Praise to the One whose love stirs the ancient embers,

And sparks the breath to prayer.

Praise to the One whose love entices the wandering,

And beckons the confused.

Praise to the One whose love grows wings on the weary,

Dreams hope in the discouraged.

Praise to the One whose love dips deeply into diversity,

Pours forth boundless beauty.

All praise to this Gracious One.

All gratitude to this Beloved.

All devotion to this Shaper of Hearts.—AMEN.

_{(Out of the Ordinary: Prayers, Poems, and Reflections for Every Season by Joyce Rupp)}

Today we pray the “Prayer of St. Francis” for peace in our world and for peace in our hearts:

Lord, make us instruments of Your peace:

where there is hatred, let us sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that we may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.—AMEN.

Holy Fire at the heart of all reality, warm our human hearts with the energies of passion and compassion.

Illuminate our minds with the truth of our temporary and mortal state.

And give us a hint of enlightenment about the purpose of our existence.

Illuminate for us the world with all its awesome wonders, so that we may go about our life wisely and [creatively], ready to reject illusions, ready to accept facts, however harsh, grateful for the honor of being [present to] it all.

Give us enough wisdom to cope with the gift of this astonishing life itself.

We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

_{(We Side with the Morning by William Cleary)}

Heart of Love, source of all kindness, teacher of the ways of goodness, You are hidden in the pockets of daily life, waiting to be discovered.

Heart of Comfort, sheltering wings of love, refuge for sad and lonely ones, You embrace all who bear loss, gathering our tears with care.

Heart of Understanding, one who gazes upon the imperfect, the incomplete, the flawed, the weak, You never stop extending mercy.

Heart of Deepest Peace, resting place at the core of our being, You are waiting always for our return to this sacred home.—AMEN.

_{(“Heart of Love” in Out of the Ordinary by Joyce Rupp)}

O God in whom we hope, we ask You to bless our efforts to bring leadership, justice, and ongoing solutions to the challenges of these days.

Give us the strength to accomplish the seemingly impossible with limited time, energy, and resources.

Help us to be especially sensitive to the needs of those on the margins, those whose losses have brought them close to despair.

May all that we do today lend credence to the words of Harvey Milk that “hope will never be silent.”

And so, Gracious God, we continue to hope in Your providence, and in our ability to engender hope in our communities by our collaboration for the common good.—AMEN.

In her poem, “A Brave and Startling Truth,” Maya Angelou tells us a startling truth about ourselves as humans: that we have the ability to create peace and freedom for all.

We, this people, on this minuscule and kithless globe

Who daily reach for the bomb, the blade and the dagger

Yet who petition in the dark for tokens of peace

Out of such chaos, of such contradiction

We learn that we are neither devils nor divines.

And when we come to it

We, this people, on this wayward, floating body…

Have the power to fashion for this Earth

A climate where every man and every woman

Can live freely without sanctimonious piety

Without crippling fear.

And when we come to it

We must confess that we are the possible

We are the miraculous, the true wonder of this world

That is when, and only when

We come to it.

So, Gracious God, give us the courage to trust in our ability to create peace, and may we all take the steps necessary to achieve it.—AMEN.

_{(“A Brave and Startling Truth” by Maya Angelou)} 

Today we pray a prayer of Rabbi Harold Kushner:

Loving Creator, let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges…

Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect.

Let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows.

Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken.

Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly—

So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender, or skin color…

Let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors.

Let the Earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty.

And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven.—AMEN.

Grant us wisdom, discernment, and integrity as we make important decisions for California. Inspire us to serve people with humility and to seek justice and mercy in all our actions. Give us strength, peace, and the support of each other as we lead.—AMEN.

Almighty God, Who has gifted us this day… we will rejoice and be glad in it. We are so grateful for this monumental moment to celebrate the first Latina to serve as the 50th Senate President pro Tempore in the fourth largest economy in the world, California’s own, Monique Limón.

We pray for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to encompass the Pro Tem’s leadership as she navigates this house of the California Senate to address the critical pressing needs of all Californians. Provide the strength and fortitude to stand in the midst of hostile environments. Render compassion and care to give ear to those who wrestle to afford the necessities of life from day to day. Let humility and empathy be the motivation to lift California as a global leader to a world searching for answers for a better quality of life.

May we adopt Your design that differences are simply the beauty of one body, that if  You are no respecter of persons, then we too should regard all as equal (where liberty and justice is for all) and that if Your desire is that none be left out, then we too should desire that all be included.

Bestow a special blessing upon this “one of a kind” leader to maximize her abilities to garner the powers of the House of the California Senate to facilitate a positive impact upon every household of those residing in the great State of California. For that, we give You all the glory, honor, and praise… and may we all say “Amen.”

