Ukrainian Mother and Child at Poland Border
This year/ Easter is marked by sadness./ The bells of Ukraine are silent./ The birds are silent./ The sounds of children at family gatherings are silent./ We pray for the restoration of global balance that makes the sounds of joy heard again./ We pray to the Lord.
This year,/ Passover and Easter are celebrated at the same time./ Both are feasts of celebrating inner freedom./ We ask for humankind of be healed of its hatreds/ and all the negative impulses that create wars./ May we love the Risen Jesus/ whose greeting is Peace./ We pray to the Lord.
While it is Easter,/ many feel they are living in a Good Friday world,/ a world of tears,/ desperation,/ insecurity,/ terror,/ pain and death./ We pray to experience and feel Christ's Rising,/ the renewal of hope,/ peace,/ happiness and life./ We pray to the Lord.
On Easter Morning,/ Mary Magdalen met the Risen Jesus,/ thinking he was the gardener,/ reminiscent of Adam and Eve who were placed in a paradise world./ We pray for our planet,/ marred by exploitation,/ extinctions,/ poisoning,/ depletion and waste./ Give us reverential hearts,/ filled with gratitude and care./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray for ourselves and our families at Easter./ For the parish community where we worship./ For Christians who connect with the life of the church only at this time of year, or not at all./ May we be protected from evil things/ and built up in faith,/ hope and love./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray for those who have died since last Easter,/ mindful of the many thousands of civilians and young soldiers who have died in Ukraine and other parts of the world where there are invasions,/ wars and unrest./ May we all come to see the face of the Risen Jesus,/ sins forgiven and minds and hearts healed./ We pray to the Lord.
