RESPONSIVE READING

 

On those bowed down by poverty,

Lord have mercy. 

On families whose children go hungry,

Lord have mercy. 

On the prosperous who live as if they have no limits,

Lord have mercy. 

On those who have plenty and need to understand those who lack,

Lord have mercy.

On farm workers who labor in the sweltering heat,

Lord have mercy. 

On farmers who cannot sell what they produce,

Lord have mercy.

On our waters and lands ravaged by pollution,

Lord have mercy.

On rural communities and urban economies,

Lord have mercy.

For politicians and decision-makers who can affect the welfare of our persons and our earth,

Lord, give them wisdom and compassion.

For ourselves, as we struggle with issues of diversity, equity, and sustainability,

Lord, make us the means of change. 

For your world,

Lord, please make us whole.

 

(B. J. Morton.  Adapted from the litany for Make Poverty History at www.portsmouth.anglican.org/spirituality/make_poverty_history_prayers_and_resources)

 

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

 

Lord, you have given us this beautiful world, with the ability to harvest its products for our nourishment. Yet in our greed we have been robbing future generations, poisoning your world, and destroying many of your creatures. Help us to realize that we interfere with your world at our peril.  It is your hand, not ours, that rules your world, and we are here, during our short lives, as temporary caretakers. 

 

(adapted from “A Prayer Guide  for the Care of Creation,” www.christian-ecology.org.uk/p0701.htm)

 

Open Our Eyes

 

Lord God, you have shown us clearly where our present lifestyle is leading us. Open the eyes of all – especially the rich and powerful – and draw us together in a common determination to change our ways, to reduce our consumption of 

natural resources, and to share what we have with others who have so little to sustain them. 

 

(adapted from “Open our Eyes,” at www.christian-ecology.org.uk/p0701.htm)

 

 

Stewards of God’s Gifts

 

Almighty and ever-faithful Lord, 

gratefully acknowledging Your mercy 

and humbly admitting our need, 

we pledge our trust in You and each other. 

 

Filled with desire, 

we respond to Your call for discipleship 

by shaping our lives in imitation of Christ. 

We profess that the call requires us 

to be stewards of Your gifts. 

As stewards, we receive Your gifts gratefully, 

cherish and tend them in a responsible manner, 

share them in practice and love with others, 

and return them with increase to the Lord. 

 

We pledge to hold one another accountable in our ongoing formation as stewards 

and our responsibility to call others to that same endeavor. 

Almighty and ever-faithful God, 

it is our fervent hope and prayer 

that You who have begun this good work in us 

will bring it to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

 

(adapted from “A Stewardship Prayer,” www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/english2/p00842.htm)

 

Caretakers of Our Planet

 

We give thanks to you, God our Creator, for all the wonderful gifts you have bestowed upon us. We are grateful to you for helping us endure as long as we have on our beloved planet earth.  Wonderful Creator, we ask you for strength and courage. We ask you to help each one of us gain the understanding and wisdom we need to heal our brokenness -- to love one another and to finally realize peace, with each other and with our lands. We ask you to help each one of us become more aware of our responsibilities in caring for all life on this beautiful planet.  We know deep inside that we are a part of you and all creation. We want to take back our roles as caretakers of our planet. We want to open our hearts to honoring, respecting, and caring for our natural environment so that this good earth that your have given us for our sustenance is sustained for the good of all, both now and into future generations.

 

(adapted from “Prayer for Healing of the Earth,” at www.nativevoices.org/articles/woody.htm)

 

 

Generous and loving God 

 

Generous loving God,

Bless these gifts from your creation.

We thank you for the people who produced the food.

Help us to safeguard the riches of the earth

Let us always love the land that feeds us

And may it ever be fruitful.

Amen.

 

(© Ann Tanswell/CAFOD – used with permission)