Franciscan Friar Richard Rohr, in a morning meditation sent each day to 500,000 people across the globe, has since the beginning of 2020 ended his daily thoughts with the part of this prayer not in italics. Where you find the italics is the place where he has invited us to place our own intentions.
Therefore, what you see in italics, I have added as my particular intention for our Virgin Islands community. Along with all V.I. Source associates I make this small offering as a contribution to the U.S. Virgin Islands Day of Prayer, Fasting and Reflection.
O Great Love, thank you for living and loving in us and through us. May all that we do flow from our deep connection with you and all beings. Help us become a community that vulnerably shares each other’s burdens and the weight of glory. Listen to our hearts’ longings for the healing of our world. Help us to understand that you protect us from nothing even as we are inexplicably sustained in all things. Open our hearts and minds to understanding that you depend upon us to protect ourselves and others. Give us the strength and means to do so. Remind us each moment of each day to do as we have been asked repeatedly, love our neighbors as ourselves. Knowing you are hearing us better than we are speaking, we offer these prayers in all the holy names of God, amen.
Shaun A. Pennington is a student in the Living School 2020 Cohort at the Center for Action and Contemplation .
