PRAYER FOR THE PARISH

Loving God, you gather us as a people of the new covenant sealed with the blood of your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  You formed us into a community of faith, hope and love; a priestly, prophetic and kingly people.

Humbly we ask you, make our parishes truly a communion of communities; a worshiping community, a witnessing and an evangelizing community, and a servant community.

Guide our pastors, the religious and lay leaders, and all those who labor in the parish, with your wisdom and love.

Bless all the parishioners who compose the parish and BEC’s,as they offer their time, talents and treasures as stewards of the graces you gifted us, for the building up of your Church.

May the Holy Spirit enlighten, inspire and invigorate us to actively participate in the mission you entrusted to us in the parish. May we continue to be a discerning community, reading the signs of the times and interpreting them in the light of the Gospel.

May we truly become the leaven in society by penetrating all its strata with the Gospel and restoring its order according to thevalues of the Kingdom.

And may the spirit of collaboration and co-responsibility bring us into a fuller and fruitful communion with you and with one another.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Explanation of the logo

The circles of people whose hands are intertwined symbolize the communion within the BECs. These communities are linked together by the outline of the cross which signifies the parish as communion of communities. It also includes other faith communities and organizations that are in the parish that – although trans-parochial in nature- are called to actively take part in the life of the parish and BECs. The outline of the cross also symbolizes the vertical and horizontal dimension of communion – communion with the Triune God and with each other. The bread and chalice at the center symbolize the Eucharist which is the sacrament and celebration of this communion. The bible which is also at the center symbolizes the Word of God that is shared and proclaimed which is the source of  faith and basis of communion and which nourishes and build up communion. The sunrays symbolize the light of Christ that shines in the life of the members of parish and these communities.

The theme: “Forming BECs that are agents of communion, participation and mission” is a call to action for all the members of the parish, the BECs and the trans-parochial faith communities and organizations to work together to build up the BECs where communion is experienced and that actively participate in the prophetic mission of evangelization, in sanctification and liturgical celebration, and in the mission of social transformation and making the kingdom of God – a kingdom of justice, peace, harmony and freedom – a reality.