Prayer

Eternal love,

We give thanks today for the life and witness of St. Oliver Plunkett, who refused to deny his great love for you or for the people you put in his care. Even when he was unjustly hunted and ultimately martyred for his convictions, the depth of his love for you and your people empowered him to stand strong in his faith. May we be empowered in the same way today, to love and serve your people with courage and conviction. Continue to hold us in the palm of your hand, as we strive to extend your compassionate ministry to all those in need. Amen.

Prayer

God of life,

As people of faith, we know that death is not your creation, but is instead a consequence of our human frailty and weakness. Help us to grasp more fully the sanctity of life and cherish the gift of existence you have bestowed upon us. As a healing ministry called by your name, lead us to align ourselves with your purposes by nurturing life in all its forms, knowing that in your infinite wisdom, you have crafted each being with purpose and love. Amen.

Prayer

Compassionate God,

We are prone to overlook our own faults while pointing out the smallest flaws in others. Give us wisdom to see in new ways. Help us recognize our own faults with clarity and to reflect upon them in constructive and healthy directions. And when it comes to the flaws in others, help us to cultivate grace and compassion that leads us to strengthen our bonds together, just as you have shown us grace and compassion, inviting us ever so gently to a deeper experience of wholeness. Amen.

Prayer

Good Creator,

We are proud to be part of a ministry that is so committed to our fundamental calling, as citizens and as creatures before you, to advance sustainability and steward your creation responsibly. Lead us further in new and innovative directions that will enhance the well-being of our shared environment as one human family, tending to the health of all living things and the systems we depend on in order to flourish. Remind us that the richest measure our flourishing as a society is how well we are learning to relate to each other and to the gift of your creation. Amen.

Prayer

God in our being,

Many of us are so consumed with what we have to get done in the course of a day that our awareness begins to grow dim of the inner life we are also called to sustain. Yet we know that it’s here, at that deeper level of our being, where we find the meaning and purpose beneath it all. Open our hearts and give us conviction to attend more deliberately to our spiritual foundations and to remember that we don’t have to set aside hours—just a few moments will do—in order to remain grounded in the things that matter most. Amen.

Prayer

Spirit of Peace,

As we strive to extend your compassion today, help us to be anchors of peace for those who are facing especially difficult trials and unique challenges. Whether it’s our patients or coworkers, or even the strangers we encounter in the course of our routines, give us the grace and the wisdom to effectively spread your gift of calm wherever we go. With gratitude for the peace you supply, above and beyond our understanding, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Eternal Wisdom,

Your golden rule is as needed today as it was two-thousand years ago, and it’s just as countercultural, too! For we live in a culture prone to forget about treating others the way we want to be treated—regardless or not whether they do. Instead, we see an atmosphere of retribution and retaliation that goes far beyond the demands of real justice. Grant us your mercy and give us your courage, that we might embody an ethic that embraces our common good together and keeps our eyes fixed on the good of “the other.” May we in this ministry especially be focused on treating others rightly, exemplifying unity, and seeking to live in harmony across all our differences. Amen.