If the Lord had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul. (Psalm 94:17-19)
Join us each week as we share new prayers for the vulnerable among us facing challenges, fears, and threats. We will name many of the harms unfolding and acknowledge what is being erased, lost, and threatened.
These prayers are not a replacement for action; they are meant to offer space for grounding and discernment as we seek to bear one another’s burdens in the love and way of Christ.
Join by Zoom each Monday at 11:45 a.m. ET to hear the prayers aloud, in the context of a simple liturgy, prayed by members of the Community of Francis and Clare.
For Those Who Bear the Wounds of Sept. 11
God of peace, whose Son Jesus told us to take heart in a troubled world because he has overcome the world, we lift up our hearts to you on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. We pray for all those who still bear the wounds of the 9/11 attacks, especially the families of those who died, those who suffered trauma that day, those who still live with illness from toxic exposure, those subjected to hatred and suspicion in its aftermath, and those whose lives were shattered by the wars that followed. Strengthen us to choose love over hatred, never forsaking those who grieve, and never forgetting that in a world marked by violence we are called to be peacemakers. Bring your heavenly peace as we sojourn in a heartbroken world. Bring us to your kingdom, where you will wipe away every tear, and your justice and reconciliation will be complete. Grant this through our Savior, Jesus Christ, who comforts us and loves us to the ages of ages. Amen.
For Those Who Serve Our Elections
God of service, whose Son Jesus Christ came among us not to be served but to serve, we give you thanks for those who take on the ordinary and often unseen work that makes it possible to vote: poll workers and volunteers, clerks and election officials, and all who support participation in government. As election officials prepare for elections across the country and continue the difficult work of recruiting and preparing the thousands of people needed to staff polling places, inspire people to offer their time in service of others. Protect those who have faced threats, harassment, or intimidation for carrying out their duties. Grant that all who are entrusted with election administration would act with integrity, that they may fulfill their responsibilities faithfully, impartially, and according to the law. Give them patience amid disagreement, courage in the face of hostility, and respect for every person they serve. Teach us to recognize faithful public service as a contribution to the common good. We ask this in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who looked beyond the divisions of his time and welcomed those whom others regarded with suspicion. Amen.
For the Preservation of Our Shared Memory
God of generations, who calls your people to remember and to pass on what they have received, we pray for the preservation of our shared memory. We lament when the difficult chapters of our nation’s history are hidden, diminished, or stripped of their context, and when the experiences of those who suffered are lost. Give us courage to remember our past truthfully, neither denying its wounds nor allowing them to obscure what is worthy of gratitude. Protect those entrusted with preserving and interpreting our history: archivists, historians, museum workers, librarians, teachers, and local communities. Grant them wisdom, integrity, and freedom to preserve and seek the truth. Embolden us to learn from both achievements and failures, and to preserve these lessons faithfully for generations yet to come. Through Jesus Christ, our teacher in the way of peace. Amen.
