Prayer

God our center,

Today we give thanks for the life and witness of St. Vincent de Paul. Like Vincent, who so faithfully served those that were outcast and marginalized by society, may we also make a difference in the lives of those who may be neglected and overlooked. As we commit to provide them with the highest quality care, help us at the same time to touch their hearts with a healing and comforting presence. May it be so today, Amen.

Prayer

Ever good God,

As our Hindu colleagues enter this fall Navratri, we celebrate with them the victory of good over evil. While the world can often appear dark to our eyes, we always have reason to hope and find beauty. Inspire us all, whatever our backgrounds, to discover new ways of serving the common good together, so that the ministry we share may be a symbol of goodness and beauty in the communities around us. Amen.

Prayer

Loving Creator,

With our Jewish colleagues entering Rosh Hashanah, we give thanks for the gift of creation and rejoice in new beginnings. May this be a blessed year for us all, as we acknowledge our faults while making every effort to align our words and deeds with your heart of love for humanity. Help us protect and defend your image in all those we encounter each day, speaking life to each other with the breath you have given. Amen.

Prayer

Merciful God,

Today we lift up our voices in gratitude for the Sisters of Mercy and the inspiring life of their founder, Catherine McAuley. May we, as Bon Secours Mercy Health, be enlivened by Catherine’s legacy and follow her example, serving our patients and families, neighbors and communities with tender compassion and merciful love. We pray in your name, fountain and source of all mercy. Amen.

Prayer

Source of our unity,

Sadly, we know that backbiting and blaming can be as prevalent in ministry as anywhere else. It is all too human of us to indulge in rumor and chatter. Idle talk that tears down while neglecting the real purpose that brings us together. Remind us today that there are better ways to bide our time and to keep the day moving. May we be inspired instead to unite as a people on mission, so that our words and our deeds would reflect the vision that draws us together. We pray in your name, Amen.

Prayer

Life-giving God,

The experience of desolation leaves us feeling more tired than we should. Open our hearts today to the simple little things that bring us consolation and remind us of the joy in living. Whatever inspires our hearts and brings us gladness, let us stay close to that source as we serve others in need. Free us to lift-up others among us, especially those who are downcast in spirit, that we might encourage them to rediscover their own source of life-giving joy. Let us be that source for each other! Amen.

Prayer

Spirit of Peace,

We set this day aside every year as the International Day of Peace. Yet we know and we grieve that it is not a day of celebration. Real and authentic progress towards peace is an ever-present burden that we are each called to carry, from age to age and down generations. May we be healed more today, of egoism and selfish concern, so that we may find the joy of turning outward in love to our neighbors, cultivating peace with each other as you have called us to do. Amen.