Mary, friend and mother to all, through your Son, God has found a way to unite himself to every human being, called to be one people, sisters and brothers to each other.
We ask for your help in calling on your Son, seeking forgiveness for the times when we have failed to love and respect one another.
We ask for your help in obtaining from your Son the grace we need to overcome the evil of racism and to build a just society.
We ask for your help in following your Son, so that prejudice and animosity will no longer infect our minds or hearts but will be replaced with a love that respects the dignity of each person.
Mother of the Church, the Spirit of your Son Jesus warms our hearts: pray for us. Amen.
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman escaped slavery but returned to the South to lead over 70 others to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
For the witness of your saints, O God…..
All: We give you thanks.
“The soul that is within me no man can degrade.”
After escaping from slavery, Frederick Douglass became one of the most influential voices for the anti-slavery movement. He wrote several books, ran for vice president of the United States, and founded the abolitionist newspaper The North Star.
For the witness of your saints, O God…..
All: We give you thanks.
“The Lord gave me 'Sojourner,' because I was to travel up and down the land, showing the people their sins and being a sign unto them. Afterwards, I told the Lord I wanted another name 'cause everybody else had two names, and the Lord gave me 'Truth,' because I was to declare the truth to people.”
After escaping to freedom with her infant daughter, Sojourner Truth spoke and preached messages of hope and liberation across the nation, fighting for abolition, women’s rights, desegregation, and prison reform.
For the witness of your saints, O God…..
All: We give you thanks.
Whenever there is nothing to injure or make him afraid, he remembers Him not, and is ready to defy Him; but place him in the midst of dangers, cut him off from human aid, let the grave open before him, then it is, in the time of his tribulation, that the scoffer and unbelieving man turns to God for help, feeling there is no other hope, or refuge, or safety, save in his protecting arm.”
Solomon Northup was born into freedom. But when he was out looking for a job, men drugged him, beat him, and sold him into slavery in Louisiana. With the help of friends he was released more than a decade later. He spent the rest of his life writing, lecturing, and working on the Underground Railroad.
For the witness of your saints, O God….
All: We give you thanks.
“I early accustomed myself to look for the hand of God in the minutest occurrence, and to learn from it a lesson of morality and religion; and in this light every circumstance I have related was to me of importance. After all, what makes any event important, unless by its observation we become better and wiser, and learn to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God?'
Olaudah Equiano was sold into slavery in Nigeria and traveled the middle passage. He eventually found a way to buy his own freedom. His book, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, contributed to the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which abolished the African slave trade in Britain.
For the witness of your saints, O God…..
All: We give you thanks.
We pause now to remember those who suffered under slavery, all who fought against it, and all who died in bondage. (Pause). Empower us, Holy One, as we follow the example of your saints, working together to fight white supremacy, modern slavery, and racial injustice in our world today. Amen.
Copyright 2020-2021 by JustFaith Ministries
God grant that we wage the struggle with dignity and discipline. May all who suffer oppression in this world reject the self-defeating method of retaliatory violence and choose the method that seeks to redeem.
(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Excerpted from, "Thou, Dear God”: Prayers that Open Hearts and Minds, Beacon Press)
Let us pray. O God, our Heavenly Father, out of whose mind this great cosmic universe has been created, toward whom the weary and perplexed of all generations turn for consolation and direction, we come before Thy presence this evening thanking Thee for the many blessings of life.
We come recognizing our dependence on Thee. We also come, O God, with an awareness. The fact that we have not always given our lives to that which is high and noble. In the midst of all of the high and noble aspects of justice, we followed injustice.
We stand amid the forces of truth and yet we deliberately lie. We stand amid the compelling urgency of the Lord of Love, as exemplified in the life of Jesus Christ, and yet we live our lives so often in the dungeons of hate.
For all of these sins, O God, forgive. And in these days of emotional tension, when the problems of the world are gigantic in extent and chaotic in detail, give us penetrating vision, broad understanding, power of endurance and abiding faith, and save us from the paralysis of crippling fear.
And O God, we ask Thee to help us to work with renewed vigor for a warless world and for a brotherhood that transcends race or color.
We thank Thee this evening for the marvelous things which have been done in this city, and through the dynamic preachings of this great evangelist.
And we ask Thee, O God, to continue blessing him. Give him continued power and authority. And as we look into him tonight, grant that our hearts and spirit will be open to the divine inflow.
