Let Us Be A Light
Offering compassion, respect, a sense of peace and belonging to individuals affected by sexual misconduct within the church.
A Community Responsorial Prayer
R. God of All Hope, Hear our Prayer. We pray for the abused that they will find wholeness and healing in You and peace and belonging within our faith community. Shower them with the gift of hope and give them the courage to walk through their fear towards Your healing Light. R. God of All Hope, Hear our Prayer. We pray for those who have abused another that they may be able to accept not only the truth of what they have done but also the truth of Your unconditional love so that they may become reunited with You and with us. As we pray for their transformation, we also pray that we will be able to forgive and accept them as Yours. R. God of All Hope, Hear our Prayer. We pray with gratitude for our clergy who serve as a light for us through the gift of their ministry and Your sacraments. Protect them from any discouragement, shame or fear caused by this scandal. May they find love and support from those in their care. Above all may they find love and guidance from You by a willingness to walk with You and to let You walk with them throughout their ministry, all day, everyday. R. God of All Hope, Hear our Prayer. We pray for the leadership of our church that through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit they may know Your loving mind and heart. Grant them the spiritual strength to be willing to let this wisdom be the foundation of every decision they make as they guide us towards unity with You and one another.
| May your kindness, LORD, be upon us; we have put our HOPE in you. Psalm 33:22
We pray for the abused... We pray for the abusers... We pray for our clergy... We pray for the leadership of our church... We pray for family and friends of the individuals directly involved... We pray for our professional counselors and spiritual caregivers... We pray for those whose faith has been damaged... We pray for our children and generations to come... We pray for our church as a community.... R. God of All Hope, Hear our Prayer. We pray as a church, a community united with and through You into one body, for the courage to make our lives a declaration of Your loving gifts so that others may find encouragement, community and healing through us and come to know the joy of Your everlasting love.
| R. God of All Hope, Hear our Prayer. We pray for family and friends of the people directly involved that they may place their trust in Your eternal love. We offer a special prayer for those whose loved one may have suffered such serious emotional affects from abuse that it has contributed to addictions, mental illness, or suicide. May they never lose hope and take comfort in knowing that their loved one will know peace in You, in this life or the next. R. God of All Hope, Hear our Prayer. We thank You for our counselors and other companions who walk along this journey with our brothers and sisters who have been hurt by abuse. When You carried Your cross, Jesus, most of us stood by aghast and afraid, unsure what to do. But then, as now, a few came forward to comfort You and help You carry your cross. Grant the Simon's and Veronica's of today the spiritual strength to place their trust in You, knowing that they walk with You. Help each one of us never to be afraid to accompany a brother or sister along their healing journey. R. God of All Hope, Hear our Prayer. We pray for those in our community, whose own faith has been damaged by this scandal. We ask that they will be open to your call and be blessed with a personal faith to guide them back to You. We desire that you help us to truly be a light to others so that they may, again, find your presence within our community and the sacraments.
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