You, most beloved God, are the leader of all that ever was
and all that will ever be.
You are a witness to the beauty that comes from a thoughtful leader
and the violence and unrest that is born from an unhealthy leader.
We seek your wisdom, your patience, your tenderness.
Using excerpts from John O’Donohue’s poem, For A Leader, we offer blessings to these world leaders:
Claudia Sheinbaum, the newly elected president of Mexico and the first woman to win a general election in North America.
“May you learn to cultivate the art of presence
In order to engage with those who meet you.
When someone fails or disappoints you,
May the graciousness with which you engage
Be their stairway to renewal and refinement.”
Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, who was shot and seriously wounded in an assassination attempt.
“May you know the wisdom of deep listening,
The healing of wholesome words,
The encouragement of the appreciative gaze,
The decorum of held dignity.”
Donald Trump, the former president of the United States of America and presumptive 2024 Republican nominee, who was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
“May you be hospitable to criticism.
May you never put yourself at the center of things.
May you act not from arrogance but out of service.
May those who work for you know you see and respect them.”
Pope Francis (Vatican City, Rome) who expressed firm opposition to the idea of ordaining Catholic women as deacons, raising doubts about the possibility that the ongoing three-year synodal process could move forward on the issue.
“May you have good friends
To mirror your blind spots.
May leadership be for you
A true adventure of growth.”
The LGBTQ-plus leaders who demonstrate strength and courage, including:
- Gabriel Attal, France’s prime minister, the youngest person currently serving as a head of state or government in the world.
- Edgars Rinkēvičs, Latvia’s foreign minister since 2011, who became president in July 2023. He became the first openly-gay head of state in a European Union country.
- Ana Brnabić, Serbia’s first female head of government, recently became president of the National Assembly of Serbia. In June 2017, she became the country’s first openly-lesbian prime minister.
- Bandy Kiki, Cameroonian blogger, an LGBTQ activist who has been called “the most hated anglophone [i.e., English-writing poster] on social media in Cameroon.”
“May you have a mind that loves frontiers
So that you can evoke the bright fields
That lie beyond the view of the regular eye.”
God of abundant love and generosity,
Guide us when we falter.
Carry us when we can’t see the way.
Lead us to you. Always……lead us to you. Amen.
Leave a Reply