About this prayer
This original Catholic devotional prayer was written for this companion. Pray it alone or with others, bringing the people and circumstances of your own life before God.
Prayer text
Good Shepherd, guide bishops in their care for the communities entrusted to them. Give them courage to teach the faith with clarity, patience to listen, and honesty in the use of authority and resources. Help them protect children and vulnerable adults, act decisively against abuse, and accompany those who have been hurt. Keep them close to people who are poor and far from the Church. Renew their prayer and strengthen their collaboration with priests, religious and lay people. Grant what is truly good, and help me cooperate with your grace through wise and loving action. Keep me close to Jesus in hope and patience. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Extended community prayer
The original prayer above is unchanged. This separate community version includes additional intentions and responses. One person leads; everyone joins in the shared parts.
Let us gather in the presence of God, remembering those who pray with us and those who cannot be here. We bring our gratitude, our needs, and our willingness to care for one another.
God of love, unite our hearts in prayer and teach us to serve you together.
Good Shepherd, guide bishops in their care for the communities entrusted to them. Give them courage to teach the faith with clarity, patience to listen, and honesty in the use of authority and resources. Help them protect children and vulnerable adults, act decisively against abuse, and accompany those who have been hurt. Keep them close to people who are poor and far from the Church. Renew their prayer and strengthen their collaboration with priests, religious and lay people. Grant what is truly good, and help me cooperate with your grace through wise and loving action. Keep me close to Jesus in hope and patience. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Community intentions
For bishops entrusted with pastoral care, grant wisdom to teach faithfully, listen humbly, and protect those who are vulnerable.
Lord, hear our prayer, and help us become instruments of your mercy.
For their decisions, inspire transparency, accountability, and courage to address suffering and wrongdoing without favouritism.
Lord, hear our prayer, and help us become instruments of your mercy.
Pause for silent prayer. Intentions may be offered aloud freely; no one is required to share.
For the intentions spoken and those held quietly in our hearts, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, receive our prayer and sustain us in your love.
Let us entrust ourselves and those for whom we have prayed to the Father.
Merciful Father, receive our prayer through Jesus Christ. Where we can offer help, make us willing; where we must wait, give us patience. Keep us attentive to one another beyond this gathering. May the grace of this prayer take root in our homes, our work, and our choices, so that your love becomes visible through our lives. Amen.