Tuesday is the Feast of St. Matthew,/ Apostle and Evangelist./ As Matthew's Gospel gives us Jesus' Sermon on the Mount/ may we know Christ's teaching,/ searching within ourselves for some new way of acting upon it./ We pray to the Lord.
Wednesday is the First Day of Autumn./ With the setting of buds and the planting of bulbs,/ may we see it as a season of beginnings ~ perhaps the beginning of a new way of prayer,/ the start of some new work for the benefit of others,/ some new way of thinking or relating./ We pray to the Lord.
Pope Francis has returned to Rome following his pilgrimage to Hungary and Slovakia,/ his 34th journey abroad./ May his message help to heal those nations/still recovering from the wounds of the Second World War and subsequent decades of totalitarianism./ We ask blessings for the Jewish communities there/ which were devastated by murder and deportation./ We pray to the Lord.
God shows no partiality./ We ask boldly for leaders to be made courageous in creating a world that is just for all./ For the health and safety of those who are dear to us./ These days,/ often marked by menace,/ threat and discourtesy,/ we ask for the dignity of each person to be recognized and protected./ We pray to the Lord.
In an interview this week with a government lawyer,/ when asked to identify the top three most urgent global concerns,/ he said,/ "Climate Crisis, Climate Crisis, Climate Crisis."/ Bless those who advocate to protect water,/ air,/ plants and animals./ May we all have a care./ We pray to the Lord.
Marking the twentieth anniversary of September 11th,/ former President Bush said,/ "The days of unity following 9/11 seem distant."/ Others worried aloud if we'd be able to live in solidarity with one another/ should we ever be attacked again/ especially attacked from within./ We ask God to restore our nation to unity./ We pray to the Lord.
