CTK – Witness – Prayer Resources – W/C 19/5/2025

Hello everyone, and welcome back to CTKPray. The prayer theme for this week is Witness.

Witness is our personal response to God’s love—a calling to reflect His truth and presence in the world. It may not always feel grand or obvious, and often requires courage, faith, and humility. But at its heart, being a witness means living a life that points to Christ. Each of us is called to reveal God’s love in a unique, meaningful way.

During the Easter season, we rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus—a moment that transformed the lives of His followers. The early disciples were confused and afraid after His death, unsure of how to move forward. But encountering the risen Christ gave them renewed hope and clarity. They became bold witnesses of His resurrection, proclaiming the Good News through their words and actions, even in the face of great challenges.

In much the same way, we are called to witness Christ in our daily lives. We may not always feel ready or worthy, but God uses our strengths, our questions, and even our weaknesses to shine His light through us. To be a witness doesn’t mean having perfect faith—it means living in a way that points others to the One who is faithful.

Let us pray this week for the grace to be true witnesses of Christ. May we open our hearts to His presence, allow His love to transform us, and share that love with others through our lives. In doing so, we proclaim with joy and conviction that Christ is alive—now and always.

Season of Eastertide

This week, during Eastertide, we continue to reflect on what it means to be a witness—to live in a way that shows others who Jesus is.

Easter isn’t just one day—it’s a whole season that reminds us that Jesus is risen, alive, and still transforming hearts and lives. After the resurrection, the disciples didn’t keep the Good News to themselves. Even though they were once afraid and uncertain, encountering the risen Christ gave them courage. They went out into the world to share what they had seen and experienced. Their lives became powerful witnesses to God’s love.

We’re called to be witnesses too. That doesn’t always mean standing in front of a crowd or saying the perfect words. Often, it means quietly living with love, patience, and integrity. It means choosing honesty, offering forgiveness, helping those in need, and standing up for what’s right—even when it’s difficult. In small, everyday ways, we can reflect the light of Christ to those around us.

Our new Pope Leo XIV shows us how one life, lived with faith, can witness to God’s goodness. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, he followed God’s call to serve as a missionary in Peru, walking alongside the poor and forgotten. His witness—rooted in compassion, humility, and service—reminds us that when we say “yes” to God, our lives can reveal His love in powerful ways.

As we continue through this joyful season, take time to ask yourself: How can I be a witness today? Where is God inviting me to share His love? Who in my life needs to see Christ through me?

Let’s pray this week for the strength and openness to be true witnesses of the risen Jesus—people who bring light, hope, and love into the world simply by how we live.

Below you will find the weekly readings from Sunday’s mass and scriptures taken from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament on the theme of Vocation.

If you would like to explore your own scriptures, the link below will take you to open bible which allows you to explore scripture on any theme.
https://www.openbible.info/topics/joy

First reading Acts 14:21–27

 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.
And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia,
and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled.
And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

Gospel Reading John 13:31–35

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Hebrew Bible Isaiah 51:4-6

Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

New Testament Luke 2:25–35

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Visio Divina, meaning “Divine Seeing,” is a form of prayer in the Catholic Church that involves contemplating religious images or art to encounter God. It is similar to Lectio Divina (sacred reading), but instead of focusing on scripture, the participant meditates on visual representations, such as icons, paintings, or stained glass. The process usually involves several steps: gazing at the image, meditating on its meaning, praying in response to what is seen, and contemplating how the image speaks to one’s life. This practice deepens spiritual insight and fosters a connection with the divine through sacred imagery.

Here are some song suggestions that you could use in your Celebration of the word…

Your mission this week is to… Find one way to share what your faith means to you with someone else this week.

As we continue our Easter journey, let us take a moment to reflect on the call to be witnesses of Christ.
Just as prayer opens our hearts to God, living as a witness helps us share His love with the world. We do this not only through words, but through the way we live—day by day, choice by choice, even when no one is watching.

To be a witness means allowing the light of the Risen Christ to shine through us. God calls each of us to reflect His truth in the world, and He gives us the grace to do so with courage and compassion. Whether it’s offering forgiveness, standing up for what’s right, or simply showing kindness, every small act of love becomes a powerful sign of His presence.

Let us turn to God with open hearts, ready to live in a way that helps others see Him through us.


Prayer
Lord, help me to be a faithful witness of your love.
Teach me to live with courage, compassion, and truth,
so that others may see your light in me.
Even when it’s difficult, help me to reflect your presence
through my actions, my words, and my choices.
May my life proclaim that You are risen, alive, and with us always.

Through Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord.
Amen.

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