Today we honor and pray for our fathers and grandfathers,/ but not only for them/ but for fathers everywhere,/ mindful of those who father young families,/ for fathers who have failed their families,/ for fathers who are exhausted,/ worried,/ away from their families,/ underpaid or addicted./ We pray to the Lord.
On the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ,/ we pray for ourselves and those who are with us at Mass today./ May we worship well,/ with attentive,/ inclusive,/ generous and clean hearts./ We pray to the Lord.
The word Eucharist means thanksgiving./ Grant that our Christian lives would be marked by gratitude,/ freed of complaint,/ entitlement,/ negative judging,/ cynicism and waste./ We pray to the Lord.
Eucharist is the sacrament of unity./ Our country refers to itself as one nation;/ our Church refers to itself as one faith./ We ask for the healing we need,/ weakened as we are by growing violence/ fear,/ suspicion and hatred of persons perceived as other./ We pray to the Lord.
In the Eucharist,/ Jesus feeds us in our spiritual hunger./ We pray for those who are physically hungry,/ May we do what we can to help./ And we pray for those who hunger to be included,/ who hunger for peace,/ hope,/ meaning,/ justice./ We pray to the Lord.
Wendell Berry wrote,/ "There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places."/ May we understand/ and care./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray for Pope Francis whose ministry is slowed these days because of knee problems./ We ask for his healing./ We pray as well for those who are against him,/ even clerics,/ and for those who hope he might be able to visit them soon in Canada and Africa./ We pray to the Lord.
