Prayer For Libraries
Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father,
and have told us that whoever sees you sees Him.
Show us your face and we will be saved.
Your loving gaze freed Zacchaeus and Matthew from being enslaved by money;
the adulteress and Magdalene from seeking happiness only in created things;
made Peter weep after his betrayal,
and assured Paradise to the repentant thief.
Let us hear, as if addressed to each one of us, the words that you spoke to the Samaritan woman:
If you knew the gift of God!
You are the visible face of the invisible Father,
of the God who manifests his power above all by forgiveness and mercy:
let the Church be your visible face in the world, its Lord risen and glorified.
You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in weakness
in order that they may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error:
let everyone who approaches them feel sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.
Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with His anointing,
so that the Jubilee of Mercy may be a year of grace from the Lord,
and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm, may bring good news to the poor,
proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed,
and restore sight to the blind.
We ask this of you, Lord Jesus, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of
Mercy; you who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and
ever.
Amen.
O God, master of all knowledge,
be so kind as to shed Your blessing on this library.
Grant that it may be preserved from fire and other dangers;
that it may in time grow to suitable size;
and that all who gather here for work or study
may grow in the knowledge of divine and human affairs
and may at the same time make progress in the love of You,
through Christ our Lord.
Only True God, we ask You to bless this day all librarians and the libraries they work in. May libraries and their employees continue to spread knowledge through the form of books, computers, and seminars. As local libraries host employment learning opportunities, access to the internet, and other community building resources, we ask that You continue gifting them with Your grace so that they can help many of the neediest. There are many parish libraries staffed by volunteers who have an extensive Catholic library and materials that may be used to deepen our faith and grow in wisdom. We pray that more people may take advantage of their own libraries to learn more about Catholicism, about the spiritual life, and scripture study. We thank You that there are people who are willing to hand down knowledge to the next generation and make this their life's work. Bless them through Your Son, our Sovereign Lord. Amen.