Category: Prayer

Holding Hope – online reflection

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The third and final of the Doorways of Hope series of online reflections is Holding Hope, on Thursday 17th July, 7:00pm to 8:00pm.

Paula Shanks and Monsignor Donal Lucey will invite you to notice spaces where hope is held out for us in everyday life and the ways in which we do this for others.

This is part of the invitation to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ – the theme of the Jubilee Year 2025 – looking at ways of noticing the nature and presence of hope, what it means to live this hope and how we can share hope with others in our ordinary, daily lives. 

Please do join us for Holding Hope on Thursday 17th July, just email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk.

Video and summary sheet from Living in Hope online reflection

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On Wednesday 14th May 2025, we held the second in the Doorways of Hope series of online reflections, Living in Hope, led by Paula Shanks and Mgr. Donal Lucey & Paula Shanks, as part of the Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee year.

Living in Hope explores how living in the flow of life offers invitations to a deeper sense of hope..

You can watch the whole session on YouTube here.

There is a one page summary produced by Paula here.

Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly – prayer for older people

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This weekend is Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly, part of the ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ Jubilee Year 2025 in the Catholic Church. 

This is the weekend of the Jubilee Year to celebrate and pray for older people (including grandparents) as well as families and children.

This Jubilee event is a celebration of the family – including older people – and a time to prayer that so our world today can become a family-friendly world.

As part of this Pope Francis, the Pope who announced this Jubilee, spoke of older people as the “firm foundation” of the future and that we must be not afraid of becoming old and we should instead see the value in later life and greater age.

He said: “Because to say “old” does not mean “to be discarded”, as a degraded culture of waste sometimes leads us to think. Saying “old” instead means saying experience, wisdom, knowledge, discernment, thoughtfulness, listening, slowness…Values of which we are in great need!”You can download the service/prayer booklet for the Jubilee here

There is a link to resources and prayers about this Jubilee produced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops here. 

Here is a suggested prayer for older people this weekend which you might to say.

Prayer for all older people for Jubilee Year 2025

Heavenly Father,
source of all life and wisdom,
we thank You for the gift of later life and older age
and for all older people, 
as the Pilgrims of Hope who have walked longest
on this beautiful planet you have given us.

Bless all older people all over this troubled world,
the long lives lived and the many lives touched
the families, friends, the memories
the faith handed down,
and we pray for the strength with which to bear life’s burdens and challenges.

May the long standing witness of older people remind us of this Jubilee Pilgrimage, 
and inspire other people’s own journeys of hope.
Grant all older people peace,
companionship and enduring hope. 

May all people, communities and societies cherish, respect and value older people and later life and may we all walk together – Pilgrims of Hope of all ages – toward the light of Your Kingdom, united in love, guided by hope.

Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Growing Old Grace-fully

30th May 2025

Living in Hope – online reflection

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The second of the Doorways of Hope series of 3 online reflections is Living in Hope, on Wednesday 14th March, 7:00pm to 8:00pm.

Paula Shanks and Monseigneur Donal Lucey will explore how living in the flow of life offers invitations to a deeper sense of hope. 

This is part of the invitation to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’, looking at ways of noticing the nature and presence of hope, what it means to live this hope and how we can share hope with others in our ordinary, daily lives. 

Please do join us for Living in Hope on Tuesday 18th March, just email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk.

Easter Prayers 2025

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Resurrection light

Risen Christ, when darkness overwhelms us
may your dawn beckon.

When fear paralyses us 
may your touch release us.

When grief torments us 
may your peace enfold us.

When memories haunt us 
may your presence heal us.

When justice fails us 
may your anger ignite us.

When apathy stagnates us 
may your challenge renew us.

When courage leaves us 
may your spirit inspire us.

When despair grips us 
may your hope restore us. 

And when death threatens us 
may your resurrection light lead us.

Amen.

Annabel Shilson-Thomas/CAFOD

Risen Jesus

We thank you for your greeting,
‘Peace be with you’.
The shalom of God, deep lasting peace,
Peace that brings inner calm;
that keeps a person steady in the storm;
that faces the persecutor without fear
and proclaims the good news with courage and joy.
This is the peace that reconciles
sister to brother, black to white,
rich and poor, young and old;
but not peace that is quiet
in the face of oppression and justice
This is peace with God,
the peace that passes understanding.

John Johansen- Berg (based in John 20.19-29 Philippians 4-7)

Triumphant Jesus

“They took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices.”

John 19.40

You raised Lazarus from dead, saying
“Unbind him, let him go free.”
You too were bound and laid to rest
in a cold tomb, freshened by myrrh and aloes.
Unbind us so that we may also go free.

In sorrow we left you as the dead Jesus
and in wonder you returned to us as the Risen Christ.
Untied from the strips of linen,
you offered us a new-found freedom.
Raise us from the coldness of the tomb in which we are trapped.

With this freedom we are empowered to make choices
about our lifestyle and attitudes,
But our human frailty prevents us from being courageous
by taking those first vital steps.
Release us from the self-imposed exile of our prejudices.

