O God,
You make us for each other,
to live in loving community
as friends, sons, and daughters,
sisters and brothers, wives and husbands,
partners and companions.
Teach us to choose love
that is committed and devoted;
teach us like little children,
to wonder and to trust,
that our love may reflect the image of Christ.
Gracious Father, we pray for Your holy Church.
Fill it with all truth, in all truth, with all peace.
Where Your Church is corrupt, purify her;
where Your Church is in error, direct her;
where in any thing she is amiss, reform her.
Where Your Church is right, strengthen her;
where Your Church is in want, provide for her;
where Your Church is divided, reunite her;
for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Savior.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the survivors
of the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia,
where thousands were injured and more than 70,000 were displaced.
We pray for the thousands who were killed and mourn these losses.
May all who are affected find strength and be given help
as their lives are now so drastically changed.
May we offer what we can to show them that they are never alone,
especially when dealing with such great loss. This is our prayer.
O God, we pray for the survivors of sexual assault
around the world whose voices are silenced,
who are too afraid to speak up,
who have been told they ‘asked for it.’
May they reclaim their voices
and find strength to release themselves
from any burdens of shame or guilt.
Where possible, let there be justice for their perpetrators.
Make all things right and restored.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, open our eyes to realize Your presence,
that You are not absent;
Instead, what is absent is our awareness.
The invitation we receive today
is the same Monday morning and Thursday afternoon:
to become present to You, who is already fully present to us.
Through our spiritual practices, love for one another, and profound humility,
may we cultivate eyes to see what You are already doing around us.
Loving God,
open our ears to hear Your word
and draw us closer to You,
that the whole world may be one with You
as You are one with us in Jesus Christ our Lord.
All this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy.