Prayer

Gentle listener,

It is such a gift to engage people who truly know how to listen. For we all can be consumed at times with our own sense of ego, such that we struggle to put someone else first and give them our ears. Yet your ears are always turned towards us, ready to hear the cry of our hearts. Help us to trust you with our needs, and to become trustworthy intercessors for the needs of our neighbors. May we become listeners like you so we can more effectively extend your compassion, especially for those who are poor, dying, and underserved. Amen.

Prayer

God who calls,

As our Muslim colleagues begin celebrating a new year today, we give thanks for the invitation present at the start of each day. You invite us to come, just as we are, to receive the new mercies you so faithfully lay out for us every new day. Today and each day. We ought to be the most grateful and joyous of people, for every day you invite us to come as we are and renew our commitment to follow your life-giving ways. Beyond all sense of judgment or guilt, help us answer your call with joy and thanksgiving. Amen.

Prayer

God in the depths,

So many people are struggling in places that feel like rock bottom. We pray especially for them today. For all those who are suffering, sick, or otherwise vulnerable. As we work together to help them through their trials, we ask you to fill them with hope. May they be given a new experience of your loving accompaniment that goes deeper than their struggles. By your great kindness, answer their prayers and use us to bring them your healing. Amen.

Prayer

God of life abundant,

Our hearts are full of gratitude and joy today, as we recognize the Sisters of the Humility of Mary and the gift of their ministry, to respond to the needs of the times with vision, courage, and generosity. As Bon Secours Mercy Health, we ask for a share in their spirit, that we might honor their name by embracing the humility of Mary your mother. Like Mary, may we always say “yes” to your call in our lives and each do our part, to bring your life-giving presence more and more into the world. Especially for the sake of those who are poor, dying, and underserved. Amen.

Click HERE for the Humility of Mary short prayer video.

Prayer

Good Creator,

Our self-preservation depends on so many interconnected factors that we often take for granted, including the soils and forests that aerate our lands and fill our lungs with strength-giving breath. As we re-learn our connections to the ground beneath our feet, empower us with hope and creativity, that we might protect the land we inhabit. For our own sake as much as the rest of creation, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Gracious God,

Your watchful attention over all your creatures brings us comfort. And your words remind us that you treasure all people, bestowing them with inherent value, which can never be lost or taken away. Lead us today into a more grateful awareness of your constant affection for us and our neighbors. For all those who are sick today, we ask you to encourage them with your accompanying presence, and may we be extensions of your presence for each other. This day and each day, Amen.

Prayer

God over all,

Today we remember the life of St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Recognized as the first Native American saint and patroness of the environment, St. Kateri inspires us to celebrate the grace of God found in every culture on earth, and the gift God has given us all to share, the home we share in the wider creation. With gratitude for St. Kateri’s life and witness, may we recommit to loving the God we encounter in every human person and in the rest of creation. Amen.