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 Families Who Have Been Separated
God of love, who gathers us beneath your wings as a mother hen shelters her young and provides for us with the generosity of a loving parent, we pray for the many families who have been separated due to U.S. immigration enforcement. We know that children separated from their families are made far more vulnerable, and we ask that you comfort those who weep without their parents. Give hope to the parents who do not know when they will see their children again. Help all of us advocate for humane immigration policies that prioritize family unity and put an end to this grievous suffering. Soften the hearts of governing authorities and all who work in immigration enforcement, help them feel for all families as their own, no matter their immigration status. Oh God, be our judge as we seek to repair this world so torn by sin and pain. Bring us your everlasting grace that each of us might do our part to turn toward righteousness. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
For Dignity, Accessibility, and Participation for People with Disabilities
God of life, who makes a way out of no way and chooses people whom the world may overlook, including those living with disabilities, to be your ambassadors and mouthpieces, we grieve the potential budget cuts threatening disability rights programs. We pray for those in the disability community who fear losing access to community-based programs, accessible voting, and employment support. May this nation be a place where disability services remain strong in every community, and where people with disabilities, their families, and their allies have the tools they need to protect their rights and participate fully in society. Be with all advocates and grant wisdom to Congress and all who shape public policy that they might ensure this country invests in equal protections for all people, for we know our flourishing is interdependent. We ask this through Jesus Christ, who makes a way where none seems possible and leads us together into abundant life, now and forever. Amen.
For Wisdom in Land-Use Decisions
Creator, Sacred Mystery, who formed us from the earth and calls us to be good relatives to all of creation, we pray for wisdom in the way this nation uses its lands. As the U.S. government opens an oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, we pray for the Indigenous Gwich’in people, for whom that land is home. God, we know that healing historic wounds between the United States and Indigenous communities requires just and responsible action. Grant all of us, including those entrusted with public authorities, the grace to see your creation as a relative—alive, and sacred. Make us act justly for the sake of our future and our common life. And bring communities that have lost trust together again through truth and love. Grant this through your Son Jesus Christ, who shared our earthly life, walked upon the land you made, and reconciles all things in love. Amen.