All of these things we ask, in the name of Him who taught us to pray. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. . . .”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
O thou Eternal God, out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence the
whole universe has come into being:
We humbly confess that we have not loved you with our hearts, souls and
minds, and we have not loved our neighbors as Christ loved us.
We have all too often lived by our own selfish impulses rather than by the life
of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ. We often give in order to receive, we love our friends and hate our enemies, we go the first mile but dare not travel the second, we forgive but dare not forget.
And so, as we look within ourselves, we are confronted with the appalling fact
that the history of our lives is the history of an eternal revolt against thee.
O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but
failed to be.
Give us the intelligence to know your will.
Give us the courage to do your will.
Give us the devotion to love your will.
In the name and spirit of Jesus we pray. Amen.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , from "Thou, Dear God" (King Legacy) (p. 7). Beacon Press.
Gracious, eternal, and all wise God; Thou who formed what is out of nothing and called us into being to serve You — You, O Lord, who weigh every nation in the balance of Your own standards.
Today, we acknowledge how great Thou art, the marvelous mystery of Your mercy and the excellence of Your name. Because Your Holy Spirit brings all things to remembrance, breathe on us now, that we might remember how gracious You have been to this nation we call America.
As a nation, we have our faith and frailties, strengths and shortcomings, yet
You have allowed grace to be shed upon us. When we have honored Your ways and when we have fallen short, You have been a merciful God. Remind us that the history of this nation is more about Your grace than about our greatness. When we are not where we should be, let us hear and follow what You said to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will I forgive their sin, and will I heal their land.”
In our land we need healing. For a land so blessed by grace, there is too much poverty, too much sickness, too many children dying, and too much war. We need a healing….. We need a healing in America.
In Your word You have said that those who rule the nation must be just, and if we are to please You, we must learn to do justice, care for the fatherless, support the widow, loose the bands of wickedness, pay people what they deserve, care for the sick, the homeless, and the hungry. If we are to please You, we must hope to hear you say, “For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”
Trouble the soul of this nation as in the days of Amos so that no one is at ease
in Zion. Use our prophetic words and our prophetic actions to remind those in the seats of power that they are not God. Trouble this nation with the voice of concern and the voice of compassion. Make us mindful of the thousands without paths to the pursuit of happiness.
Shake the foundations of our conscience until we cannot help but change our course. Move on us to study war no more. Cause us to live our lives to serve others. Teach us that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness requires justice and hope and help and caring. Expand our morality beyond the narrowness of personal piety into the broadness of public policy. Give us the strength to challenge racism, poverty, unchecked militarism, and ecological devastation.
Empower us with Your Spirit that we might be a nation unto God, not unto fear; show us again that America is only here by your grace.
Show us that grace carries responsibility — that a nation under grace must lead
the world, not merely police the world. A nation under grace must care, must remember her past so that she will not be arrogant in her present. A nation under grace must bring the world together and not tear it apart. A nation under grace cannot refer to people as aliens when we all were created with one blood. A nation under grace cannot leave cities decaying and flood victims barely surviving. Grace demands something better than that. So Lord, as you stirred up dry bones in the valley, stir up hope, and stir up righteousness.
Restore the Prophets and the prophetic voices to the land. Revive the spirit of Medgar, Martin, Malcolm, Corretta, Harriet, Rosa, Cinque, Douglass, Dubois, Sojourner, Jordan, Wilkins and Bethune. Call us and challenge us again. Teach even this nation that with all our power and all our resources, we will still have to stand before Your judgment one day. Give us leaders who understand that the purpose of power and influence is to help someone. Grant us a citizenry determined to be yoked together in common humanity. Let us know the only way to a more perfect union is for our laws and policies to reflect Your kind of love.
Let faith be a conviction, not a convenience. Help us, O God, to smooth out every wrinkle in the flag of our common life until we are one nation under God, with one justice system for all, with living wages for all, with quality education for all.
Finally, O Lord, we pray that the mind of the Psalmist will be ours:
Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious.
Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name.
Come and see the works of God: He is terrible in His doing toward the children of men.
He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in Him.
He ruleth by His power for ever; His eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves (Ps 66).
We thank You, O God, that Your eyes still behold the nation. We thank You that
You still see injustice, You still see poverty. And because You can still see it, these things don’t have the last word. We thank You God that you still see America. You still see our leadership. You know how to bring down the high and lift up the humble. O God, we bless Your name, we lift up every voice, we declare and rejoice that You are still the God of our weary years, the God who is able to bring life out of death. Help us to know as our foreparents sang,
Time is filled with swift transition, naught of earth unmoved can stand, Build your hope on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
In the name of the Father who sticketh closer than a brother, watches us like a mother, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. AMEN.
