Advent Journeys

In Advent we are invited to leave our customary space and journey inwards and outwards, inwards to our truest self, and outwards, to the poor, vulnerable and wounded of our world.
For what do we prepare? For the One who is to come. In whatever guise that Coming takes place.
It will be something born in us
A new Way
A new Heart
A new Life
A new path of solidarity with others.

Advent Prayer

Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.
We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. T
o you we say, "Come Lord Jesus!" Amen.

A Prayer Resource for Justice

Here are some prayers that you may find useful for inclusion in a compiling a prayer experience related to social justice. Web resources are also indicated. This is a work in progress.

Save the Afflicted

We beseech thee, Master, to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly;
raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly;
restore the wanderers of thy people;
feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners;
raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.

Clement of Rome (1st. century)

Hunger and Thirst for Justice

Almighty and eternal God, may your grace
enkindle in all persons a love
of the many unfortunate people
whom poverty and misery reduce
to a condition of life unworthy of human beings.

Arouse in the hearts
of those who call you God
a hunger and thirst for social justice
and for fraternal charity in deeds and in truth.

Grant, O Lord, peace in our days,
peace to souls, peace to our community
and peace among nations.

Amen.

Pope Pius XII

A prayer for the new year
by June Mears Driedger

O God, Compassionate One-

I pray for a compassionate heart this new year.

I pray for a heart that is willing to expand with your compassion, with your love.

I pray for a set of compassionate eyes that see what your eyes see.

I pray for a set of compassionate ears that hear what your ears hear.

O God, Compassionate One-

I pray for a heart willing to extend compassion to those who annoy me, infuriate me, enrage me.

Help me to see these people as your children, worthy of your love and compassion and therefore deserving of my love and compassion.

O God, Compassionate One-

I pray for a heart that is bold enough to seek reconciliation with those whom I have hurt, harmed or dismissed.

Help me to understand, to know (deep in my bones), that to live compassionately toward others means living at peace with them.

O God, Compassionate One-

I pray for a heart that is gentle with myself when I fail to be compassionate-because I will fail. I will stumble.

Help me to extend the same compassion toward myself that I want to offer others.

O God, Compassionate One-

I pray that my desire and my attempts to live compassionately (to be compassionate) will encourage others to be compassionate-one by one by

one-until our world is filled with compassionate people, filled with people who have your compassionate heart pulsing through us. Amen.

From the Mennonite Peace Website Mennonite Peacemaking