This week in the liturgical churches, we commemorate the death of Saint Julian of Norwich and her “Revelations of Divine Love”, the first known book in the English language written by a woman. And Sunday is sometimes called “Good Shepherd Sunday”, reminding us of God’s unbounded providence and grace. In the United States, it is also Mother’s Day, to honor all mothers. And so, we pray:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
And yet so many are in want, Gracious God, in want and in desperate need. We think of those refugees in the Sudan and Somalia and Syria, without food and water, without the necessities of life, and our hearts ache with a sense of helplessness. And yet, ultimately, even as we fall to our knees, we pray in faith with Saint Julian:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
The Lord is my shepherd…he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
We pray for our earth, Creator God, for your earth. Even as so many continue to deny climate change, the polar ice continues to melt, sea levels rise, and coastal areas on every continent are threatened. Forgive our collusion in the destruction and fill us with the determination to be part of the solution. And so, we pray in humility with Saint Julian:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
The Lord is my shepherd…though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me…
We pray for the hearts and lives of the 276 kidnapped Nigerian girls and their confused and grieving families who are walking through that dark valley, Loving God, hoping from the depths of our aching souls that they will be restored to their families, to their lives. And so, we pray in hope with Saint Julian;
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
The Lord is my shepherd…you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…
Surround with your protection, Holy God, the fast food workers in 150 cities in the United States and in 33 countries throughout the world who will be staging a global protest on Thursday, asking for a living wage and the right to unionize without fear of retaliation, asking only to be treated with justice and respect. And so, we pray in trust with Saint Julian:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
The Lord is my shepherd…you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
We lift before you this day, Mothering God, all mothers and all those who nurture and lovingly care for us. May we be inspired to so care for others in your name, giving of ourselves in ways both great and small, that others might see and know your love through us. And so, we pray in love with Saint Julian:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
Let it be so, Loving God; let it be so, today and every day. Amen
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