- Rev. William Barber (https://medium.com/brepairers/a-prayer-for-america-at-the-end-of-2017-44ec98b54191)
Our Lady of Kibeho is the only Vatican-approved Marian apparition in Africa, believed by some to have warned of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. These are Jesus’ words to Segatashya, one of the visionaries of Kibeho, Rwanda.
“Our Lord says to stop asking for miracles,”[…]“because your lives are miracles. A true miracle is a child in the womb; a mother’s love is a miracle; a forgiving heart is a miracle. Your lives are filled with miracles, but you’re too distracted by material things to see them. Jesus tells you to open your ears to hear his messages and open your hearts to receive his love. Too many people have lost their way and walk the easy road that leads away from God. Jesus says to pray to his mother, and the Blessed Virgin Mary will lead you to God Almighty. The Lord has come to you with messages of love and the promise of eternal happiness, yet you ask for miracles instead. Stop looking to the sky for miracles. Open your heart to God; true miracles occur in the heart.”
Ilibagiza, Immaculee. Our Lady of KIBEHO . Hay House. Kindle Edition.
Immaculee Ilibagiza survived the Rwandan genocide and travels the world with her message of reconciliation and forgiveness.
https://www.immaculee.com/pages/deliverance-prayer
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I invoke all the holy angels and the saints.
I address myself to you Blessed Virgin Mary, Most Holy Mother of God, Queen of all creation, I ask your blessing, your protection and your intercession, I invoke the protection and help of Saint Michael the Archangel leader of the heavenly armies, of all the archangels and angels.
I unite myself to the praise, adoration and glory given to our God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I invoke in the name of Jesus the blessing, protection and help of all the patriarchs, the prophets, the confessors, virgins and martyrs, the disciples and apostles of Jesus, and of all the saints that have existed and exist.
In the name of Jesus I enter in communion with the Church of Christ and I confirm my faith in the Holy Name of Jesus and in his Precious Blood.
In the name of Jesus I renounce sin, I renounce satan and all his evil works, I give myself totally to Jesus Christ for the glory of God.
God, Almighty Father, creator of Heaven and earth, of all that is visible and invisible, Most beloved Father, in union with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels and the saints, I speak humbly to you in the name of Jesus.
I exalt you and magnify you for your unequalled greatness, I praise you for all your perfections and attributes, I adore you and give you thanks for the gift of my life, for allowing me to come into your Holy Presence.
Most loving Father, you know my intention, you know how we are being oppressed by those evil rebel spirits that lead us to sin and make us be far away from you.
Lord, I have sinned by my own desire and I confess my guilt, please blot out the traces of my sin and accept my prayer in the name of Jesus.
Lord, God Almighty, in the name of Jesus I ask you for my deliverance and the deliverance of all those that feel the influence of the evil one in their lives.
In the Holy Name of Jesus, cover me with His Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord God, Supreme King of the universe, Father of all spirits, I praise you and give you thanks for having taught me the greatness of the Holy Name of Your Son Jesus, I kneel down in union with every knee in the Heavens, on earth and under the earth, I confess with every tongue that Jesus is Lord, for your Glory, Oh God Omnipotent.
Beloved Father, I exalt you and praise you for your generosity with the human race, for accepting the sacrifice of your most beloved Son Our Lord Jesus Christ in reparation for all our sins, for permitting the Precious Blood of Jesus to wash our souls and to purify us anew in your holy imag
Blessed are you God, Merciful Father for having sent your Son so that through His Precious Blood we can be saved from our sins and be delivered from our enemy the devil.
Beloved Father, by the power of the Holy Name of Jesus and of His Precious Blood, deliver me Lord of every evil spirit that has influence on me, unchain me Oh Lord from the chains that bind me to evil, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord, separate the enemy from my life, cast him out of my life, throw him out, Lord. In the name of Jesus cover me with His Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
God, Father Almighty, in the name of Jesus I ask you to win this battle, I have faith in your Power, I praise your Majesty, I exalt your Authority over the enemy, I trust totally that you are doing this work for my salvation and the salvation of all those that I pray for. Deliver us Lord, stop once and for all the oppression of the evil one, establish your dominion, cast out all your enemies and our enemies with your Presence . Reveal your Glory Lord. Christ has conquered the devil on the cross, expel the enemy out of my life, for your Honor and Glory.
