Dear Family of Love and Advent Pilgrims!
I hope all of you had a wonderful Take Care Tuesday! There have been lots of things on my mind having to do with El Nino, the homeless, hungry, and ill-clad Today when I went out in the rain to go to my Cancer rehab training time I started to have this sense of sadness and the need to do something for our homeless and marginalized family members who come to our window at St. Peter's for lunches every afternoon from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. 5 days a week. I wondered what I would find for our family members after I went to the rehab training. I went to Big Lots and found blankets and ponchos. Every item was a prayer for all of the family members that would come to get a lunch, blanket, and poncho. These extras were a way of seeing and taking care of Jesus at this most special time of the year Remember feeding, clothing, and sheltering family who are the least of these is what we are called to do. So let us make this a time of Prayer in Action! This may be one way to get rid of all the angst we have been going through at this present moment. So what are the items we can give to Jesus, who comes to us in each of our family members and remember they may not be who we choose, in our #Prayer gifts?
Let's see........?
Warm socks
Fleece throws/ blankets
Rain ponchos
Drop cloths /tarps
Shelf stable food stuffs
Mittens
Scarves
Hats
Flashlights
First Aid items
Plastic bags to wrap their feet and shoes in at night.
Hand warmers
Small Kleenex Packs
Old but good used jackets, coats, sweaters.
Water bottles.
If you can get a large sized cardboard box that you can fold up flat and have a few in your car they can become mattresses and tents that can be discarded.
Toiletries
Tonight let us light our candles in love and prayers for our family members who are homeless, hungry, and ill-clad!
God let us pray for the least of these our family members.
God, we pray for all of our homeless family members. May they* find shelter.
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
God, we pray for all of our hungry family members. May they* find nourishing food to keep them strong and healthy.
May we remember Jesus' words-
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
God, we pray for all of our ill-clad family members. May they find* warm clothing to protect them from the elements of wind, snow, rain, and cold.
May we remember Jesus' words-
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
God we pray for all of our family members who are refugees.May they find* new forever homes that will give them hope and a sense of peace of mind.
May we remember Jesus' words-
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
God, we pray for all of our family members who are victims, of violence, terror, and abuse. May they find* peace and healing of their bodies, minds, and spirits.
May we remember Jesus' words-
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
God, we pray for our family members who have learned only to hate and be afraid. May they learn what it is to be CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful)
May we remember Jesus' words-
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
God we pray for our family members who are voiceless. May they have advocates to be their voices and who will speak truth to power, and let justice roll down.
May we remember Jesus' words-
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
God we pray for all of our family members by name who are going through any struggle or are in need of healing remembering______________
May we remember Jesus' words-
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
God of love, peace, hope, and joy may we make our prayers deeds and when our deeds fail us to use words to ask you for help in prayer.
We lift up any and all concerns that you have lain upon our hearts this night__________________
May we remember Jesus' words-
If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me.
We pray these our prayers in the name of your only begotten Son Jesus who keeps telling us " If you have done it to the least of these ... you have done it to me" Amen.
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.
Here are prayers from last year's blog
God of Peace we pray that this night we may seek peace within ourselves, our families, and in your fragile and broken world.
God of Peace we pray that we may be your peacemakers and lay down every weapon of war be they words or armament. We pray for an end to senseless acts of violence committed by the use of fire arms. May your peace prevail upon Earth.
God of Peace, may we be guided by your light of love and peace into our lives and may our hearts be mangers of peace where we will meet Jesus again so that we may be the messengers of the Gospel message in deeds and also in words.
God of Peace, we pray for peace in the hearts of those who are ill in body, mind, and spirit. Give those of us who are ill to peacefully accept our limits and let go and let you and others pick up the tasks that we were planning to do.
God of Peace, we pray for peace in the lives of all caregivers this time of year that they may have peace in their hearts and the courage to say "No" and that they may find time for respite and self-care.
God of Peace we pray for peace in the lives of those who are newly and continuing to grieve the loss of loved ones.
God of Peace, we pray that we may be good stewards of your Cathedral of Life and that the Peaceable Kingdom of God may Reign.
God of Peace, we pray for all who are traveling that a sense of peace and calm may prevail whatever mode of transportation they are using.
God of Peace we pray for all who are dying or who have died that they may rest in peace and rise in Glory in the joy of the Thin Places.
God of Peace we pray for peace in this your Family of Love as we pray for ourselves and on behalf of our family members remembering especially____________.
God of Peace we pray for peace and renewal in all our cites where violence has occurred remembering especially__________ May this renewal be the first of many steps towards peace in this fragile community.
God of Peace we pray for peace among the nations of the world and warring factions that peace will prevail ant that we may learn to listen lovingly with peace-filled ears.
God of Peace we pray for all those who cannot live peaceful lives because they are homeless, hungry, and ill-clothed. We pray for the least of these who may be indeed ourselves.
God of Peace we pray these our prayers, thanksgivings, remembrances, and celebrations in the most holy Name of your Son Jesus the Christ. Amen.
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Good Night Dear Ones! I love you! May you all have a blessed and restful night and feel God's loving presence surround you inwardly and outwardly. I give thanks to God for you this night and always!
With Love, Hope, Peace, Joy, and #Prayers,
Sara
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