As we continue to ease into the work of this new year, Brendan Kennelly invites us to begin again:

Begin again to the summoning of the birds

to the sight of the light at the window,

begin to the roar of morning traffic

all along N Street.

Every beginning is a promise

born in light and dying in dark

determination and exaltation of springtime

flowering the way to work.

Begin to the pageant of queuing constituents

the arrogant loneliness of crowds downtown

bridges linking the past and the future

old friends passing through with us still….

Though we live in a world that dreams of ending

that always seems about to give in

something that will not acknowledge conclusion

insists that we forever begin.

_{(The Essential Brendan Kennelly)}

Loving God, You fill all things with a fullness and a hope that we can never comprehend.

Thank You for leading us into a time where true spirituality involves seeing beyond our limited selves to find God in everything. We pray that You will take away our natural temptation for cynicism, denial, fear, and despair. Help us have the courage to awaken to greater truth, greater humility, and greater care for one another. May we place our hope in what matters and what lasts, trusting in Your eternal presence and love. Listen to our hearts’ longings for the healings of our suffering world. Knowing, gracious God, that You are hearing us better than we are speaking, we offer these prayers in all the holy names attributed to You.—AMEN.

_{(Richard Rohr)}

Loving God of mercy and justice, as we celebrate the birthday of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are reminded more than ever of his words to us:

We are tied together in the single garment of destiny,

caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.

And whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

_{(“Letter from Birmingham Jail”)}

Mysterious God, we pray for a greater understanding of our interdependence on one another.

May we refuse to believe that we are unable to influence the events which surround us.

May we refuse to believe that we are so bound to racism and war, that justice and peace are impossible.

And through Your goodness at work within each of us, may we reach out with healing hands to those we serve.

We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

Make us an instrument of peace:

where there is hatred, let us sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

Grant us that we may not so much seek to be consoled but to console,

to be understood as to understand,

and to be loved as to love others.

For it is in giving that we receive, and

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.—AMEN.

God of all creation, You call each of us to evolve, to recognize that You hold all that is in Your loving embrace. May we see the entire sweep of history as Your self-communication that calls us to awaken to who we are in You—and who You are in us. In the mutual embrace we share, may we together hold the entire cosmos, each and every person, each and every creature, in a way that nurtures and sustains and calls forth the gifts that are given for all. May each of us participate fully in a personal evolution that transforms us and transforms the world.—AMEN.

God of the past, present, and future, You have told us through our sacred scriptures that You have called us by our name (Isaiah 43:1); You hold our tears in a flask (Psalm 56:8); and that our lives are worth more than many sparrows (Matthew 10:29).

Grant us the grace to value all persons for their presence, their gifts, their contributions to the ongoing evolution of our civilizations.

Banish from our hearts all fear, prejudice, arrogance, and all that would prevent us from appreciating the beauty of all You have created.

We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

Lord, thank You for the opportunity to be here and for the people who trusted us with this responsibility.

We ask for Your guidance today—to lead with wisdom, to speak with honesty, and to act with humility.

When we disagree, give us grace. When the decisions are hard, give us courage. Help us never forget that our work here touches real people, real families, and real communities across California.

Keep our hearts grounded in service, not ego, and remind us that how we represent others truly matters. We place this day and this work in Your hands.—AMEN.

O extraordinary God, You reveal Yourself in such ordinary ways. We pray to be more mindful of You in our daily lives.

God of wonders, give us the eyes of children to respond with delight to the newness and freshness of each moment.

God of life, open our eyes to Your presence in the faces of those whom we meet today.

God of truth, teach us to recognize Your voice in all the events of our day.

God of peace, show us the way to serenity in the midst of confusion and division.

We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

And today we will pray from Psalm 25:

To You, O Lord, we lift up our souls.

In You, O our God, we have trusted…

O Lord, make known to us Your ways.

Teach us Your paths.

Guide us in the way of Your truth and teach us,

for You are the God of our salvation.

We have hoped in You all day long.

Remember Your compassion, O God, and Your gracious love,

for they are from of old.

Do not remember our transgressions,

and in Your gracious love remember us

because of Your goodness, O God.—AMEN.

God of all peoples and nations, we thank You for the work of this week, which has enabled us to bring hope and consolation to those we are called to serve. We pray for our country and world: may constructive dialogue help us overcome cynicism and distrust. We pray that collaboration and mutual respect among nations and peoples will replace exploitation and destructive competition. We pray that human ingenuity will benefit the whole human family. And we pray that concern for the common good will continue to be a value in this chamber as we aim to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with You, our God.—AMEN.

_{(Morning and Evening Prayer of the Sisters of Mercy)}

The Book of Proverbs (4:23) says:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything else flows from it.

