O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Prayers of the People
Sustaining God, you have promised to turn our hearts from stone to flesh; to give us life through the power of your love and hear our hopes and needs. Answer these prayers lifted to you as we say, Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the people of God everywhere, that they may be beacons of hope whose light shines forth to dispel fear and hate. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those with authority over our lives, that they might wield their power for the common good and with respect for the dignity of all people. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For those in our lives who have caused us pain and hurt; lead them to an awareness of their impact and lead us to the path of forgiveness where those hurts have no hold on us. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For our local communities - our neighbors, our co-workers, and our classmates, help us to sow the seeds of your presence in our daily interactions. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For our beleaguered earth, the garden where you have placed us; grant us wisdom as we discern how to be worthy stewards of the gift and give us strength and courage to persevere in its preservation. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For all who live in pain, in sickness, in fear or dread; sustain them with your grace that they might bear their suffering and grant us an awareness and a willingness to be their companions and caregivers, especially we pray for those who are on St. Paul's prayer list. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hold in your care those who have died and welcome us into your eternal arms when our time comes, and let us all rise together in your new age. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, who is the Sower of love, mercy, and hope; let us be the seeds of you salvation; growing in love ourselves that through us your hopeful mercy might be known and established everywhere, and hear our prayers, those spoken and those held quietly in our hearts that we might know grace and become the people we were created to be. All this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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