Prayers of the People - April 14, 2013

The following prayer was based on Ubi Caritas by Eleanor Daley (b.1955) as well as a sermon entitled “The Strength of Peace” with Ephesians 6 as its focus, “Put on the whole armor of God....Stand therefore....and for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.”

Ubi Caritas
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.

Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exsultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.
Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur:
Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.
Cessent iurgia maligna,
cessent lites.
Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

Translation:
Where charity and love are, God is there.
Christ’s love has gathered us into one.
Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.
Let us fear, and let us love the living God.
And may we love each other with a
sincere heart.

Where charity and love are, God is there.
As we are gathered into one body,
Beware, lest we be divided in mind.
Let evil impulses stop,
let controversy cease,
And may Christ our God be in our
midst.

Prayers of the People

Almighty God,

We confess

there are times we do not know what shoes we should wear 

or where our feet should lead us.

We pray that your Spirit may grant us courage

so that we may place our feet on the path of the gospel of peace,

For you are found in the places of peace where charity and love dwell.

It is your love, O God, which has gathered us into one.

May our lives, therefore, together

be a witness to your divine unity.

Where there is division,

may our words and actions testify to what it means to be the Body of Christ.
Let controversy cease,

and may we love each other with a sincerity of heart.

Where charity and love are, you are there.
May our feet, the feet of peace,

be the bearers of Good News to those who find themselves

In the throes of disease, hardship, loss, and pain.

Give us strength to bear one another up

as we each bring our own struggles with us this day.

Grant wisdom to our leaders and peace to our world

as conflict continues to reverberate in seemingly every region.

As we are gathered into one body,
Let us rejoice

And may we be pleased to dwell in your presence, O God.
And may Christ be in our midst.