Dearest Lord, you ask us to love one another deeply, from our hearts. Help us to love across differences in race, gender, religion, ethnicity, ability, and age. To love across politics. Be especially with those suffering the violence that arises from intolerance.

Lord, open the eyes of our faith.

Dearest Lord, as the disciples’ eyes were opened to your loving presence, open the eyes of your church, that we, its members, may answer your call to love another as you have loved us.

Lord, open the eyes of our faith.

Dearest Lord, we pray for our nation, that we might celebrate a government that recognizes all citizens as equal and valuable. We ask that you speed solutions to the gun violence that terrifies our children and tears us apart.

Lord, open the eyes of our faith.

Dearest Lord, we pray for those suffering homelessness, hunger, mental illness, and addiction. Help us to see them as brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers in need of home and healing.

Lord, open the eyes of our faith.

Dearest Lord, your creation is bursting with bloom and birdsong. We are in awe of its beautiful variety. Help us to preserve the earth as the treasure it is.

Lord, open the eyes of our faith.

Dearest Lord, you have inclined your ear to us whenever we have called upon you. Save our lives. Be with the sick and injured. Be with those suffering mental and emotional pain. Be with those passing and who have recently passed, including their grieving families. Be with the friends and family we now name (pause), including those on our parish prayer list:

Lord, open the eyes of our faith.