Amen.

Tony Singleton/CAFOD

Glimpses of Hope – online event

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The first of the Doorways of Hope series of online events is is Glimpses of Hope, on Tuesday 18th March, 2:30pm to 3:30pm,

Paula Shanks and Monseigneur Donal Lucey &will explore the the theme of ‘Springtime’ to explore how we can awaken to the invitation to be renewed in hope. A hope rooted in God who chooses to be with us in how things are, where we are.  

Over the course of the three hour long talks and reflections, Paula and Mgr. Lucey will explore the invitation to be ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ and will offer ways of noticing the nature and presence of hope, what it means to live this hope and how we can share hope with others in our ordinary, daily lives. 

Please do join us for Glimpses of Hope on Tuesday 18th March, just email growing.old.gracefully@dioceseofleeds.org.uk.

It’s All Right by Sister Kate Holmstrom

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It’s All Right is written by Sister Kate Holmstrom, a Holy Child Sister, resident at a care home in Harrogate.

Sister Kate has contributed a number of items to Growing Old Grace-fully.

It’s All Right

Thanks, Lord, my heartfelt thanks, and great relief
To hear you say: “But it’s All Right, you know!”
All right –you’re growing old. Forgetful, muddled, dim
(Embarrassing, frustrating though it is),
All right to need, and take, more time, more space, perhaps,
To admit: “I don’t cope well. I can’t keep up”.
You went there first, our good and sorrowful Lord.
You touched the depth, in dark Gethsemane,
Were crowned with pain and meek humility,
Carried the cross, the sharp sin of the world
So no-one, now, need think herself bereft.
You give to us, you give to me, your freedom:
Permission to be helpless, tired and weak.
You would not have us envious of others
When they are brave or bright or persevering.
You rock us in your reassuring arms,
Accepting us the way you made us: small,
And loving us that way. For you to grow in us,
We must be empty, leaving space for you.
And then you’ll say: “That’s right! What you thought wrong,
Amiss and lacking, is my chance. All right!”

                                                               Katharine Holmstrom

2025 Jubilee Year

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The 2025 Jubilee Year ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ is now underway.

The Jubilee Year began with the opening of the Holy Door in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, on Christmas Eve Tuesday and runs to the Feast of Epiphany 2026.

The Jubilee Year in the Diocese of Leeds began with Bishop Marcus celebrating Mass in the Cathedral at 11am on Sunday 29 December 2024.

The theme the Holy Father has chosen for this year of special graces is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ and he invites the whole People of God – clergy and laity – to celebrate God’s Gift of Grace through their expressions of Deep Faith, Lively Hope and Active Charity.

Since Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Jubilee on 22 February 1300, the Catholic Church has declared these Holy Years to be special times of joy, celebration, forgiveness and reconciliation: with one another, with all of creation and with God. In order to prepare for the Jubilee, a Year of Prayer and Preparation will begin in Advent 2023, with special focus on the Lord’s Prayer, taught to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

The Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly is from 30 May 2025 – 1 June 2025.

The official Jubilee website is here and the Jubilee section of the Diocese of Leeds website is here. In both cases, there is more information and resources.

Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled

in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,

reawaken in us the blessed hope

for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us

into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos

in the sure expectation

of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee

reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,

a yearning for the treasures of heaven.

May that same grace spread

the joy and peace of our Redeemer

throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed,

be glory and praise for ever.

Amen.

Video and resources from ‘Spiritually Accompanying People with Dementia’ online session

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On Tuesday 22nd October, we held the 5th Growing Old Grace-fully online session of 2024, Spiritually Accompanying People with Dementia led by Rev. Dr. Joseph Cortis, co-author of Journeying Together: accompanying people living with dementia. Deacon Joe has a background in adult and mental health nursing which includes a long period as an educational manager, academic and senior lecturer at the University of Leeds. He is a Trustee of Growing Old Grace-fully and a Deacon of the Diocese of Leeds.

The session explored ways to provide spiritual support to individuals living with dementia as well as our own spiritual journey with them as a loved one. It includes prayers and reflections, as well as ideas as to accompany and support someone living with dementia from a spiritual perspective.

It was a very powerful session and we thank Deacon Joe for leading it.

You can watch the whole session on YouTube here.

There is a one page summary of the session, produced by Deacon Joe, that you can download here.

Further Resources

For those who would like to read it, the book, by Rev. Dr. Joe Cortis & Dr. Pia Matthews can be ordered here.

In addition, in 2019 Deacon Joe led a Dementia Awareness workshop, which can be found on the Caritas Leeds website here.

This page also links to several useful resources and links, regarding dementia.

Video and resources from ‘Hope in Later Life’ online session

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Image by FreePik

On Thursday 26th September, we held the 4th Growing Old Grace-fully online session of 2024, Hope in Later Life led by Paula Shanks and Father Donal Lucey.

It was a very powerful reflection and we thank Paula and Fr Donal for leading it.

You can watch the whole session on YouTube here.

There is a one page summary produced by Paula here.