How to pray for year 2000

"The Jubilee of the year 2000 is meant to be a great prayer of praised and thanksgiving, especially for the gift of the Incarnation of the Son of God and of the Redemption which He accomplished," he wrote. It is the time of concerted prayer.

Through his apostolic letter, the pope is calling each of us to a "new evangelization," one in which we are to share the good news of God's mercy and redemptive love with the whole world. It is of utmost importance that we share His love within our everyday lives. To accomplish this, we must be people of prayer, a people eager to be renewed and sent to do His holy will.

In 1995, the Albany Diocesan Evangelization Committee under the leadership of Rev. Martin Fisher embraced the papal vision and initiated a strategic plan to expand evangelization through a concerted effort of prayer. It developed 12 monthly petitions rooted in the apostolic letter "Tertio Millennio Adveniente." Each year, new petitions are mailed to parishes, parish leadership, prayer groups and laity within the diocese. All are invited to include them in the "Prayers of the Faithful" at Sunday liturgy or whenever they are gathered for prayer.

The 1999 petitions reflect the themes of the next two seasons of Renew 2000. The committee felt it was important to emphasize Renew because so many diocesan parishes are using it to prepare for the Jubilee. The 1999 petitions reflect the spring theme of Renew, "Conversion," and the fill theme, "Reaching Out -- Through Evangelization." Each petition is summarized and printed in the black border of the "Daily Bible Readings" section of The Evangelist in an effort to remind readers of these monthly intentions.

As the year 2000 quickly approaches, the committee feels an even greater urgency to "get the word out" for a concerted effort in prayer. The Evangelization Committee members urge all Catholics of the Albany Diocese to join them in prayer for 1999. They invite you to pray the abbreviated prayer intentions in The Evangelist, or you may receive a complete list of the monthly intercessions by calling Deacon William Gaffney, chairperson of the Diocesan Evangelization Committee, at 489-5408.

As these years of Renew bring us to "increased awareness of the spirit of evangelization," Deacon Gaffney and the committee are eager to provide speakers and programs for parishes, clusters, schools and faith formation programs. Also, they will gladly recommend evangelization resources from the Diocesan Library. As they prayerfully prepare for the "new evangelization" of the 21st century, they urge you to prepare, too.

(Editor's note: Jeanne T. Pitkin is a member of the National Council for Catholic Evangelization.)

(02-04-99)