These can be crude,/ vulgar days./ May thoughts of Mary in the summer feast of her Assumption/ purify minds/ helping to restore gentility,/ civility,/ decency and courtesy./ We pray to the Lord.
In the Dormition icon,/ we see the Mother of God,/ "asleep" on her funeral bier,/ surrounded by angels and the gathered apostles./ The glorified Christ holds her soul,/ depicted as a small child./ May we be Christ-seized persons,/ who search to understand what this means for each of us personally/ and all of us as Church./ We pray to the Lord.
Life is hard enough,/ but there are some who make things even more difficult./ Some are in positions of authority./ So we pray for boasters,/ distractors,/ liars,/ detractors,/ tricksters,/ thieves,/ conspiracy theorists,/ power-grabbers and saboteurs./ For the humble turning of hearts./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray for a world where a hundred million persons are displaced./ For the many who work to welcome,/ shelter,/ feed and support refugees./ For those whose hearts are hardened against the new-comer./ For those whose decisions unsettle the lives of others,/ causing citizens to flee./ We pray to the Lord.
May God keep us from despair as the deadly invasion of Ukraine drags on/ and the planet struggles with climate changes,/ drought,/ fire and flood./ We pray for those who can't be bothered with it all,/ who think nothing is wrong./ For those who are exhausted trying to help wherever there is suffering./ We pray to the Lord.
There seems to be some possibility of Pope Francis going to Ukraine during this terrible time./ We pray for his protection,/ health and strength,/ as he carries a message of reconciliation,/ peace,/ renewal and hope,/ wherever he goes./ We pray for those who have set themselves against him./ We pray to the Lord.
In our own lifetime,/ the orange and black Monarch Butterfly/ which was once seen seemingly everywhere,/ now has been placed on the list of nearly extinct species./ Our planet is in trouble./ May we be wise and generous in loving the home God has given us./ We pray to the Lord.
