Prayer For Our Earth

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.

O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned
and forgotten of this earth,
who are so precious in your eyes
God of love, show us our place in this world
as channels of your love
for all the creatures of this earth,
God of mercy, may we receive your forgiveness
and convey your mercy throughout our common home.
Praise be to you!
Amen.                              (Laudato Si’, Pope Francis)

Teach us to be wise stewards of creation.

Creator God,

Grant true wisdom and courage to leaders of nations
in response to this growing crisis.
Stir the hearts of all people everywhere to live more responsibly,
and teach all who profess the name of Christ
to lead by example.
Inspire a deeper understanding of what it means to be one world,
and so may we pass on to our children,
and our children’s children,
a world fit to inherit.
We hold it in trust:

teach us to be wise stewards of creation.

Creator God,
Forgive the short-sightedness and greed
that has led to this situation,
the living for today with no thought of tomorrow,
and the obsession with material possessions
at the cost of spiritual values.
Forgive the massive divide between rich and poor
which it has served to create,
and which makes any prospect
of resolving the issues involved so remote.
We hold it in trust:
Teach us to be wise stewards of creation.