Good Evening Dear Ones!
Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! Have you been thoughtful and thankful today?
I hope so! We all need to become practitioners of gratitude and thanksgiving. Please take a moment look around and give thanks for what you have. Tonight we are going to pray and give thanks for the many blessings that God has given us this day along with our other prayers and candlelight vigils.
God we are privileged to come into your sanctuary each night to pray and give thanks and share community with one another. We are here to light candles to provide a pathway out of the darkness in our lives and those of others. We pray and give thanks for all the blessings you bestow upon us each and every day. We pray for our families who give us strength and emotional support. We pray this night that we may open our hearts with love to all the fragile ones and yes God we know that our enemies and those who hate us are fragile in a different way. We pray that they may turn away from violence and hate and that they may learn to love, listen, and seek to come together in unity. We know that fear triggers hate and violent action. We pray that everyone receives a good education where they live not only in school but in their faith communities so they may learn what is truly taught and not made up to incite violence, disunity, and hatred. We pray this night for the Orlando 49 and the Istanbul 42 and all who have become the victims of terror. We pray that violence of this kind may cease and that the only radicalization that takes place is that of Compassion, Acceptance, Love, Mercy and Hospitality where unity is fostered and brought into being. We pray this night for the least of these and that we may continue to seek your face in all of our family members. We pray these our prayers as we lift up our candles in a mirror and say "The Light of Christ in Me, recognizes the Light of Christ in you!' Let us be the light to your fragile and broken world and in the warmth of the light may it represent love in all of its hues and actions. May we feel its love energy radiating in all, through all, and to all. Amen.
This night we remember our brothers and sisters by name who lost their lives in Orlando, their family and friends who mourn their loss. We pray for the larger LGBTQQIA community that is in mourning, fear, and are longing for the day where we are truly safe from harm and that we may be afforded the courtesy of living authentically who we are.
We continue to pray for those who have lost their lives in acts of terror remembering today in Istanbul Turkey and the Orlando 49 whom we name before you now:
God we come to you this night still with heavy hearts and we pray as we have been doing for the past week remembering our brothers and sisters who perished at Pulse in Orlando. We pray and remember them each by name and this night and respond with "Let light perpetual shine upon them"
Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Cory James Connell, 21 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Frank Hernandez, 27 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon her"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
"Let light perpetual shine upon him"
God we lift up these precious ones to you as a reminder that life is precious and that we know that you know us all by name and love us. We pray that we may come together in memory and in honor of all your children to affect positive change in this fragile and broken world that you have made. 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.
We add these our prayers as well:
Let us spend time in silence and prepare ourselves to be God's voice in a broken world.
God of justice we pray that we may have courage to speak truth to power.
God of compassion we pray that we may love others not just in our words but in our deeds.
God of kindness we pray that we may use our voices to heal, comfort, and lovingly support.
God of peace we pray that we may use our voices as your beloved children to make peace and not wage war in this world.
God of all people, we pray that we may be the voices who seek to protect and serve the most vulnerable of our family members.
God of justice we pray that we may we have the courage to Stand Up, Step up, and Speak Up for all of your children who need us to act and not be
God of justice we pray that we may have courage to speak truth to power.
God of compassion we pray that we may love others not just in our words but in our deeds.
God of kindness we pray that we may use our voices to heal, comfort, and lovingly support.
God of peace we pray that we may use our voices as your beloved children to make peace and not wage war in this world.
God of all people, we pray that we may be the voices who seek to protect and serve the most vulnerable of our family members.
God of justice we pray that we may we have the courage to Stand Up, Step up, and Speak Up for all of your children who need us to act and not be
silent.
God of Love we pray that we may use the Love Energy that is within our Heart Homes to be your Light to the world. May we shine your light in dark places so that our family members may see and be guided away from the darkness that infects our world.
God of healing we pray that we may seek to use our voices to heal and not harm.
God of creation we pray that we may use our voices to speak for good conservation practices to heal and renew the face of the earth and respect all living things in your Cathedral of Live.
God of diversity, we pray that we may be voices of unity and that we may seek to come to know one another and respect the dignity of all beings.
God and creator of us all may we seek to follow the examples of Jesus and John the Baptist and speak, love, act, and pray and be mindful of the needs and concerns of others this day and always!
God we offer our own voices in prayer and thanksgiving remembering____________________.
We lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus the Good Shepherd whose voice we hear and who calls us all by our names. Amen.
++++++++++
God of Love we pray that we may use the Love Energy that is within our Heart Homes to be your Light to the world. May we shine your light in dark places so that our family members may see and be guided away from the darkness that infects our world.
God of healing we pray that we may seek to use our voices to heal and not harm.
God of creation we pray that we may use our voices to speak for good conservation practices to heal and renew the face of the earth and respect all living things in your Cathedral of Live.
God of diversity, we pray that we may be voices of unity and that we may seek to come to know one another and respect the dignity of all beings.
God and creator of us all may we seek to follow the examples of Jesus and John the Baptist and speak, love, act, and pray and be mindful of the needs and concerns of others this day and always!
God we offer our own voices in prayer and thanksgiving remembering____________________.
We lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus the Good Shepherd whose voice we hear and who calls us all by our names. Amen.
++++++++++
Good Night Dear Ones don't forget that it is time to start our weekly wind down and be preparing for our weekend retreat of Prayer, Self-Care, and Sabbath rest. I love you and give thanks to God for you this night and always!
Sara