Litany for Our Pandemic

The original Litany for the Coronavirus Pandemic has been used with prayer services online as people shelter in place for 6 weeks now in various settings and groups large and small. During that short time - which for many feels like a lifetime - the nature of our prayer needs have changed. With suggestions from my deeply pastoral friend Rev. Peter Huang, I've modified the prayers to reflect where we are today, so that our prayers will remain pertinent

O God, source of life, wellspring of health and wholeness, whose love and grace raina down on all creatures: we cry out to you. Holy God, hear our voices as we struggle with the coronavirus pandemic. Listen to your people with compassion, as we pray for all who may be affected by the virus:

O God the Creator, Maker of heaven and earth,

Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,

Have mercy upon us.

For government leaders, and all who can reduce the suffering in our communities, our nation, and the world.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For first responders and all who serve to protect us.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For nurses, physicians, EMTs, technicians, social workers, therapists, pharmacists, and all who provide health care.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For the research and science communities who may hasten the development of vaccines and relief to our miseries.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all essential workers who work to sustain us by feeding us, clothing us, keep us connected, and maintaining our basic necessities.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For hospital, nursing, hospice, palliative, and home care staff and housekeepers who have close contact with the vulnerable;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For educators and teachers, students, and parents of students now learning at home, as they all adjust to distance learning and for our youth as they work to understand these uncertain times.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For transportation crews, truck drivers, gas station attendants, and all who must travel and transport people and food and essential products.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For those stocking grocery stores, department stores, convenience stores, discount warehouses, and all who provide us our food and daily necessities and who are helping us maintain social distance.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For bankers, store checkers, restaurant cashiers, financial advisors, and all who handle our money;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For restaurant workers, bartenders, coffee shop baristas, cooks, servers, chefs, dishwashers, waiters, caterers, and food growers and manufacturers as they bring us our basic needs as well as offering us the joys of comforting food.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For hotel workers, housekeepers, travel agents, and all who make our journeys possible.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For florists, artists, musicians, actors, singers, writers, poets, and all who fill our lives with beauty and art so that we can be reminded of the wonder of your creation.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For those who provide us with news, communications, internet, lighting, and electricity so that we may stay informed and find safety during dark times.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who are underemployed or unemployed and live with economic anxiety because of this pandemic.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For those without food or shelter, struggling to maintain their health in a hostile environment;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For the poor, the vulnerable, the migrants, the isolated, seniors, all the victims of racism especially those targeted by anger and fear of this disease, and all who need protection;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For those incarcerated in body and in spirit.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For clergy, church staff, local and national faith leaders, and all who remind us that we are made in Your image.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For the lonely, the sick, and those who suffer in mind, body, and spirit, and for those who cannot get adequate care because of the unavailability of medical resources.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who are struggling with COVID-19.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all of us who are caring for those with COVID-19

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all of us who are asked to shelter-in-place;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain us.

For all who cannot be physically present with their loved ones to share final touches, words, and memories, and for those who cannot grieve together during these times.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who have died of of COVID-19 and their grieving families;

Merciful God, we ask You to grant the faithfully departed eternal life and peace. Sustain and comfort those who grieve.

Almighty God, who has promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in your Son's Name: We beseech you to mercifully hear us who have now made our prayers and supplications to you; and grant that those things which we have asked faithfully according to your will may be granted to the relief of our great need, and to the setting forth of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Melvin M Soriano

Litany for The Coronavirus Pandemic

O God, source of life, wellspring of health and wholeness, whose love and grace raina down on all creatures: we cry out to you. Holy God, hear our voices as we struggle with the coronavirus pandemic. Listen to your people with compassion, as we pray for all who may be affected by the virus:

O God the Creator, Maker of heaven and earth,

Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,

Have mercy upon us.

For government leaders, and all who can reduce the suffering in our communities, our nation, and the world.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For security guards, police, and all who strive to keep the peace in times of great uncertainty.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For nurses, physicians, EMTs, technicians, social workers, therapists, pharmacists, and all who provide health care;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For the scientists, medical equipment manufacturers, toilet paper producers, sanitation providers, and all who may hasten the development of vaccines and relief to our miseries.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For hospital, nursing, hospice, palliative, and home care staff and housekeepers who have close contact with patients and the vulnerable;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For truck drivers, bus drivers, train and subway drivers, flight crews, sea captains and their crews, cab drivers, and all who must travel and transport people and food and essential products;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For those stocking grocery stores, department stores, convenient stores, discount warehouses, and all who provide us our food and daily necessities;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For bankers, store checkers, restaurant cashiers, financial advisors, and all who handle our money;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For restaurant workers, bartenders, coffee shop baristas, cooks, servers, chefs, dishwashers, waiters, and caterers;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For hotel workers, housekeepers, travel agents, and all who make our journeys possible;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For florists, artists, musicians, actors, singers, authors, and all who fill our lives with beauty and art;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For those who provide us with communications, internet, lighting, and electricity so that we may stay informed and find safety during dark times.

