First Sunday in Lent | Year B

People of God:
In this sacred space,
In these moments of stillness,
May our silence and our petitions be like incense.

God of wilderness and water,
Your son was baptized and tempted as we are.
Guide us through this season,
That we may not avoid struggle,
But open ourselves to blessing,
Through the cleansing depths of repentance,
And the heaven-rending words of the Spirit.

God Your glory touches and transfigures
Both the mind and the material.
Your intimate, gentle Spirit embraces our vulnerability
And fills the emptiness of our lives with hope.
May we know the deep calm that only You can give.

Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.

    You hear us calling,
    You hear us calling,
    Abba Father.

O God, we pray for Your holy Church,
Where we have failed You by lacking
Spiritual depth, selflessness, or courage;
Where we have spoken for the privileged only
and not the poor;
Where we have turned a blind eye to social injustice;
Where we have followed the wisdom of the world
and not the Savior;
Restore your Church, we pray
That she may look on the world through the eyes of Jesus.

Lord Jesus Christ,
You were tempted as we are, yet you did not sin.
Be our help and strength in temptation,
Remind us that we can walk into the wilderness
Without fear.
Because you have gone before us,
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

May we greet this season of repentance
And renewed commitment
With both expectancy and enthusiasm,
Humility and grace.

Lord, in  your mercy, hear our prayer.

    You hear us calling,
    You hear us calling,
    Abba Father.

O God, in this time of wars and rumors of wars,
Of earthquake and famine,
Of fires and floods,
And nation rising against nation,
We pray for the welfare of the world
And for the faith to see
That these troubles are but the birth pangs
Of your coming Kingdom of Peace.

We pray especially for the families and friends
In Parkland, Florida
For those grieving the loss of seventeen of their loved ones
Who were murdered while at school.
May your Church have the grace to weep with those who weep.
May we all remember that our ultimate struggle
Is not against enemies of flesh and blood,
But against principalities and powers.

Heal the deep brokenness that breeds violence
In the souls of your creation
Put your laws in the hearts of our nation,
Write them on our minds,
That we may live together in your peace.
Give our leaders wisdom,
And grant to each of us a longing for your rescue.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

    Lord have mercy,
    Christ have mercy.
    Lord have mercy,
    Christ have mercy.

O God, bring your divine power and hope
To all in our community, to those who live
In the wilderness of violence, poverty, oppression, and injustice,
That your angels may deliver them from their distress
And comfort them with your everlasting love.

You established your covenant with Noah
And gave us the rainbow as a sign of your protective care.
Let your Spirit descend now upon us, so that we can bring hope
To those who are overwhelmed
By loneliness, lack, or self.
May our changed lives and testimonies of your deliverance
Clearly reveal your unfailing love and everlasting compassion
To all those we meet.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

    Lord have mercy,
    Christ have mercy.
    Lord have mercy,
    Christ have mercy.