We pray for change (A Prayer for Juneteenth)

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me;

He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

release to the prisoners...

--Isaiah 61:1

    We pray, O Lord, for change.

    Jesus, you revealed God through your wise words and loving deeds, and we encounter you still today in the faces of those whom society has pushed to the margins. 

    Guide us, through the love you revealed, to establish the justice you proclaimed, that all peoples might dwell in harmony and peace, united by that one love that binds us to each other, and to you. 

    And most of all, Lord, change our routine worship and work into genuine encounter with you and our better selves so that our lives will be changed for the good of all. 

Amen.

Image source 1:  https://curiosityshots.com/a-timeline-the-importance-of-juneteenth/

Image source 2: Reginald Adams, Absolute Equality, Mural, Art Installation and Storytelling Space at Old Galveston Square, Galveston, Texas, the birthplace of the national holiday known as Juneteenth, https://savingplaces.org/stories/absolute-equality-mural-reimagines-public-spaces-and-the-story-of-juneteenth 

For more information: https://archloufamilyministries.org/2022/06/18/why-catholics-celebrate-juneteenth/
Prayer source