Most merciful and compassionate God,
Giver of life and love,
hear our prayers
and let our cries come unto you.
Dear Father of all,
We weep with your people in Japan.
We hear the cries of orphaned children and laments of bereaved parents.
We feel the desperation of those searching for loved ones.
We behold the silence of vanished villages.
We see the devastation.
We are overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.
Our hearts are hushed, our minds are numb.
Let not our hands be stopped, our voices dumb.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Open our hearts to feel your compassion
Galvanize in us the act of continued giving.
Bond us to our sisters and brothers in need.
O Holy Spirit,
Comfort and heal the injured, the bereaved, the lost.
Strengthen the aid workers and medical personnel.
Bolster the resolve of governments and those with power to help.
Open through this tragedy pathways to partnerships and peace.
In Your holy name and eternal life of love and mercy, we pray;
Amen.
(From the Bishop’s Office, Episcopal Diocese of Virginia)
