Mother God, we come to you with thanksgivings.
We are grateful to be loved by You. We are grateful for hands to hold, for kindness, and for grace. We are grateful for sunshine, rain, and rainbows. We are grateful for the farmers and laborers who give us our daily bread. We are grateful for forgiveness.
Mother God, we come to you with concerns.
We continue to pray for the war in Ukraine, as Russia tries to seal off ports vital to the international food supply. We pray for the people, especially women, who have been the victims of violent ethnic clashes in India. We pray for the end of heat waves across Spain, Italy, Greece, China and the western and southern United States. We pray for the people in South Africa after an explosion in Johannesburg’s business district killed one person and injured 48. We pray for political and community leaders to be led by You towards peaceful resolutions. We pray especially for the people of Kenya as the chaos of anti-government demonstrations have left at least 29 people dead over the past few weeks. We pray for the victims of gun violence and their loved ones. We pray You deliver us from evil.
Mother God, we come to you with celebrations.
The Women’s World Cup has begun in New Zealand, and the Men’s Open Championship has begun in England. We celebrate these international competitions and all who make them possible. We celebrate the notable victories of the 2023 Wimbledon champions, Markéta Vondroušová of the Czech Republic and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. We pray for the athletes and spectators to be safe and to find fulfillment. We pray for the places where women are not allowed to compete in sports and for the places where people are excluded because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. We pray for Your kingdom to come.
Mother God, we come to you with requests.
Be with those who grieve. Be with those who are in the process of becoming parents. Be with those who are seeking advancement in their learning or their work. Be with those who are divorcing. Be with those who are sick or injured. Be with the lonely. Be with those who are first responders so that they may be healers.
May Your will be done
On heaven
On earth
And in all the spaces between.
Amen.
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