Jesus, bread of life,
we pray for your church,
that, it may be a place of compassion
giving generously to help people in need,
and also a place where spirits and souls
are tended, fed and healed.
As Christians,
bless and guide us as we follow you;
feed us with the bread that lasts for eternity.
Jesus, lover of humanity, giver of bread,
we pray for those who will, today or tomorrow,
be hungry or thirsty.
Help us always to work for a world
where resources are justly shared.
We pray and give thanks for the work of aid and humanitarian agencies,
working to help those living in hardship beyond our understanding.
Lead us to more balanced lives,
body and soul, material and spiritual,
for our own good, and for the good of all creation.
Today we pray for all who are spiritually and mentally ill;
especially for young people who struggle with their mental health.
Show us how to build a society where happiness can be found more easily,
where having and doing are balanced with being,
where achieving is balanced with creativity,
where personal gain is balanced with the service of others.
May our own striving to lead lives of the spirit
draw others to the bread of life.
We pray for those whose earthly lives have ended,
and who now dwell with you in eternal life.
For ourselves as we miss those we have loved,
and that we will live our own lives
In the light of eternity.
And we give thanks for our daily bread,
for food we share,
for our community of faith here at St Oswald’s,
for our weekly celebration of Holy Communion:
the spiritual nourishment of the bread of life.Amen