THIS WEEK IS EARTH WEEK.
All our prayers this week will focus on being good stewards of God’s creation.
Our thought for today, Monday April 19, 2021 is by Mother Teresa
“I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Most gracious God, we come before you to pray for the wellbeing of our planet. You alone know the full extent of the destruction we have wrought to Your beautiful handiwork, and what needs to be done to remedy it. We pray for the people from around the globe who suffer because of environmental damage. We pray for the defenseless creatures harmed or made extinct by our selfishness and ignorance. We pray for the oceans, air, mountains, plants, and soil, that life and health may again pulse in them. We pray that we humans have a change of heart and stop harming the planet. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us that we may have the passion and wisdom to work effectively to restore your creation. Guide us in our personal, church and community efforts. Give us strength to continue with this work when it is difficult and requires sacrifice. Bless the Earth and all its life in every way. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Our Lady – Pray for us!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Our thought for today, Tuesday April 20, 2021 is by John Ruskin
“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty!”
Today’s prayer is based on a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
All praise be yours, O Lord through all that You have made.
I give praise for the sun, who brings the day…
How beautiful is the sun on a hot summer’s day? How radiant is the sun when blazing colours appear in a sunset sky?
For the moon and stars that remind us that You too shine bright in the darkest of moments. For the moon that gives us light and tides. For every star our wishes are made upon…we give thanks!
We praise You God for the air and the wind. For the air we breathe; for the air that helps to grow everything on this planet. We are thankful for the wind that cools us on a humid day; the same wind that pushes storms and rain through our lives.
For the water that sustains us, supports us, and refreshes us. Water is indeed so useful, simple, precious and pure.
We praise you God for fire. Through the gift of fire, the night is brightened, food is cooked and prepared, and people are kept warm.
For our Mother Earth, who feeds us and produces various fruits, colored flowers, and countless herbs. This same loving Mother Earth sustains our crops and animals and our ways of life.
For all of these things, and so much more from the abundance of our Earth, we praise and bless our God.
We are so thankful God for all that the world gives to us and we give You thanks!
May we serve this Earth with great humility
We ask for this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Our Lady – Pray for us!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Our thought for today, Wednesday April 21, 2021 is by Pope Francis
“The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.”
Today’s prayer is a VIDEO PRAYER based on encyclical by Pope Francis entitled Laudato Si
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Our thought for today, Thursday April 22, 2021 is by Clara Tellier
“Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to keep a promise!”
Our prayer today was written by: Walter Rauschenbusch
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O God, we thank you for this earth, our home;
For the wide sky and the blessed sun,
For the salt sea and the running water,
For the everlasting hills
And the never-resting winds,
For trees and the common grass underfoot.
We thank you for our senses
By which we hear the songs of birds,
And see the splendor of the summer fields,
And taste of the autumn fruits,
And rejoice in the feel of the snow,
And smell the breath of the spring.
Grant us a heart wide open to all this beauty;
And save our souls from being so blind
That we pass unseeing
When even the common thorn bush
Is aflame with your glory,
O God our creator,
Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.
Our Lady – Pray for us!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Today, Friday April 23, our thought of the today is Pope John Paul II
“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.”
Our prayer today is based on a prayer by Rev. Leslie Scoopmire
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Creator of the Universe, who is making Heaven and Earth,
let all that lives tell out Your glory.
Rocks and hills, ocean depths and craggy peaks,
the wind that rolls over them, all join to sing out your Holy Name.
You planted your holy song, O Lord, in loud laughing waterfalls, babbling brooks and rambling rivers fed by rain and storm.
Murmuring grass and fields of wheat blowing in the wind whisper “Alleluia!”
as the beauty of the Lord passes by.
Thunder and rain, summer sun and shadow, all work together with soil and seed
to prepare a table of our sustenance and well being.
The works of your Hand, O Mighty One, testify to your steadfast kindness and mercy: You crown all you see as good.
Forgive us for our trespasses against each other, and against the Earth, for seeking to hoard her riches and denying her integrity.
May we walk gently upon this Earth, respecting everything from below our feet to the star lit galaxies of space, all upheld by your wondrous Love.
May we care for all creation, being dedicated and blessed by all it gives. May we be always called to serve its renewal and guard its unity.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, let us be renewed by the constant waters of creation, the waters of birth and life, renew and recreate in us a reverence for the Earth and all her inhabitants.
Lord Christ, center us in your wisdom, and pour out your healing
over all of us.
Amen.
Our Lady – Pray for us!
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.