Prayer

God of Justice and Truth,

We ask your blessing on our nation. Thank you for the freedoms we enjoy, especially those we take for granted. Thank you for the diversity of our people and enlarge our capacity for tolerance and mutual respect. As we celebrate our independence as a sovereign nation, may we also celebrate our interdependence. Make us mindful of the blessings of our rich and abundant land. May your gracious Spirit inspire us to work together to meet the challenges of our times. With all hope, faith, and trust in your, we pray. Amen.

Prayer

Almighty God,

At times our world seems filled with so much tumult and strife, division and chaos. We want to change it for the better. Where do we start? Lead us inward, believing in the way you are bringing real change to the world starting within and through us. Help us lean not on our own understanding but to follow the examples of those who, through their own transformation and response to adversity, inspired others to do the same, thereby spreading love and mercy far and wide. Amen.

Prayer

God of tomorrow,

We ask you to fill us today with the courage to disrupt complacency and challenge the injustice we see, so that we may pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. Guide us to shake the foundations of apathy while at the same time sowing seeds of compassion, so that your kingdom of love and righteousness may flourish. As a ministry united by your vision of healing, give us the grace to participate with you more fully and to bring more of your dream for the world into reality. Amen.

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.