Pope Francis
Pope Francis gave us this invitation.... ‘let us persevere in our closeness and in prayer for the dear Ukrainian people who are experiencing immense cruelty’

A Prayer for Ukraine
Loving God,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.

(From the CAFOD website. Link opens in new tab.)

Loving Father,
May hatred be turned into love,
fear to trust,
despair to hope,
oppression to freedom,
occupation to liberation,
that violent encounters
may be replaced
by loving embraces,
and peace and justice
could be experienced by all.

LIVING LAUDATO SI’ RETREAT: Boarbank Hall, Grange Over Sands: 
5th – 12th October - A week to explore how to Care for Creation fully in our personal lives and within the Church. Follow themes from Laudato Si’: The Gospel; The Roots of the Crisis; Integral Ecology; Dialogue; Spirituality. Visit https://boarbankhall.org.uk/whats-on/

Reflect:

Jesus heals a deaf and mute man. The reading shows Jesus using spittle and touch. The Church celebrates the Sacraments using physical signs. These outward signs help to illustrate our faith.

Pray

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.

Act

How do we respond to the needs of those who are sick in our community? Do we care for them or do we ignore them and let others take on the 'burden'? Consider a time when you were sick. In what ways did you feel the love and care of others? How could such care have been improved?

Challenge

As we begin the Season of Creation let us renew our efforts to protect the Earth which is our home. We can start by doing some really easy things:

• Check for gaps where draughts can get in. Block them using draught excluders. Don't forget the letter box!
• Check to see if your water pipes are sufficiently insulated. This will help to retain heat.

CAFOD Sudan Appeal:
‘The people of Sudan need our urgent help. CAFOD are launching an emergency appeal for donations to get aid to them on the biggest scale we can muster. When violence broke out last year in Sudan between government and paramilitaries, most aid agencies evacuated. Now, humanitarian workers are struggling to get back into Sudan to help, meaning severe delays in getting aid to the people, and the challenges of getting into areas where fighting is still going on remain. Many borders are shut as the government say they need to keep weapons out. But the Church and our local partners are sill there. Donations may still be made this week in an envelope marked ‘Sudan’, or directly through the CAFOD website.

CAFOD's Prayer for Peace in the Middle East (Opens in a new tab.)

CAFOD’s Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal

Donate to CAFOD’s Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal at cafod.org.uk/ipc
CAFOD have already sent  £100,000 to, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) who are already supporting 10,000 families caught up in the fighting in Gaza.