November 26, 2023

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

For Francis, our Pope, and __, our Bishop. May a new vision of justice prevail in people who lead us. May we learn to see people with new eyes, the prisoner, the hungry person on the road, and the disabled man who lives alone.

We pray to the Lord.

For the end to wars among nations. May Christ, our King, bring solace to people in poverty, in the chaos of conflict and killings. May hope become food for our children and the desire of leaders in every nation under heaven.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new kindness in our daily lives. May we not hoard our love, our yearning for connection, our hope for a better world. May we seek the Good Shepherd and lay down our lives for our sisters and brothers.

We pray to the Lord.

For the thirsty, the hungry, the widow, the orphan, the prisoner, the lost, and those in mental anguish. May we run toward people who show us the beauty and love of God. May we seek to serve even beyond our expertise.

We pray to the Lord.  

For a grateful end to our liturgical year. May our lives be filled with gracious serving, with hope for our future, with only gratitude for what has been in our world.

We pray to the Lord.

For a new awareness of the dignity of life. May we lay down our guns and knives in hope for peace on our streets. May we hear the cries of our infants and the surrender of our elderly in their loneliness. May hope fill every heart.

We pray to the Lord.

For a rich compassion and generous heart in our youth. May we help the next generation to follow their dreams of service to people marginalized by life. May the next generation use their every talent and skill for justice and peace in our world.

We pray to the Lord.

For our friends and relatives who are confined by illness and disease. May our loved ones find healing within their souls to work through pain, suffering and aloneness. May they be guided by the Good Shepherd into rich valleys of the soul.

We pray to the Lord.

For our loved ones who have gone before us in death. May our loved ones find the rich presence of Christ Jesus. May they be comforted by only love for all eternity.

We pray to the Lord.