This is a prayer I shared with our parish staff on Wednesday, Jan. 20th
O Good & Gracious God, we praise and thank you for all your gifts, especially the gift of our country as today we celebrate the inauguration of our 46th president Joe Biden and our new vice president Kamala Harris. May their administration be one of hope and a realization of the unity we sorely need to happen. May the scourge of the pandemic that has claimed 400,000 lives in our country lessen its hold on us and the world. May our fellow citizens attain affordable health care. May there be greater economic “and” financial equity among our people. May our poor and needy find a government and a people who will bend over backwards to assist them. May our people of color know that their lives matter because of the dignity that is afforded them. May immigrants find a haven in our country. May comprehensive immigration reform take place so that the 11 million undocumented people in our country may have an equitable pathway to full citizenship. May nativism and white supremacy be converted to a genuine respect for a diverse nation . May a further commitment to eradicate global warming lead to a cleaner “and” healthier environment. Yes, Lord, this is quite a wish list with many dreams left unmentioned. You know what we need even more than we ourselves do. May we become our better angels. Bring our people together. Heal our divisions and open our souls instead of dividing our hearts. Rouse in us a firm desire to bring our gifts and talents to working for a better America and world. May your Holy Spirit fill us with your divine fire. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen