The Skelligs from the mainland. Image courtesy of Patsy Lynch [@patsylynch].
'Lights in the Night: A Prayer for our World' is a beautiful prayer service from the Catholic Church of the Apostles in Pimlico, London. The photographs in the pews are of the parishioners who can no longer attend the church in person.
'For all that has been, THANKS! For all that is to come, YES!' These words were discovered posthumously in the journals of Dag Hammarskjöld, a Swedish diplomat and the second Secretary General of the United Nations, who died at the age of 56 in an airplane crash as he travelled to a warring region of Africa. They form the basis of a beautiful meditation by Brother John Maury of The Society of St John the Evangelist (SSJE). SSJE is a monastic community in the Anglican Episcopal Church, based in Cambridge, Mass. - just off Harvard Square.
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PRAYER FOR EVERYONE WHO'S SUFFERING
by Irish poet, David P. Carroll Our world has changed And our lives have changed Like never before and families suffering Every day and I feel your pain and our Happiness has gone away and it's only pain today Hiding our tears as they fall in the rain Saying I'm fine when I'm anything but fine And when will this heartache ever go away And indeed my skin is on fire My skin is burning within me and No more hugs or kisses today it's Just sadness for the world today Coronavirus coronavirus is here And it's taken so many loved ones away |
And loneliness really hurts you It kills you deep inside and I'm lost without you in my life and The world has changed so much Coronavirus not going away And darkness surrounds the world And it's so cold and painful And our warm hugs Have all faded away Just like our loved every day And nobody to hold more and I watch As a lonely tear rolls down my face But I promised the Lord Jesus Christ I'll love and pray for everyone Who's suffering from coronavirus Every day. |
America Magazine Podcast
‘Come and see where I live’: a prayer exercise to help people pray in their own home. Click here and scroll down for many other excellent prayer exercises from the excellent Pathways to God website.
Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of your mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,
and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
One of many prayers and intercessions for personal or group use, special prayers for use when it isn’t possible to meet in church, and a simple form of prayer for the morning and evening, which can be downloaded, printed, and shared with those remaining at home or who are unable to access the Internet.
These resources are offered to help those who are struggling to find words at this difficult and stressful time, and to enable Christians to worship in solidarity with one another even when it is not possible to gather in a church building.
See more here.
under the shadow of your mercy
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,
and lift up all who are brought low;
that we may rejoice in your comfort
knowing that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.
One of many prayers and intercessions for personal or group use, special prayers for use when it isn’t possible to meet in church, and a simple form of prayer for the morning and evening, which can be downloaded, printed, and shared with those remaining at home or who are unable to access the Internet.
These resources are offered to help those who are struggling to find words at this difficult and stressful time, and to enable Christians to worship in solidarity with one another even when it is not possible to gather in a church building.
See more here.
A Coronavirus Prayer for this Weary Winter
By Kerry Weber (courtesy of America magazine)
Jesus Christ, Light of the World,
You understand what it is like to feel alone in the midst of great suffering.
Remain with us as we continue to endure the coronavirus pandemic.
Awaken our hearts as we bear witness to the sickness, the sacrifice, even death.
In these dark months we cry, “How long, O Lord?”
Help us to watch and pray for signs of your hope.
When we long for a world returned to normal, inspire us to work toward a world transformed.
When we feel forgotten and lonely, help us to find solidarity through your love.
When we cannot see your face, help us to see you in others, especially the essential workers, first responders and medical professionals who labor tirelessly.
As we walk through this time of darkness, give us faith that we are headed toward brighter days.
When we feel only sorrow in our souls, help us to know that the joy of the Gospel remains as true now as ever.
When we feel only grief in our hearts, help us to find consolation in knowing that those who are sick or have died are held in your loving embrace.
As we walk through this time of darkness, give us faith that we are headed toward brighter days.
Give light to our eyes. Let us show that light to one another.
Even in winter, when the ground appears barren, it is warmed by the light of your creation; seeds are nourished and green shoots are pushing up toward the sun.
Jesus Christ, be our light.
My Mask
This prayer is provided by Xavier Jesuit University. Click here for many more.
Holy God, you see me and you hear me.
Through my mask, you see if I smile or if I scowl.
Through my mask, you hear me if I whisper a brief prayer or mutter a muffled curse.
My friends don’t see or hear or know; nor do my family; nor my colleagues.
But you do.
I cannot sense if you are pleased with me or if you are waiting for me to do much better.
Can we all take off our masks, Lord? Put them away?
When the disease that moves us to mask our faces for safety fades away, will our eyes and our ears be stronger, better able to see and to hear the smiles and the frowns, the cries and the whispers of those who fill our lives? Who make our lives worth living?
Will we see, Lord, that what we think of as your mask is really also our own, our inability to find you in the rush of our lives, our failure to see you in all the wonders you show us, our incapacity to hear your gentle voice in the tumult that surrounds us.
Can we know, Lord, that we put on many masks so we can cope, avoid, pretend, be acceptable? (What scar did the Phantom’s mask hide? “Who was that masked man?”)
Help us, Lord, to move beyond our masks. You are here for us to see and to hear. Help us. Let us take off our masks.
~ Fr. Edward Schmidt SJ
This prayer is provided by Xavier Jesuit University. Click here for many more.
Holy God, you see me and you hear me.
Through my mask, you see if I smile or if I scowl.
Through my mask, you hear me if I whisper a brief prayer or mutter a muffled curse.
My friends don’t see or hear or know; nor do my family; nor my colleagues.
But you do.
I cannot sense if you are pleased with me or if you are waiting for me to do much better.
Can we all take off our masks, Lord? Put them away?
When the disease that moves us to mask our faces for safety fades away, will our eyes and our ears be stronger, better able to see and to hear the smiles and the frowns, the cries and the whispers of those who fill our lives? Who make our lives worth living?
Will we see, Lord, that what we think of as your mask is really also our own, our inability to find you in the rush of our lives, our failure to see you in all the wonders you show us, our incapacity to hear your gentle voice in the tumult that surrounds us.
Can we know, Lord, that we put on many masks so we can cope, avoid, pretend, be acceptable? (What scar did the Phantom’s mask hide? “Who was that masked man?”)
Help us, Lord, to move beyond our masks. You are here for us to see and to hear. Help us. Let us take off our masks.
~ Fr. Edward Schmidt SJ