Gracious God, On this day when our nation moves from one administration to another, we are mindful of our need to pray for our nation and its leaders.
For our new President and Vice-President, and their families, we pray for moments of awareness amidst the turmoil of transition when they will clearly hear your Spirit’s guidance.
We pray to you, O God.
For our nation, we give thanks for those whose foresight and wisdom enshrined in our founding documents the equality with which we were all created. We ask for the will to continue the work of freedom, the will to honor one another as your children, and the will to work well together on the great project of our nation.
We pray to you, O God.
Give us eyes to see and ears to hear our many opportunities to build relationship with those whose party and whose politics differ from ours. Remind us daily that our first loyalty is to you, and that our primary task is your kingdom of abundant life and peace.
We pray to you, O God.
Grant to us a holy impatience with any words or policies that tear down rather than build up. Help us to use our voices, our hands, our feet, and our franchise to uphold the highest values to which our nation aspires.
We pray to you, O God.
Help us to stay awake. Help us to remember that we are part of “the people” for, by, and with whom we are governed. Remind us to use our voices in behalf of those who are most vulnerable.
We pray to you, O God.
As the great experiment of our democracy moves into the new year and a new administration, help us to remember that we are all your beloved, and that you call us each and all by name.
We pray to you, O God.
We pray, loving God, for all those who will bear the weight of government office. Remind them daily of their responsibility to all Americans, and to the world. Help them to govern wisely, kindly, and respectfully.
We pray to you, O God.
We pray for the strength to fulfill our promises made in baptism: to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves; to respect the dignity of every human being; and to strive for justice and peace.
We pray to you, O God.
God of grace and glory, we place our trust in you. Make of each and all of us your agents of love; make us willing to sacrifice our customary comfort in order to obtain greater justice and peace for all. Help us to be good, conscious, committed citizens of this country we love. We pray because of Jesus, who teaches your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
The Reverend Kay Sylvester, St. Paul’s, Tustin CA
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There really are some prayers too deep for words. I think today is one of those times. We have so much we could bring to this day of new beginnings. We have our memories of those we lost. We have the example of those who stood on the frontlines for us. We have the turmoil we have endured. We have the feelings of anger that are still there and the hope that has brought us to this symbolic day of change. How can we pray all of that, Creator, how can we put it into words? We cannot. It is better that we raise our hearts to you in a sigh, in a collective sigh for what we have seen and what we have suffered, for what we have trusted and what we have become, for what we leave behind and what we carry forward. Hear our wordless prayer to you, please Creator, and bless this day of our new beginning. Amen.
Bishop Steven Charleston
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Gracious and merciful God, at this sacred time we come before you in need—indeed on our knees. But we come still more with hope, and with our eyes raised anew to the vision of a “more perfect union” in our land, a union of all our citizens to “promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
We are a people of many races, creeds and colors, national backgrounds, cultures and styles—now far more numerous and on land much vaster than when Archbishop John Carroll wrote his prayer for the inauguration of George Washington 232 years ago. Archbishop Carroll prayed that you, O Creator of all, would “assist with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the President of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness, and be eminently useful to your people.”
Today, we confess our past failures to live according to our vision of equality, inclusion and freedom for all. Yet we resolutely commit still more now to renewing the vision.
Today, we confess our past failures to live according to our vision of equality, inclusion and freedom for all. Yet we resolutely commit still more now to renewing the vision, to caring for one another in word and deed, especially the least fortunate among us, and so becoming a light the world can look to.
There is a power in each and every one of us that lives by turning to every other one of us, a thrust of the spirit to cherish and care and stand by others, and above all those most in need. It is called love, and its path is to give ever more of itself.
Today, it is called American patriotism, born not of power and privilege but of care for the common good—“with malice toward none and with charity for all.”
For our new president, we beg of you the wisdom Solomon sought when he knelt before you and prayed for “an understanding heart so that I can govern your people and know the difference between right and wrong.”
Holy Mystery of Love, help us under our new President to reconcile the people of our land, restore our dream, and invest it with peace and justice and the joy that is the overflow of love.
We trust in the counsel of the Letter of James: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”Pope Francis has reminded us “how important it is to dream together…. By ourselves, we risk seeing mirages, things that are not there. Dreams, on the other hand, are built Together.”
Be with us, Holy Mystery of Love, as we dream together. Help us under our new President to reconcile the people of our land, restore our dream, and invest it with peace and justice and the joy that is the overflow of love.To the glory of your Name forever. Amen.
Prayer offered by Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan at the Inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States
One in the Spirit EDLA 