Prayer

God our protection,

Our hearts remain concerned for all those who continue to suffer from the effects of natural disasters, hurricanes, and flooding. As we continue to pray for their protection, safety, and security, we pray as well that you would show us concrete ways for us to protect and provide for those most in need. Inspire us this day to be good help and to put your compassion and mercy into concrete action. Amen.

Prayer

Wonder-working God,

Every day we should pause and give thanks that this work we enjoy is more than just work; it is, indeed, ministry. We are collaborators with you and each other, sharing our gifts and talents so that your own good purposes can flourish among us. As we continue to do so, help us remember the wisdom of St. Teresa of Jesus, especially today, as we honor her life and witness. It is right for us to ask great things of you—to expect great things to happen among us and through us as coworkers with you. Give us the courage to dream big and ask for your help! For the life of the world, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

God our guide and compass,

Just as we are all called to have a ministry mindset in the way we go about our responsibilities, give us a leadership mindset that goes beyond “management,” strictly speaking. As we strive to be responsible with the resources and people we are positioned to steward, help us also remain committed to lead one another in the right direction. Yes, give us direction and purpose, so that this ministry will thrive and flourish long into the future. Amen.

Prayer

God of Encounter,

We know the temptation all too well: in times of crisis and challenge, it’s far simpler to pretend that we don’t know what’s really going on. To ignore the chaos and play the emu with our heads in the sand. Yet this is no way for us to live out the calling you have given and for which you have empowered us with your very own Spirit. Fill us anew with that Spirit today, that we might avoid the temptation to sleepwalk through challenge, and to embrace instead the encounters that are coming our way. Fill us with grace, endurance, and a persevering spirit that is ready to serve in whatever small way we can. For the life of the world, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Unifying Spirit,

People are transformed by the genuine experience of community. When we surmount our fears and the forces of isolation, when we insist on truly taking care of each other and becoming responsible for the needs of our neighbors, we are all transformed as a result. For those of us who share this ministry together and are shaping its culture each day, may belonging and generosity and accountability rule and reign in our hearts, so that this ministry of healing might stand as a community of hope to a world in need. Amen.

Prayer

God of Tomorrow,

We seek an economy that supports and sustains the authentic development of the common good long into the future. Yet we also are confronted by the repercussions of undoing the webs of consumption that stimulate the economy we already have. Help us to work creatively, together, so that we can convert the whole of this consumer culture into a more sustainable economy of authentic ecological flourishing. May we find ways to protect the real human needs of everyone involved in the process, especially those who are poor and marginalized. Give us vision and direction for a society built on stable foundations, accommodating the gifts and talents of all. Amen.

Prayer

Dearest Friend,

On World Mental Health Day, we join our voices in support of our collective well-being as one human family, brothers and sisters united by a spirit of solidarity. There are so many reasons for so many among us to feel angst-ridden, depression, or to be sick for other reasons and in need of deep healing. Through our care and concern for each other, may all those who are struggling discover that they do indeed have companions in their trials, as we commit to walking beside them in the pathway of healing. May we continue to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues and become better friends one to another. Amen.