Prayer For A Refugee
O Lord God,
your Son Jesus Christ suffered and died for us.
In his resurrection
he restores life and peace in all creation.
Comfort, we pray, all victims of intolerance
and those oppressed by their fellow humans.
Remember in your kingdom those who have died.
Lead the oppressors towards compassion
and give hope to the suffering.
Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Merciful Father,
we cry to you from the depths of our concern
for those wrongly imprisoned or held captive:
for those trying to secure their release,
that the ways of peace and diplomacy may prevail over acts of violence and aggression,
that their captors may know a change of heart;
through him who was sent to proclaim liberty for captives
and to set free those who are oppressed,
your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Almighty and merciful God,
whose Son became a refugee and had no place to call his own;
look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from danger,
homeless and hungry.
Bless those who work to bring them relief;
inspire generosity and compassion in all our hearts;
and guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice and of peace;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Loving God, you create every person in your image and unite us all in one human family. As our brothers' and sisters' keepers, fill us with courage and compassion, that we might meet the hardships of migrants and refugees, not with silence and indifference, but with generous acts of mercy, welcoming every stranger as Christ in our midst. Amen.
Merciful God, we pray for families and individuals who have left or fled their homes, seeker safer and better lives. We lift up to you their hopes, fears, and needs, that they may be protected on their journeys, their dignity and rights may be honored and upheld, and they may be welcomed with open arms into generous and compassionate communities. Amen.
Lord Jesus, when you multiplied the loaves and fishes, you provided more than food for the body, you offered us the gift of yourself, the gift which satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst! Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt, but you poured out your love and compassion on the migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.
Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.
Lord Jesus, help us by your grace,
To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;
To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;
To realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;
To share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;
To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.
We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family a reflection of the divine unity of the one Most Holy Trinity in whom we make our prayer: Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
God of our Wandering Ancestors,
Long have we known
That your heart is with the refugee:
That you were born into time
In a family of refugees
Fleeing violence in their homeland,
Who then gathered up their hungry child
And fled into alien country.
Their cry, your cry, resounds through the ages:
Will you let me in?
Give us hearts that break open
When our brothers and sisters turn to us with that same cry.
Then surely all these things will follow:
Ears will no longer turn deaf to their voices.
Eyes will see a moment for grace instead of a threat.
Tongues will not be silenced but will instead advocate.
And hands will reach out
working for peace in their homeland, working for justice in the lands where they seek safe haven.
Lord, protect all refugees in their travels.
May they find a friend in me
And so make me worthy
Of the refuge I have found in you.
AMEN
Abba Father, our beloved Father,
look down with mercy on us and all refugees.
Remember your son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
had to leave his homeland and flee to Egypt,
when he was a baby,
with his mother, Mary,
and foster father, Joseph.
Help us to be aware
of the fears, anxiety, pain, sorrow,
difficulties and uncertainty all refugees suffer,
and to remember that we all belong
to the same human family.
Holy Spirit,
please give us compassion and courage
to help them in any way we can.
Amen.
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.