Pastoral Prayer for October 15, 2023
Patterned after the Prayer of St. Francis
O Lord, our only God, sometimes it seems that the whole world
is disintegrating into hatred, conflict, and warfare.
And yet, O God of love, we pray that when troubles seem to surround us,
you will wield your people as instruments of peace.
Whenever we come up against hatred, let us respond with love.
When we encounter resentment, may our answer be forgiveness.
In disagreement, may we take on the task of unification.
When others rejoice in wrongdoing, may we offer goodness and truth.
When you place the despairing in our path, let us be agents of hope.
And in the darkness of pain, may you show others through us
that joy comes with the morning.
[A silence is kept.]
God, you are our sovereign.
As your servants, may we grow more and more each day
into the likeness of your Son—our Savior and our Example.
Like him, may we not continually seek comfort,
but may we also offer comfort to the afflicted.
May we not demand that others listen to us
as much as we are willing to listen to others.
And may our search for love
take a backseat to our readiness to love others unconditionally.
In you, O God, there is no end, but only new beginnings.
When we give in your Name,
may we find that there is always more to receive.
When we offer ourselves, may we find out who we truly are.
As we pray in our Lord’s Prayer,
may we find forgiveness by offering forgiveness.
And finally, when it comes our time to face the uncertainty of death,
may we even then look to the future and the promise of eternal life
in the Name of Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit,
lives and reigns, God forever and ever. Amen.
O Lord, our only God, sometimes it seems that the whole world
is disintegrating into hatred, conflict, and warfare.
And yet, O God of love, we pray that when troubles seem to surround us,
you will wield your people as instruments of peace.
Whenever we come up against hatred, let us respond with love.
When we encounter resentment, may our answer be forgiveness.
In disagreement, may we take on the task of unification.
When others rejoice in wrongdoing, may we offer goodness and truth.
When you place the despairing in our path, let us be agents of hope.
And in the darkness of pain, may you show others through us
that joy comes with the morning.
[A silence is kept.]
God, you are our sovereign.
As your servants, may we grow more and more each day
into the likeness of your Son—our Savior and our Example.
Like him, may we not continually seek comfort,
but may we also offer comfort to the afflicted.
May we not demand that others listen to us
as much as we are willing to listen to others.
And may our search for love
take a backseat to our readiness to love others unconditionally.
In you, O God, there is no end, but only new beginnings.
When we give in your Name,
may we find that there is always more to receive.
When we offer ourselves, may we find out who we truly are.
As we pray in our Lord’s Prayer,
may we find forgiveness by offering forgiveness.
And finally, when it comes our time to face the uncertainty of death,
may we even then look to the future and the promise of eternal life
in the Name of Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit,
lives and reigns, God forever and ever. Amen.
