28 Feb From Your Pastor | Second Sunday of Lent

“Today we pray for the deceased, those who have lost their lives because of the virus. In a special way, I would like us to pray for healthcare workers who have died during these days. They gave their life in service to the sick. Our God is close and asks us to be close to each other, not to move away from each other. We cannot, perhaps, get physically closer because of the fear of contagion, but yes, we can awaken in ourselves an attitude of closeness among us: with prayer, with help, [there are] many ways to be close…because our God is close, he wanted to accompany us in life. For this reason, we are not isolated people. We know by revelation that it is a fatherly, fatherly closeness that accompanies his people…We ask the Lord for the grace to be close to each other…Neighbors, proximity, nearness. Indeed, what great nation has the gods so close to him, as the Lord our God is close to us, every time we invoke Him?”

                                                                                                                                                                                   — Pope Francis

FROM YOUR PASTOR 

COVID AMERICA

500,000+

What is YOUR Degree Of Separation?

Let Us Pray…

God of our weary years and silent tears, we lift up our hearts in praise to you. You alone are able to receive the hailstorm of our tears and the torrential rain of our grief over the sudden death of over [5]00,000 of your precious children of all ages, backgrounds and social strata, from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic…

Whether or not we have directly experienced the pain of loss, an indescribable spirit of lamentation and sorrow has fallen upon our collective American family. The sheer thought of [5]00,000 humans, made in your divine image, enough to fill any city, suddenly gone, numbs our minds and overwhelms our hearts…

O God in heaven, hear our heart’s cry out for the loss of those who will never be mere numbers to us. They are our beloved mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, husbands, wives, children, and extended family. They are beloved fellow Americans, suddenly wiped out by an Invisible enemy mightier than all the world’s armies…

In the days ahead, we ask you Lord, to wrap loving arms around those left only with fleeting memories of warm smiles, joy-filled laughter, spirit-lifting hugs, the matchless pleasure of special days celebrated, and contributions to a better world now ended. You, alone, O God, can turn our mourning into dancing and our grief into joy over the sweet remembrance of our beloved. May you now rest their souls. 

In your blessed name, Lord God, we pray. Amen.

Source: African American Black Church

+May God Bless You and Keep You+