Prayer

Divine Friend,

In spite of all our tools and technologies promising “connection,” we know that many among us report feeling lonely and friendless, struggling to sustain a supportive circle of friendship. If we count ourselves among those blessed with an abundance of friends, help us be glad and not take them for granted. Let us be open to practicing inclusion and welcoming strangers. If we are among those wanting for connection, help us practice the virtue of being the friend we wish to have. Let our acts of humility amount to a new change of culture, in which all people find belonging and love within this one human family. Amen.

Prayer

God of truth,

As we pursue your mission together, empower us to foster a work culture in which it’s safe for us to admit we don’t know what we don’t know. May we find help and support in each other, so that a genuine spirit of teamwork and cooperation can continue to grow among us. For the sake of higher quality care for patients and greater impact in our communities, help us share a learner’s mindset, encouraging each other to learn from mistakes while developing new ways and methods to respond faithfully to the needs we encounter around us. Amen.

Prayer

Spirit of Wholeness,

Having a body is an incredible gift that we sometimes take for granted, until it’s too late and exhaustion or sickness remind us that, in a very real sense, we are our bodies. Yet our faith tradition also reminds us that our bodies are good and you came to save and redeem them, out of your great love for us and for all of creation. May we treasure our bodies, therefore, as temples of your spirit, and may we express our gratitude in the concrete choices we make about sleep, play, work, and diet. Inspire us to take good care of our bodies, as a sign of our love for you and as an investment in the future you wish to give us. Amen.

Prayer

God with us,

We pray for all associates serving at the bedside today, room after room, extending your compassion to people in need of good care. May these devoted servants be empowered by your Spirit and by our concrete expressions of gratitude. May they feel in their bones how they are literally changing the world, one room at a time. Yes, for all those involved in so many ways in the direct care of our patients, let them share an abiding sense for how they are embodying your mission for the life of the world. One procedure at a time, one encounter at a time, one simple exchange, one smile, one word of kindness. We pray this with gratitude, that you trust us to change the world in your name, day after day. Amen.

Prayer

Living God,

With gladness for our ministry’s connection to Ireland, we join our Irish colleagues in recognizing holy women and men whose lives of faith and service continue to inspire our own. May we be filled with hope, as we envision these living witnesses surrounding us and encouraging us to carry their baton and continue extending God’s dream for humanity. For our neighbors and friends, families and patients, and all those who are presently suffering, may we carry the fire of faith, hope, and love that’s been handed to us by our ancestors. Amen.

Prayer

Good Creator,

We know that the environmental crisis is not a faceless “issue,” somewhere “out there.” Rather neighbors near and far are suffering for want of a healthier place to live, a place in which safe housing, clean water, and wholesome food are universally accessible, rather than a luxury increasingly enjoyed by the few. Help us each to discover how we can respond better to creation’s needs, each in our own way, and to be brave enough to do so. Not only for our neighbors and communities, but for the sake of all those who come next. Amen.

Prayer

Faithful God,

Open our hearts to receive your gift of faith today. The kind of faith that builds resilience, determination, and a readiness to embrace life as it is, including even the obstacles that we would much rather avoid. Help us trust that you are with us, so that we may experience all that you have in store for us in every circumstance. May we grow deeper each day into the people you have called us to be, ready to love you by loving our neighbors, in good times and bad, sickness and health, in all that affects us together as one human family. Amen.