Daily Reflections
Prayer
Lord of all, the holiday season this year will be unlike any other we have experienced. Yet, thanks to technology, there will still be opportunities to be with family. Fill our hearts with gratitude for our families. Inspire us to find safe ways to be together and to strengthen the bonds that unite us. May we be mindful of the many who suffer because of the pandemic and thankful for the many working to keep us heathy and safe. With trust in you, we pray. Amen.
Prayer
Almighty God, today we celebrate the Memorial of St. Columbanus, an Irish missionary who died in the year 615. Like St. Columbanus, we too recognize that we are on a journey through life. He understood the importance of repentance and forgiveness for the road we travel. May we follow our path with the same zeal and dedication to you that inspired him. Fill our hearts with humility that we repent of the wrongs we do and offer forgiveness when we have been hurt by others. Inspired by the example of St. Columbanus, may we travel the road we are on with compassion and grace. Amen.
Prayer
Loving Lord, today, we recall the assassination of President John F. Kennedy 57 years ago. We thank you for the wisdom he left us, for the inspiring role he played in so many lives, and for the symbol of hope he has become in the years since his death. Committed to public service throughout his life, may we draw inspiration from his example as we continue to pursue your work on earth. In confidence, we pray. Amen.
Prayer
Almighty God, we all need to be reminded from time to time of the fundamental goodness of people. The divisions in our nation sometimes encourage us to forget the good people who populate our communities. Grant us the strength to live in a way that helps others remember and believe in the goodness of people. May you help to heal our divided nation through our commitment to seeing the good in others and striving to be good in what we say, what we do, and who we are. We pray in your name. Amen.
Prayer
Loving Lord, today, the United Nations celebrates Universal Children’s Day. Raising and celebrating children is not the joy and responsibility of parents alone but of all people. Open our hearts to your love and truth that we might lead lives worthy of example. May they see in our commitment to justice, dignity, and the common good a path eminently worthy to follow and that new generations will respond to your call to make noble human existence and to fortify the bonds of community through the commitment to love. We pray in your name. Amen.
Prayer
Lord of liberty, on this day in 1863, Abraham Lincoln promised that our nation would experience a new birth of freedom. We are still committed to making real the promise Lincoln articulated that day. Inspire us through the presence of your Holy Spirit to rededicate ourselves to the work still before us, to create a nation of compassion and justice, of goodness and liberty. May Lincoln’s inspiring words instill within us the desire to contribute our own effort to the cause for which so many have given their lives. Amen.
Prayer
God of vision, we can often be discouraged by events in the world around us. We can often be discouraged by the failures in our own lives, especially the failure to realize dreams we have had for ourselves. Encourage us through the gift of your presence and love that our vision for the world and the dreams we dream for ourselves can still be realized. Give us the courage to believe that what we imagine for others and for ourselves can still become reality. We pray this in the name of God who is the source of our hopeful dreaming. Amen.