In the Holy Name of Jesus, cover me with his Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, I repent of all the sins that I have committed throughout my life and I ask you to forgive me. Lord, pass through my entire life since the moment of my conception and heal me from any lack of love, fill me with your love.
Bless my parents before my birth, erase any lust that there may have been between them, purify them with your Precious Blood. O God Omnipotent, you who can do anything, bless my life since my beginning, bless my childhood, my youth, bless throughout my life and be present there with your authority to deliver me from any diabolic influence that may have perturbed me or that may still be present in my life. Cleanse my soul so that it becomes white as snow.
Lord Jesus, deliver me of any resentment that I may have in my heart against any member of my family, any person that I may have know throughout my life. In your Holy Name , cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Deliver me Lord of any resentment that I may have against myself for all my mistakes and stupidities, for all my faults and falls, take away Lord all my frustrations. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Heal me Lord of any resentment that may have against you, if I have ever felt offended by my destiny which is your Holy Will. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, Merciful God, you know the reason why the enemy attacks me, deliver Lord and save my soul. Deliver me Lord from any damnation that I may have received, from all hatred, witchcraft, evil eye, séance, satanism, magic, yoga, ouija board, clairvoyance, divinations, cults, crystals, occultism, new, age, etc. Lord Jesus, you give freedom to captives. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Deliver me Lord from every evil spirit that I may have contracted by sexual abuse, aberrations, impure thoughts, greed, anger, or any sin that I may have committed. Lord Jesus, you won our freedom on the cross.
In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, Almighty God, you are Light, manifest your presence on the evil spirits of darkness that surround me, Lord Jesus, you are the Light of the world. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are the King of Peace, manifest your presence on all the evil spirits that bother me, command your Peace over this storm. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are the Joy of all those who know you, cast out Lord the enemy that robs me of my happiness, deliver me Lord. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are the great Love of God, manifest your presence on all the spirits of hatred that have attacked my life. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are humility, manifest your presence on the spirit of pride that has led me to defy you with my sins. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are charity, manifest your presence on all greed that may have touched my heart. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you have loved us and taught us to love our neighbor, manifest your presence on all envy that may have stained my soul. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are patience and understanding, manifest your presence on all anger that I may have felt. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are purity, manifest your presence on all impurity and lust that has stained my soul. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are the Master of all things, you have everything under your control, manifest your presence on all gluttony and lack of self control. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord Jesus, you are the builder of the universe, your work is continuous and necessary for my salvation, manifest your presence on the spirit of sloth that has influenced me. In your Holy Name, cover me with your Precious Blood, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Holy Spirit, Lord God, spirit of God the Father and of God the Son, Love of the Father and the Son, Divine Love that sustains the universe. God Almighty and Omnipotent you fill creation with your Holy Presence, listen to my prayer in the name of the Father and the Son, bless me with your Love and Peace.
Lord God, you have made me your temple, forgive me for not having respected your holy dwelling, for having thrown you out with my wickedness. Lord God, Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus , cast out any evil spirit that may have come to take your place, take possession again of your temple and forgive me my sins. In the Holy Name of Jesus, cover me with your Divine Love, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Holy Spirit of Love, cast away all hatred from my life ,
Holy Spirit of charity cast out all greed and envy from my soul,
Holy Spirit of patience and understanding remove all anger,
Holy Spirit of purity take away any lust from my heart, cleanse my soul, Holy Spirit of perfection take out all imperfections, remove all gluttony, intemperance, and laziness so that I may be a worthy temple of your presence.
Holy Spirit, in the Holy Name of Jesus, cover me with your Divine Love, deliver me Lord, deliver [N.N.]
Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In your Holy Name I claim the deliverance of my soul and that you make me a worthy child of God. In the Holy name of Jesus I claim my physical and spiritual healing.
My Father, do not forsake me, my Jesus have mercy on me, Holy Spirit fill me, bless me and strengthen me. Blessed Mother Mary, Holy angels and saints pray for me. Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in the company of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy angels and the saints, I praise you, I thank you and glorify you because you have healed me today, you have delivered me!
Today you have broken the chains that kept me in prison, today you have recreated your holy image in my soul.
Today you have been victorious once more.
Thank you Lord Jesus, thank you Lord Jesus, thank you Lord Jesus.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen
RECEIVE THIS HOLY FIRE.
Make your lives like this fire.
A holy life that is seen.
A life of God that is seen.
A life that has no end.
