A Lament for Our Nation

We come before you, O God,
          a people bruised and broken,
          heartsick and sobered
          by the treasonous display of violence and division
          in our nation’s capital.

We ache –
          -for the millions whose hearts are darkened
                    by hatred, bigotry and mistrust;
          -for our sisters and brothers of color who continue
                    to be shackled by discrimination and fear;
          -for our young people growing up in a society
                    filled with uncertainty and turmoil.

We yearn for the triumph of truth over falsehood,
          for the healing of the rancor and division in our midst.
We cry out for forgiveness and mercy
          for the vicious sin of racism which infects us all.

We come before you, O God,
          a people bruised and broken.

We beseech you:
          allow your grace to soften our hearts;
          open our eyes to our blindness and sin;
          help us claim our dignity as sisters and brothers
                    in one human family.
          empower us to make our country truly live its principles
                    of liberty and justice for all.

We come before you, O God,
          a people bruised and broken.

You are our way, our truth and our life.
Our only hope is in you.

Amen.

— Institute Prayer and Ritual Committee
Carolyn McWatters, RSM – Chair
Danielle Gagnon, RSM – Co-Chair
Jean Adam, RSM
Mary Ann Clifford, RSM
Estela Gomez, RSM
Rosario Maulas, RSM
Cynthia Sartor, Companion
Kathy Swift, Associate