic and, in particular, the regulations concerning the prohibition relating to the gathering of people for communal worship in churches, Cardinal Vincent Nichols as President of the Bishops’ Conference has said:
“At this difficult moment, we ask that, as a Catholic community, we make full use of our churches as places of individual prayer and sources of solace and help. We must sustain each other in our patterns of prayer, joining a national shared moment of prayer each day at 6pm and observing the Vigil of Christ the King (21 November) as a day of prayer for the ending of this pandemic. And we encourage you all in your practical service and support of each other and those in need around you”.
To assist in this endeavour, I attach prayers devotions and intercessions which may be used in the days leading up to the Feast of Christ the King. Some of them might be suitable for a Holy Hour on the vigil of the feast and for publication in parish newsletters and websites.
Archbishop of Cardiff & Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Menevia
Background to the Feast
This feast day was instituted by Pope Pius XI on December 11th in 1925 within the encyclical letter Quas Primas. The Holy Father was responding to the fact that the world was becoming increasingly nationalistic and secular. Governments were claiming more and more allegiance from their citizens and attempting to replace God.
“While nations insult the beloved name of our Redeemer by suppressing all mention of it in their conferences and parliaments, we must all the more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the more universally affirm his rights.” Quas Primas, 25
Pope Pius XI, therefore, created this feast to help the faithful to remember that allegiance to Christ is above any allegiance to government of a nation.
“The faithful, moreover, by meditating upon these truths, will gain much strength and courage, enabling them to form their lives after the true Christian ideal. If to Christ our Lord is given all power in heaven and on earth; if all men, purchased by his precious blood, are by a new right subjected to his dominion; if this power embraces all men, it must be clear that not one of our faculties is exempt from his empire. He must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the law and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments of justice unto God.” Quas Primas, 33
“When we pay honour to the princely dignity of Christ, men will doubtless be reminded that the Church, founded by Christ as a perfect society, has a natural and inalienable right to perfect freedom and immunity from the power of the state; and that in fulfilling the task committed to her by God of teaching, ruling, and guiding to eternal bliss those who belong to the kingdom of Christ, she cannot be subject to any external power.” Quas Primas, 31
Let us pray to Jesus the King of all nations, he is Christ the King!
PRAYER FOR THE NATION
SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER
Loving God, at this time of crisis when so many are suffering, we pray for our nation and our world.
Give our leaders wisdom, our Health Service strength, our people hope.
Lead us through these parched and difficult days to the fresh springs of joy and comfort that we find in Jesus Christ our Lord.
AMEN
Loving Father God Be with us in our distress: with our families, friends and neighbours,
our country and our world.
Give health to the sick, hope to the fearful, and comfort to the mourners.
Give wisdom to our frontline and key workers, insight to our government and patience to us all;
Overcome disease with the power of your new life, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
AMEN
CHRIST THE KING NOVENA PRAYERS
Saturday 14th November
Christ, our Saviour and our King, renew in us allegiance to Your Kingship. We pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things. O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in our lives and in the life of the world.
As we reflect on Your second, glorious coming and the judgment of all humanity, show us mercy and give us the grace to become great saints. We pray that not only will we spend eternity with You but that You may use us to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory.
Last month we read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows and it must be said that we all enjoyed it. It was quite unusual in that the story developed not through the traditional novel format but as a series of letters between the characters in the book. And this evening, as we always do, we had a good discussion about the book via Zoom. It was great to discuss this unusual format, to discuss the characters, one or two people discussed Guernsey and we all reminisced about when we ‘we used to write letters’.
Taking a cue from some of the books and authors mentioned in the book 6 books were selected and we voted on them. The one selected by book club members was Ernest Hemingway’s, For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Inspired by his experiences as a reporter during the Spanish Civil War, Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls tells the story of Robert Jordan, an American volunteer in the International Brigades fighting to defend the Spanish Republic against Franco. After being ordered to work with guerrilla fighters to destroy a bridge, Jordan finds himself falling in love with a young Spanish woman and clashing with the guerrilla leader over the risks of their mission.
One of the great novels of the twentieth century, For Whom the Bell Tolls was first published in 1940. It powerfully explores the brutality of war, the loss of innocence and the value of human life
Pan Macmillan
Now did you know the the title of the book comes from a John Donne poem which goes like this:
No man is an island entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were,
As well as any manor of thy friend’s,
Or of thine own were.
Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
John Donne
Please remember that anyone can join our Book Club. The next one will be held on Tuesday 3rd November at 7.00. At this event we will discuss For Whom the Bell Tolls and select our next book.
If Amazon is out of stock, check Amazon “New” or “Used” options from other sellers through Amazon. Kindle is another option. Waterstones and Blackwells sell it as do many suppliers on eBay. Or why not check out the local library?
Can anyone join the Book Club?
Of course! To join the St Helen’s Book Club, please click this link. You can then enter your details and you will be sent joining instructions. Alternatively, you can always email Canon John on caerphilly@rcadc.org.
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