Here’s a timely prayer of intercession for the fourth Sunday of Advent (December 18, 2011). It was written by the people at World in Prayer.
Prayers of the People: Advent 4
As the end of Advent nears, as the days grow shorter and the winter solstice approaches in the Northern Hemisphere,
as the trees stand bare and beautiful against the winter sky,
reminding us that death comes before new life,
we join our hearts and voices with Mary, as she sings:
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
Mary’s song echoes across the ages, O God,
reminding us again and yet again that your call to us is continual,
that your compassion for us is never-ending, that your love for us- for all of your beloved children in every place- is limitless.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
The mercy you show, Gracious God, is from generation to generation,
and our hearts break with yours over lives lost needlessly in drive-by shootings,
in senseless wars,
in violent encounters between ethnic or tribal groups,
over children starving in the Sudan, in northern Kenya, in Bangladesh, in countries whose names and locations we barely know.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
Help us to be mindful, Loving God, of the ways in which our daily choices as individuals, as nations, impact the rest of our sisters and brothers around this incredible planet.
Open our hearts to the reality of climate change, impacted by our continued dependency on fossil fuels, and our self-centered unwillingness to reduce our demand or change our comfortable style of living. Open our eyes to the ongoing loss of living species, lest we consider our human selves superior to the other forms of life around us.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
O God our Sovereign, we know that you look with special compassion upon the poor,
the needy,
the lonely,
the outcast,
the refugee,
the political prisoner,
wherever they may be in this beleaguered world.
Fill us with the knowledge that you expect us,
the rich,
the haves,
to reflect that same compassion and caring, not only at Christmas but throughout the year.
Keep us honest, Holy One, in our service and in our living, that our lives may be true reflections of the One whose name we claim and bear.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
As we confess our failures, Loving God, breathe into us
the strength,
the wisdom,
the willingness
to stand in solidarity with those working for freedom and justice and peace throughout the world.
Help us to set aside our differences and unite our hearts and hands in the task of rebuilding a world in which there will be no more hunger,
no more needless illness or death,
no more denigration of another due to race or religion, gender or age or sexuality,
but rather the celebration or our shared humanity as your created children.
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…
And as we go deep within our hearts in prayer,
as we life our voices and rededicate our lives,
may we say with Mary,
Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be according to your word.
Amen and Amen.
