Dear God,

We praise and thank You for the blessings of life in Canada, from your natural bounty and from the work of human hands.

We ask you to open our ears to the truths about our collective history shared with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by survivors of residential schools.

We ask you to open our minds to the complex and subtle ways that past mistakes, arrogance, misuse of authority, and sinfulness have damaged our social fabric in ways we have barely begun to redress.

We ask you to open our hearts that we may continue to listen even when the truth challenges us;

that we may understand that we are heirs to a system that has shown itself capable of domination and cruelty, whether or not we personally contributed;

that we may commit ourselves in all humility to do what we can and support the efforts of others to restore our ruptured social fabric.

Amen.