A life that darkness does not overcome.
May this light of God in you grow.
Light a fire that is worthy of your heads.
Light a fire that is worthy of your children.
Light a fire that is worthy of your fathers.
Light a fire that is worthy of your mothers.
Light a fire that is worthy of God.
Now go in peace.
May the Almighty protect you today and all days.
Amen.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU WITH DISCOMFORT WITH EASY ANSWERS,
half-truths, and superficial relationships…
so that you will live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice,
oppression and exploitation of people…
so that you will work for justice, equity and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed
for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war…
so that you will reach out your hand
to comfort them and change their pain to joy.
And may God bless you with the foolishness
to think that you can make a difference in the world…
so that you will do the things
which others tell you
cannot be done.
Amen.
- Elaine Menardi, Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming
LORD, I WAS A PILE OF ASH
And you made me a light for the world
I was a stone
And you made me salt for the earth
I was as lifeless as clay
And you made me part of the Body of Christ
I was sinful
And you made me holy
I was nothing
And you made me part of everything
Lord, in you I am transformed
And transformed still again
When the discouraged cry for hope,
make me hope
When the hungry cry for bread,
make me bread
When the thirsty cry for water,
make me water
When the suffering cry for help,
make me help
When the sick cry for healing,
make me healing
When the bound cry for freedom,
make me freedom
When the outcasts cry for love,
make me love Lord who is hope,
who is bread and water,
who is help and healing,
who is freedom,
and who is love,
Transform me anew,
and so keep me close to you,
as you transform the world.
Amen.
- Edward O’Neill Hoyt, Catholic Relief Services
LOVING GOD,
Turn my eyes to the other,
that I may see each as you see me—
with an innate dignity that transcends
appearances, circumstances, class, and all earthly status,
which are temporary.
Help me to see the other
as Your beloved child,
eternally. Turn my ears to the other,
that I may hear their cries
as you hear mine—
with a compassion and tenderness
that draws me closer in the midst of suffering.
Help me to hear the other
as Your beloved child,
eternally.
Turn my mind to the other,
that I may come to understand them
as you understand me—
struggling to find meaning
and wholeness
in a world that’s fragmented,
and Your light
in a world that’s dimmed.
Help me to understand the other
as Your beloved child,
eternally.
Turn my feet to the other,
that I may approach them
across the gaps that divide us—
gaps too often widened
by illusions of family, tribe, creed, race...
even otherness itself.
Help me to approach the other
as Your beloved child,
eternally.
Turn my hands to the other,
that I may serve them as You serve me—
with a touch that cleanses,
that heals,
that feeds,
and that reassures.
Help me to serve the other
as Your beloved child,
eternally.
Turn my heart to the other,
that I may love them as you love me—
steadfast, forgiving, ever-merciful,
with patience,
seeing my joy in theirs.
Help me to love the other
as Your beloved child,
eternally.
Loving God,
Turn my life to the other,
that I may live in solidarity with them,
and thus with You,
forever.
- Edward O’Neill Hoyt, Catholic Relief Services
CREATOR GOD,
THERE ARE SO MANY WHO WANDER,
without family,
without home,
without purpose or dreams or name.
But you, who knit each of us together in the womb,
are Father to the fatherless.
In you, the orphan, the lonely child,
finds comfort, peace, belonging.
Father in Heaven,
you draw the little children to your side.
You call each one by name.
You alone can give them all they need.
We pray that we will not forget the forgotten
Or ignore the lonely
Or shut our ears to the quiet cries.
Bring hope through us today.
Amen.
- Larissa Peterss Catholic Relief Services
LORD OF THE 23RD PSALM,
I have known death,
And you have refreshed my soul.
I have known fear,
And you have comforted me.
I have known hunger,
And you have set a feast before me.
In the darkest valley
No calamity of humankind or nature has separated us.
Teach me to walk as you walk
Beside those in mourning
So that they will know joy,
Beside those in fear
That they will know comfort,
Beside those in hunger
That they will feast until their cup overflows.
As your goodness and love follow me,
May mine follow my neighbor
That the threat of the worst terrors
May turn to the knowledge of the comforts of the house of the Lord,
Where you have invited us to dwell forever.
And so let me strive to help build on earth
What you have promised us in heaven.
In the face of all calamity, present and yet to come,
Let me lead my neighbor beside quiet waters,
The quiet waters of the Good Shepherd.
Amen.
- Edward O’Neill Hoyts Catholic Relief Services