A handy reminder of who to pray for says Pope Francis

Pope Francis has proposed a simple way of remembering who we should pray for – simple enough for children to understand explains Marriage & Family Life Co-ordinator, Antonia Braithwaite, in her Faith in the Home column.

“Let us remember all those who need our prayer….”

We hear these words almost every week during the Prayer of the Faithful at Mass.

Many years before he become Pope, Pope Francis proposed a simple way of remembering who to pray for, and the method is simple enough for children to understand.

Hold out your hand, with your fingers spread apart:

1^st finger, Thumb:   This finger is closest to us, so we start for praying for those people who are closest to us… our parents, our brothers and sisters, our grandparents and extended family, our godparents, our Priests, our friends and parishioners and work colleagues.

2^nd finger, Index finger: Pray for those who teach you, instruct you and heal you. They need God’s help and guidance as they direct others.

3^rd finger, middle: This is the tallest finger and reminds us to pray for our government leaders and those who have authority. They need the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

4^th finger, ring: This is our weakest finger, and so reminds us to pray for the weakest amongst us – the sick, the poor, the unborn, the lonely, those suffering with other problems.

5^th finger, little finger: our smallest finger reminds us to pray for ourselves, for our own physical and spiritual needs, and that we will do God’s will in our life.

Photo by Samir Jammal

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