One does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

In this first week of Lent, let us pray for a “loving awareness that we are not disconnected from the rest of creatures, but joined in a splendid universal communion” (Laudato Si’). Then, let us ask for mercy for the ways in which we contribute to broken relationships with God, our brothers and sisters, and the earth, and for courage to heal these relationships.

Pray

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.
Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.

– A prayer for our Earth, Laudato Si’ Care for Our Common Home

 

The Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids join with other congregations of Dominican Sisters in North America to bring you this prayer, as part of a Lenten reflection journey. This prayer and additional reflections can be found in the Lenten 2020 Guide: A  Journey Toward Ecological Conversion. Special Thanks to the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns. Follow along with us each week during Lent.

Image licensed in the public domain and available at  http://bit.ly/treecornfield