Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, June 14, 2020Draft

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, June 14, 2020

We offer our prayers and petitions to the Father as people of faith who sometimes quarrel among ourselves but who seek Jesus’ life-giving presence in our lives.

1. That the Church will be strong and steadfast in proclaiming the truth of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist as God’s gift to all humanity. We pray to the Lord.
2. That as we are united into the one body of Christ, people of all cultures, denominations, and races will find unity of purpose in building peaceful and loving communities. We pray to the Lord.
3. That while the coronavirus remains a threat to the health and welfare of many people, government and church officials will make informed and wise decisions protecting the lives of those they serve. We pray to the Lord.
4. That violence and injustice in our country will not foment further violence but will be obliterated by recognition that the diversity of people that grace this earth is part of the revelation of the image of God in his creation. We pray to the Lord.
5. That those who are isolated, unemployed, or discouraged by the coronavirus pandemic may be strengthened by friendships, find employment, and infused with hope as they seek to restore their lives. We pray to the Lord.
6. That those who are hungry may find nourishment, and that the bread that has come down from heaven will fill us all so that we may live forever. We pray to the Lord.
7. That those refugees who wander today through the vast and terrible desert with its parched and waterless ground, as did the Jews who followed Moses long ago, may find refuge and welcome as they seek safety. We pray to the Lord.
8. That the scourge of child labor, identified by Pope Francis as a form of slavery and imprisonment that results in physical and psychological suffering, may be eliminated through efforts to protect minors who are the future of humanity and whose growth, health, and serenity must be fostered.^[1] We pray to the Lord.
9. That as he celebrates the 44th anniversary of his priestly ordination this week, Fr. Christopher may find support and encouragement from the people he has served, look forward to continuing to live his vocation, and receive justice, compassion, honesty, and peace from his bishop. We pray to the Lord.
10. That all those who are ill may know the truth of bread and wine turned into the body and blood of Christ and be strengthened by their reception of this sacrament. We pray to the Lord.
11. That those who have died having eaten of the bread that came down from heaven, and all people, will have life because of Jesus and will live forever. We pray to the Lord.

O God, on this Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, we hear of people who hungered as they wandered through the desert; of those who were disturbed by the instruction to eat the body of your Son; and of people, though many, who are one by partaking of the one loaf. In these days as we hunger for life as we knew it and are divided by social norms, we ask that you answer our prayers and unite us through the sacrament of your Son, Jesus, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

^[1] Based on remarks of Pope Francis on June 10, 2020 in regard to Word Day Against Child Labor observed on June 12, 2020.