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These are dark days, folks.
Dark because of the virus among us.
Dark because, as a result, we're losing more people, evident by the large number of obituaries being published in your community newspapers.
It is with great sadness that we report the loss of more people from our world … our lives … more than normal. So many wonderful people … our family, our friends, our neighbors, our community members. We're compelled by their legacies and their spirits to offer some simple prayers as a means of comfort:
Those we love don't go away,
they walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard, but always near,
so loved, so missed, so very dear.
Missing you …
Your life was a blessing.
Your memory a treasure.
You are loved beyond words
and missed beyond measure.
Embrace in your loving arms
all who are grieving the loss
of family and loved ones
through tragic circumstances;
where lives are in turmoil,
hope turns to despair
and pain is all that's felt.
Be with them in their sorrow,
uphold them with your strength,
and through the generosity
of love shown by others
and your presence within their hearts,
may they know they are not alone
in their struggle through today.
A blessing for caregivers
May you see with tender eyes
The wounds of those before you.
May you hear with well-tuned ears
The unspoken needs of those whose voices are muted.
May you hold with gentle hands
The bodies and the spirits of those you care for.
May the beauty of soul,
The strength of spirit,
The wholeness of being
Lead you, inspire you
And let you know your own
Beauty of soul,
Strength and spirit,
Wholeness of being
May you know that,
As you care for others,
God cares for you, sees you
Holds you tenderly.
Prayer during a pandemic
Loving God, Holy One
Your desire is for our wholeness and well-being
We hold in tenderness and prayer the collective suffering of our world at this time. We grieve precious lives lost and vulnerable lives threatened.
We ache for ourselves and our neighbors, standing before an uncertain future.
We pray: May love, not fear, go viral.
Inspire our leaders to discern and choose wisely, aligned with the common good.
Help us to practice social distancing and reveal to us new and creative ways to come together in spirit and solidarity.
Call us to profound trust in your faithful presence,
You, the God who does not abandon, You, The Holy One.
Breathing within us,
Breathing among us,
Breathing around us
in our beautiful yet wounded world.
Folks, there is a bright light on the horizon.
It's a light of hope … hope that vaccines will vanquish this pandemic.
But we all must play a part in the fight.
Our fathers and mothers, our grandparents and great grandparents and all of our family before put hope in us and in future generations to carry the torch of hope, joy and peace.