Prayer

God of my colleagues,

We give thanks today and celebrate the holy humanity of St. Benedict, who was so influential in establishing authentic communities, fueled by everyday service and practical love. In our own ministry of health care, we recall that our “hospitals” today are extensions of the tradition that Benedict fanned into flame, expressing care for the sick and showing real “hospitality” to travelers needing shelter and care. Benedict’s practical spirit reminds us that being saintly never means being less than human. Inspired by his example, and as we share in your work, may we encourage one another as we offer hospitality and care to those we serve. Amen.

Prayer

God of compassion,

We ask you to bless us again today with your spirit of compassion, so that we might see one another in the dignity of our creation and to serve every neighbor as you would have us do. Lead us to see beyond labels that divide and distinguish, the layers of politics and nationality; race, class, and gender; every wall we create between “us” and “them.” Inspire us all to embody our common humanity by acting on behalf of any among us who are hurting, in need, and vulnerable. For we are all your children. Amen.

Prayer

God of tomorrow,

There are so many simple things we can do today to express our hope for tomorrow and our belief in a community beyond us. The way we care for our patients and colleagues, the tone of our emails and notes, the posture we take when opening meetings, how we steward our equipment and office supplies. In our personal lives, too, even the smallest gesture can show our sense of belonging to a life shared with others, before and ahead of us. Remind us that doing small things with great love is how we all shape a better tomorrow. Amen.

Prayer

Just God,

“Fall in love with creation?” How do we do that today, when the landscape is paved and the air is thick and, for increasingly more of our brothers and sisters, clean water and food are endangered? Give us new vision, wisdom, and passion for pursuing environmental justice together. Renew in our hearts a genuine love for this world that you made, for we protect what we love and will commit to defend it in whatever way possible. For the sake of the generations to come, Amen.

Prayer

We are patterned by the drive-thru, so perhaps we forget how significant food can be, as a force that brings people together. Your son taught us this lesson. In so many ways he showed us the counter-cultural power of real hospitality, how sharing our meals can be a way of breaking down walls and building community. As we celebrate World Chocolate Day today, lead us to reclaim some of that power in the places we live, work, and play, as we share sweet tokens of kindness with all those we meet. More deeply still, may we all be inspired to revive hospitality in our workplaces, homes, and communities. Amen.

Prayer

God of peace,

Caregivers learn by experience to toughen their skin and stay focused on the job at hand, even when immersed in such a spectrum of pain, hurt, and sorrow. They show exemplary skill in treating wounds and curing disease, but we know that surrounding it all is the anxious flurry of hearts cracked by trauma, hearts that need peace. Today, we pray for all those who are serving in the center of such storms. May they feel supported in mind, body, and spirit in the work that they do. And we pray you would bless them with a calm that is contagious, that can turn down the volumes of stress and anxiety, and defuse every threat to your compassionate love being shared and extended among all those in need. Amen.

Prayer

Word of life,

Dialogue is truly an art, which depends on more than our volume to be meaningful. We all want to be heard when we speak. We want our ideas and opinions and feelings to matter beyond our own heads and to make a genuine difference in the spaces we live and work beside others. And yet it seems increasingly common instead that those spaces are filled with shouting and those who launch into monologues and throw opinions into a “stream” of media. Help us become better at speaking together. May we honor the voices you gave us by using our words to speak life into actual spaces, where we seek to listen as much as we speak, where communication attains real communion. Amen.