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 Service Members and their Families
God of steadfast love, who watches over those who journey far from home and draws near to those who carry heavy burdens, we pray for the members of our armed forces and for the families who support them. We grieve especially when those who have committed themselves to serving their country must also fear the detention or separation from those they love. Grant strength to those who serve and peace to those who wait for them. Give wisdom and compassion to all entrusted with their welfare. Inspire our nation to honor service not only with words, but by ensuring that military families can live with dignity, security, and hope. Make us attentive to burdens too easily hidden behind uniforms and ceremonies. Through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who calls us to love and serve one another. Amen.
For the People of Colombia in the Wake of the Earthquake
God of mercy, whose presence abides with us when the earth trembles and all that seemed secure is shaken, we pray for the people of Colombia in the devastation of the recent earthquake. Receive into your eternal care those who have died, and comfort all who mourn. Draw near to those who are injured, displaced from their homes, or waiting in anguish for news of loved ones still missing. Sustain those who have lost homes and livelihoods, especially communities where distance, poverty, and damaged infrastructure make relief more difficult. Strengthen rescue workers, medical teams, neighbors, and all who search through the rubble, and bring aid to those in need. Give wisdom to those directing the response, that help may reach every community with urgency. Strengthen also the Episcopal Diocese of Colombia and all communities of faith as they accompany their neighbors, and inspire us across borders to share in the long work of recovery to bear one another’s burdens. Through Jesus Christ, our refuge and our hope. Amen.
For the Work of Discovery
God of wisdom, who has given us minds to seek understanding and a world filled with mysteries yet to be revealed, we give thanks for all who labor in the work of scientific discovery. We lament research interrupted, grants terminated or delayed, laboratories losing workers, and promising studies left waiting for resources. We grieve not only the work disrupted, but also the questions left unasked, the experiments left unfinished, and the discoveries delayed. We remember especially those waiting for a cure, a treatment, or a better way to prevent disease. Remind us that a year lost in research is not simply a budgetary delay, but time that cannot always be recovered in the search to relieve suffering and save lives. Grant wisdom to those entrusted with public resources, that they may recognize scientific research as a long-term work of stewardship. Protect scientific inquiry from short-term political considerations, and sustain those whose patient work expands human knowledge. Through Jesus Christ, who calls us to seek truth and to use our gifts for the healing of the world. Amen.
