Gathering around God's Word and Christ's Eucharist,/ we pray for each other at Mass today./ And in the hearing of the Beatitudes this weekend,/ may we be a church of blessing and glad news,/ never a church of fear./ We pray to the Lord.
May we detect God's presence in everything that is beautiful and life-giving —/ the loveliness of the natural world God has given us,/ our relationships and capacities to create./ We pray to the Lord.
Give the world heart-sensitive leaders and governments that attend to the needs and struggles of people./ Protect those whose work is dangerous or demanding,/ first responders,/ teachers,/ military personnel,/ law enforcement./ We pray to the Lord.
So many people long for healing in their lives./ Bless doctors and nurses/ technicians and lab-workers,/ social workers,/ therapists and care providers in nursing homes,/ hospitals,/ hospices./ Let those who are afraid,/ sick,/ in pain or dying,/ feel your strengthening and consoling presence./ We pray to the Lord.
In a dangerous world,/ peace is always fragile./ We pray for those places where wars,/ conflicts and unrest threaten the lives of people and all living things./ We are often our own worst enemy./ Teach us how to love,/ to share and to resolve problems with intelligence and humility./ We pray to the Lord.
On the old liturgical calendar,/ today is Septuagesima Sunday,/ called the front porch of Lent,/ Easter is roughly seventy days away./ May we have our first thoughts of Lent/ and how we might observe that time as a period of personal renewal and growth in Christ./ We pray to the Lord.
Monday is St. Valentine's Day./ We pray for those who are dear to us,/ for those who go through life unknown and unloved./ May we have some new insight as to how best to love others./ We pray to the Lord.
