This week in the United States, the number of covid deaths surpassed 250,000. That's a quarter of a million people — gone. These are spouses, parents and grandparents, sons and daughters, siblings, colleagues, neighbors, fellow parishioners, classmates, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, friends...
I'm confounded that there has been no national mourning. There is a great National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. that could host such a prayer. A quarter of a million people is more than all those who died in terrible wars the nation has fought. And there's no national mourning.
So, here are a few prayers we might pray on our own. They are prayers expressive of a deep solidarity with mourners across the land. The Church of England has made them available for all.
For those who have died
Almighty and eternal God,
from whose love in Christ we cannot be parted,
either by death or life:
hear our prayers and thanksgivings
for all whom we remember;
fulfill in them the purpose of your love;
and bring us all, with them, to your eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
At a bereavement
Father,
you know our hearts and share our sorrows.
We are hurt by our parting from those whom we loved:
when we are angry at the loss we have sustained,
when we long for words of comfort,
yet find them hard to hear,
turn our grief to truer living,
our affliction to firmer hope
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Lord, have mercy
on those who mourn,
who feel numb and crushed
and are filled with the pain of grief,
whose strength has given up.
You know all our sighing and longings:
be near to us and teach us to fix our hope on you
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Lord, do not abandon us in our desolation.
Keep us safe in the midst of trouble,
and complete your purpose for us
through your steadfast love and faithfulness,
In Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen.
Our eyes are wasted with grief,
you know we are weary with groaning.
As we remember our death
in the dark emptiness of the night,
have mercy on us and heal us,
forgive us and take away our fear
through the dying and rising of Jesus your Son.
Amen.
