Brothers and sisters, family of Christ,
let us incline our ears and align our hearts
as we pray:

God, our Refuge,
as we enter this sacrificial season of Lent,
keep our appetites whetted
so that we may embrace
both the fasting of today
and the feasting of Your Easter promise.

As pandemic fears grip the globe,
we ask that You provide
wisdom to all our leaders
and calm to all panicked hearts.
Let Your peace reign supreme.

Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God, our Redeemer,
You know us like no other,
intimately and intricately.
You know our hearts and minds,
You were tempted as we are tempted.

Find us in our own wilderness.
In the wilderness of suffering or sickness,
the wilderness of loss or lack,
the wilderness of trauma or terror.
Meet us and minister to us.

Instruct us, Lord
Teach us the ways we should go.
Build in us a trust in You,
A trust that guides us in the midst of temptation.

Lord, in Your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

God, our Restorer,
You’ve forgiven our transgressions!
You’ve put away our sins!
We shout for joy
at the depth of Your grace
and the might of Your mercy.

Help us to walk more fully
in Your uprightness;
Guide our eyes so that we look at Your creation,
including all Your children,
through the lens of You.

When we know times of strength,
let us help those among us who are weak.
Keep from us the temptation to pride and arrogance,
even in our humility.
But let Your name be glorified among us,
in the Church and in the world.

We offer now all those prayers
erupting from our hearts,
whether silently or aloud:

[SILENCE]

All this we ask through Christ, our Lord. Amen.