Blessed Savior, we come to you in wonder,
and lay our hearts before You:
fill them with wisdom and courage
that we may love You boldly
and show forth your glory in our lives.
May we persevere in reflecting your light, Lord Jesus,
in all we do and say,
by embodying compassion and integrity,
resisting the forces of evil and injustice,
and serving each other and You in humility and hope.
May both our words and our silences
be ever aligned with building true justice and peace, O Holy One.
May we ever be mindful
as the Body of Christ in the world,
bearing your name
as a sign of our devotion to your gospel, Blessed Jesus,
that we stand with the lost and forgotten as You did,
and never acquiesce to fear, exploitation, or hatred.
May we remember
that we are the children of your Light, O God,
and called to holiness and love.
May we be forces for healing and reconciliation,
and embrace each other in charity and empathy
in the name of Our Shepherd and King.
Lord, we ask for your blessing and your grace,
and ask your peace and light to rest upon those
whose needs we lift before You.
Amen.
The photo is of the Nativity Side of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.
The Rev. Leslie Scoopmire is a writer, musician, and a priest in the Diocese of Missouri. She is priest-in-charge of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Ellisville, MO. She posts daily prayers at her blog Abiding In Hope, and collects spiritual writings and images at Poems, Psalms, and Prayers.