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
God of love, draw our family together in kindness and respect. Help us make time to listen across differences in age, experience and opinion. Heal the wounds caused by careless words, neglect and broken trust. Give us courage to seek help where conflict has become harmful, and protect those who need safety. Teach us to share responsibilities, honour reasonable boundaries and welcome each person’s gifts. May our unity grow through truth and patient acts of love. 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.
God of love, draw our family together in kindness and respect. Help us make time to listen across differences in age, experience and opinion. Heal the wounds caused by careless words, neglect and broken trust. Give us courage to seek help where conflict has become harmful, and protect those who need safety. Teach us to share responsibilities, honour reasonable boundaries and welcome each person’s gifts. May our unity grow through truth and patient acts of love. 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 relatives separated by distance or misunderstanding, open opportunities for patient communication and renewed care.
Lord, hear our prayer, and help us become instruments of your mercy.
For our homes, remove favouritism and contempt; teach us to make room for each person's needs while maintaining truthful and safe boundaries.
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.