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For teachers, professors, coaches, counselors, cafeteria workers, custodians, and all who work at schools and colleges;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For babysitters, daycare staff, family members, and all who teach, watch, and comfort our youngest children;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For those without food or shelter, struggling to maintain their health in a hostile environment;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For the poor, the lonely, the vulnerable, the migrants, the isolated, seniors, all the victims of racism especially those targeted by anger and fear of this disease, and all who need protection;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For the lonely, the sick, and those who suffer in mind, body, and spirit;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For clergy, church staff, local and national faith leaders, and all who remind us that we are made in Your image;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who want but cannot get tested;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who are waiting for test results;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who have tested positive to the coronavirus;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who are asked to shelter-in-place;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who are quarantined;

Merciful God, we ask You to protect and sustain them.

For all who have died of the coronavirus and their grieving families;

Merciful God, we ask You to grant the faithfully departed eternal life and peace. Sustain and comfort those who grieve.

Almighty God, who has promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in your Son's Name: We beseech you to mercifully hear us who have now made our prayers and supplications to you; and grant that those things which we have asked faithfully according to your will may be granted to the relief of our great need, and to the setting forth of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Melvin M Soriano

Carry and Roll

Lent is upon us. Many of those who follow this blog will likely know that I'm rather enthusiastic about this liturgical season, this time of pilgrimage to Easter. It's an opportunity for deeper reflection about Jesus and His ministry, His humanity, His cross, His death, His resurrection, His holiness.  Like many of you, I do more reading, more walking, more thinking, more praying.

I'm sometimes asked what I usually do as Lenten disciplines. Many give up things. My husband still likes to give up sweets and chocolates. In addition to taking things on, I do tend to do these two things:

• I don't exceed the speed limit. Weird huh? Speeding is a given in Southern California; when there's no traffic, you zoom ahead. I do this because often times I do so because I'm in a hurry. Except, in truth, I'm not. If I were more considerate to myself and others, I would make enough time to get some place without speeding. And, I do think that my need for speed makes me focus on me and my desires more than on others and their needs. They've got busy schedules as well. So, I stay within the speed limit and work on loving those that pass me by.
• We eat out a few times a week. I try to limit my purchases during Lent. I usually spend around $15-20 including tax and tip when I eat out. So I try to limit myself to eating just appetizers and drinking water so with any money I can save, I can donate to the local homeless services.If I spend only $8, I can donate $12. Donating the cumulative amount during Easter brings this Lenten exercise to life.

So here's something I'll be trying this year. For those of you who recall my posts regarding the Cruz de Ferro, it's a custom to carry a stone along the Camino de Santiago (via the Camino Frances) to carry a stone. (Check out a prior Lenten meditation.) The stone represents anything and everything in your life that weighs you down, that holds you back, that hurts you as it rubs against you. And yet you carry it. Maybe you don't realize how much it's hurting you. Maybe you are afraid to set it down. Maybe you think you cannot live without it. Then, at this enormous iron cross just past Foncebadon Spain, you leave the stone at the foot of the cross. You may have carried it hundreds of miles on your Camino walk, and you finally put it down for Christ to carry.

So I invite you to join me on this practice.

Starting Wednesday, I'll carry a stone with me. I'll carry it everywhere I go. The only time I will put the stone down is during our Taize services, when I will place the stone on the cross. And after the service, I'll pick up the stone and continue to carry it. Whenever I feel it in my pocket, I can reflect on all the things in my life that weigh me down, that hold me back, that hurt me, and pray for the strength to let go of that stone, to leave that stone with Christ, to look forward to the day I can let it go.

And on Easter, like those who visited the tomb on the third day, I'll roll the stone away. I'll put the stone down at the foot of the cross and pray that I do so for all the things I thought about during Lent. And in doing so, I pray that I'll find new life.

So go outside, look for a small stone about an inch long. On Ash Wednesday, pick it up and begin carrying it every moment you're up and about, thinking about all the things that you carry every day of your life. 

If you see me, I'll have extra stones that I can give to you, so ask me.

And we can walk together, knowing that we have our stones, looking forward to the day we can be freed of the stones in our lives.