God as our Refuge and Nurturer

In the collect of today's liturgy, we pray: "God of might, giver of every good gift, put into our hearts the love of your name, so that, by deepening our sense of reverence, you may nurture in us what is good and, by your watchful care, keep safe what you nurtured."  Lord, you nurtured what is good in young men and women who were born here in the U.S. of Mexican immigrants--men and women for whom the road to citizenship was opened up by our former president and today closed by our current president! Lord, keep safe these undocumented men and women, many of whom have earned degrees here in the U.S., are contributing members, as were their parents, including those already deported and separated from their children here in the U.S.  May the evil being considered be blocked by men and women of integrity, men and women of good will, men and women open to all races, all cultures and all that is good.

Open my eyes, also,  Lord, when I am planning actions that will bring harm to others, that will deprive others of their basic human rights, actions that could be motivated by hatred and prejudice that I do not even know is operating within me. Free me, Lord, from hatred and bigotry, from unclean spirits, such as those that possessed the man in today's Gospel, Luke 4: 31-37, and that may have taken possession of many serving our country in government positions.   Free government officials, of any nation,  from unclean spirits!

In spite of what I see and hear on the news each night,  "I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living" (today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 27), though right now it seems as though evil is triumphing!   As evil descends upon us, in any form, may we cling to the Lord, who is our "light and [our] salvation...[and who is our] life's refuge," (Psalm27).

Committing our Ways to the Lord

In today’s responsorial psalm, Psalm 37, we pray: “Commit to the Lord your way; trust in him, And he will act.”

Lord,  I commit the following realities to you, trusting that you will act:

• The leaders of all nations who push forward  executive actions or legislation that will oppress the poor and line the pockets of the wealthy with privileges they do not need
• Immigrants threatened with deportation and persons not allowed refuge in the U.S. because of persons judging them as evil and as a detriment to our country without due process
• The poor, the underprivileged, the unemployed or underemployed whose right for a fair wage is being denied
• Our nations and nations throughout the world who will be harmed by those who deny climate change and refuse to do what is in our power to reverse damages to the environment
• Persons insisting on building walls and not bridges whereby we work together for the common good and engage in fair trade practices

Lord, as we pray in Psalm 37, I believe that you will “make justice dawn…like the light” and that “bright as the noonday shall be…[the] vindication”  of those oppressed by  any decision or legislation that violates human rights of any person, born or unborn.  I believe that “the salvation of the just is from [You,] Lord; [that You] are their refuge in time of distress.” I believe, that it is the Lord who”helps them and delivers them; [that it is You, O Lord, who] delivers them from [those engaged in wicked practices] and saves them, because they take refuge in you.”