Sunday February 18, 2024

First Sunday of Lent

For people who face deserts of desperation. May new meaning grow strong in the hearts of people who have lost hope. May Christ reach for the hands of those who stumble.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who survive food deserts. May our children find sufficient food in our urban areas. May the richness of love be known to them.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who travel through deserts of ill health. May the bodies of our loved ones find healing in these days of prayer. May Christ touch the wounds of our aching bodies.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who wait in the desert for Easter sacraments. May our catechumens and candidates find patience and prayer as they wait for full initiation into our Church.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who live amid deserts of despair and emotional turmoil. May our lives and minds be eased in our Lenten journey. May the path to inner freedom be known in the most vulnerable.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who suffer trauma in deserts of abuse. May our adult children who have been sexually or emotionally abused find healing in their minds, hearts, and muscles. May courage be housed in those who wait for lasting healing.

We pray to the Lord.

For people existing in deserts of loneliness and self-hatred. May we reach out to people and build communities of love. May the existence of community heal all people.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who breathe in deserts of shallowness. May we breathe more deeply into our lives to rouse meaning and purpose. May we exhale in faith and give voice to God’s fidelity.

We pray to the Lord.

For people who wait in deserts of dying. May their last breath be without despair. May our beloved friends find new life in their home in heaven.

We pray to the Lord.