WE give thee thanks, O heavenly Father, for the parish of St. Thomas's and for the provision of a new rector. Grant unto thy servant Fr. Humphrey, and all our clergy and leadership, the guidance and power of thy Holy Spirit as they seek to build up this parish. Inspire again in us all a love for thy Church, as thou callest each to their vocation and ministry anew. May all things be done according to thy will and may all our doings lift up thy holy Name and bring those nigh unto us to knowledge of thy Son; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. 

Prayer for the Parish (BCP, p. 44, no. 9)
O GOD the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful: Sanctify the parish of St. Thomas’s by thine abiding presence. Bless those who minister in holy things. Enlighten the minds of thy people more and more with the light of the everlasting Gospel. Bring erring souls to the knowledge of God our Saviour; and those who are walking in the way of life, keep stedfast unto the end. Give patience to the sick and afflicted, and renew them in body and soul. Guard from forgetfulness of thee those who are strong and prosperous. Increase in us thy manifold gifts of grace, and make us all to be fruitful in good works; O blessed Spirit, whom with the Father and the Son together we worship and glorify, one God, world without end. Amen.

We recommend that you set a reminder of some sort every day. In addition to the set prayers, we encourage you to hold a particular intention related to these prayers in your heart and mind each day.

For instance, Fr. Humphrey will be praying these intentions:

Wednesday, September 8: Vision. That St. Thomas’s leadership and people, together with our neighbours and friends, may be granted a compelling vision of God’s will for the future of this parish, and be given the grace to pursue it wholeheartedly for the sake of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thursday, September 9: Motivation. That the people, neighbours, and friends of St. Thomas’s might find the motivation to run the race that is set before us in pursuit of the vision of a flourishing parish more meaningfully connected to the Huron-Sussex neighbourhood, the University of Toronto, the wider city, and all our friends, wherever in the world they may be.

Friday, September 10: Resources. That God would grant us the resources, both spiritual and material, to do the work we are called to do, with gladness and singleness of heart. 

Saturday, September 11: Skills. That we would be given the grace to dedicate all of our gifts to God for the upbuilding of St. Thomas’s in mission and ministry, and that those skills we currently lack will soon be supplied by those whom God has yet to send our way.

Sunday, September 12: Action. That, having gained clarity of vision, we may have the leadership needed in this time to put in place realistic action plans that will take us step by step closer to the goals we are called by God to pursue.

Monday, September 13: Faith. That we would remember that in all our endeavours, we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves, unless we are granted the gift of faith that God’s power, working in us, can accomplish more than we can ask or imagine.

Tuesday, September 14: Hope. That we would be given the grace to hold on to hope even when things look hopeless, that God would send us people with the resources and skills to encourage us and renew our hope when we need it the most, and to remember that all our hope on God is founded. 

Wednesday, September 15: Love. That we would remember that nothing we do is worth anything if it is not grounded in the love of God and neighbour, and that we may be conduits of Jesus’ love to each other and the world around us.

Thursday, September 16: Joy. That we would be given the grace to give thanks for what God has done and will do at St. Thomas’s, in the joyful knowledge that, whatever the future brings, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

You may choose to join Fr. Humphrey in praying for these intentions centred on Vision, Motivation, Resources, Skills, Action, Faith, Hope, Love, and Joy. Or you may compose your own list of intentions, being as specific or as general as you like. 

It’s also important to remember that repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation are central to our mission as a parish. You may be moved to base your intentions in what you see as our failures and shortcomings as a parish and as individuals, and pray for the grace of God to heal, restore, and save us from ourselves.

You might also be moved to pray for something or someone specific related to these prayers, such as the pandemic or a parishioner facing difficulties. The goal is to soak St. Thomas’s in prayer, to God’s glory, the edification of God’s people, and for the sake of the well-being of this city and the world.

Any set of intentions, whether drawn up ahead of time or those that come to you in the moment of praying, are worthwhile. If you have any insights you would like to share from your prayer time, please feel free to be in touch with Jess Nee at jess.nee@gmail.com and/or Fr. Humphrey at frhumphrey@stthomas.on.ca.

Prayer is both the least we can do and the most we can do for St. Thomas’s at this time. Thank you for participating in our renewal over these nine days and beyond.