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| "And when he sat down... he opened his mouth and taught them, saying..." |
The first and most important word of American Democracy is "We"/ "We the People."/ For a new sense of national community/ freed of so much hostility;/ rooted in courtesy and kindness./ We pray to the Lord.
The Gospel this Sunday begins with Jesus going up the mountain/ and sitting down in authority to teach us./ We pray to be a teachable people:/ less defensive,/ less prideful./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray to know deeply that each human person is precious and a child of God,/ and that we would know the blessings of being peacemakers,/ healers and reconcilers./ We pray to the Lord.
Jesus teaches:/ Blessed are those who are persecuted./ We ask for the softening of hateful hearts,/ and for the safe-guarding of Christian communities where they are vulnerable and threatened./ We pray to the Lord.
Thursday is the Feast of the Lord's Presentation in the Temple,/ where Simeon calls the Infant Jesus/ "Light"./ We pray to be illumined interiorly,/ seeing clearly how to live the unique life God envisions for each of us./ We pray to the Lord.
Strengthen and comfort the sick,/ bless those who care for them./ Heal the spiritual illness that reduces others with dismissive categories,/ labels and names./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray for the many whose suffering was brought on this week by tornadoes,/ floods and acvalanches./ Send help to those who are tempted to forfeit belief/ in a world saddened by so much trouble and grief./ We pray to the Lord.
Jesus teaches:/ Blessed are those who are persecuted./ We ask for the softening of hateful hearts,/ and for the safe-guarding of Christian communities where they are vulnerable and threatened./ We pray to the Lord.
Thursday is the Feast of the Lord's Presentation in the Temple,/ where Simeon calls the Infant Jesus/ "Light"./ We pray to be illumined interiorly,/ seeing clearly how to live the unique life God envisions for each of us./ We pray to the Lord.
Strengthen and comfort the sick,/ bless those who care for them./ Heal the spiritual illness that reduces others with dismissive categories,/ labels and names./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray for the many whose suffering was brought on this week by tornadoes,/ floods and acvalanches./ Send help to those who are tempted to forfeit belief/ in a world saddened by so much trouble and grief./ We pray to the Lord.