Creator God, give us a heart like Yours that inspires us

to love without reservation,

to step out in courageous service to one another,

and never to dig up in doubt what we have planted in faith.

Fortify us with Your grace

to speak kindly,

to keep our actions on the upswing,

and to refuse to allow any discouragement to infiltrate our spirits.

Let Your light shine through the cracks and the splinters of our less-than-perfect portions of our hearts; may we forgive ourselves, our imperfections, and in response, return needed compassionate forgiveness to others.—AMEN.

_{(Prayer of Auburn Mercy Associates)}

In anticipation of Presidents' Day, I have chosen a prayer from the book, The Prayers That Shaped America. It’s a prayer from the inaugural address of George H.W. Bush, January 20, 1989.

He says: “My first act as president is a prayer. I ask you to bow your heads.” And so pray:

Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank You for Your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do Your work, willing to hear and heed Your will. And write on our hearts these words, “Use power to help people”…. There is just one use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us to remember it, Lord.

The Lord our God be with us as He was with our [ancestors]. May God not leave us or forsake us, so that He may incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways… that all peoples of the Earth may know that the Lord is God, there is no other.—AMEN.

_{(Dr. Chuck Harding and Pastor T. Michael Creed)}

This past weekend in many parts of the world, people celebrated Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse.

May this New Year carry us forward with unshakable courage. Like the horse that runs freely across open fields, may we break through barriers, overcome challenges, and race toward our dreams with confidence and grace.

May the energy of the horse bring abundance to our work, joy to our families, and smoothness to our paths. Let each move we make be guided by wisdom, kindness, and the hope of a brighter future for all.

We ask this in the name of all that is Holy.—AMEN.

Almighty God, whose mercy is everlasting, whose grace is sufficient, and whose love is unconditional. Grant us wisdom as we deliberate the issues before us. Open our minds for better understanding and our hearts for a passion to serve those who look toward us for solutions to their challenges and difficulties. Grant the foresight needed to adequately plan for the unexpected and the will to be responsible stewards over what we have been blessed with. Be the lamp to our feet and light to our path as we navigate our way through the present and into the future.—AMEN.

Today we pray for all including ourselves experiencing struggles personally, professionally, and in the world. May we have the strength to persevere through all the difficulties and injustices that life brings and have the wisdom to move forward.

In the words of Frederick Douglass in New York back on August 3^rd, 1857:

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

For those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are the people who want crops without plowing up the ground;

They want rain without thunder and lightning;

They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.

This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it is a struggle.

_{(“West India Emancipation” by Frederick Douglass)}

Gracious God, may all that we do be done in truth. We pray for the fortitude never to abandon our struggles and our work, to uphold the dignity and rights of all our brothers and sisters. We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

God of affection, Creator, Great Spirit, You that abides in the Universe and in each of us, You that imparts devotion and tenderness, we thank You for the myriad ways that we hope to and recognize that we are touched by Your love:

Love that draws us to friendship and fidelity;

to kindness and compassion;

that lures us to the sacred and to the serene;

that calls upon us to see a new vision 

and evolution and to live it each day;

Love that sees the value of each human being.

We come to You for many stories, many faiths, and many perspectives. We see You and recognize You in the diversity of ways, all beautiful, all according to Your plan. Help us to see You in one another every day, especially as we seek to make our world a better place and hold us in the mystery and beauty of Your presence.—AMEN.

Today we pray that our dreams for peace and justice may be realized, as expressed in Langston Hughes’ poem, “I Dream a World”:

I dream a world where man

No other [one] will scorn,

Where love will bless the Earth

And peace its paths adorn.

I dream a world where all

Will know sweet freedom’s way,

Where greed no longer saps the soul

Nor avarice blights our day.

A world I dream where black or white,

Whatever race you be,

Will share the bounties of the Earth

And every [one] is free,

Where wretchedness will hang its head

And joy, like a pearl,

Attends the needs of humankind—

Of such I dream, my world!

Spirit of Abundance, God of Grace, may we continue to widen our vision so that together we may bring our world closer to harmony and peace, communion and solidarity. We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

Today we pray that our dreams for peace and justice may be realized, as expressed in Langston Hughes’ poem, “I Dream a World”:

I dream a world where man

No other [one] will scorn,

Where love will bless the Earth

And peace its paths adorn.

I dream a world where all

Will know sweet freedom’s way,

Where greed no longer saps the soul

Nor avarice blights our day.

A world I dream where black or white,

Whatever race you be,

Will share the bounties of the Earth

And every [one] is free,

Where wretchedness will hang its head

And joy, like a pearl,

Attends the needs of humankind—

Of such I dream, my world!

Spirit of Abundance, God of Grace, may we continue to widen our vision so that together we may bring our world closer to harmony and peace, communion and solidarity. We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

Gracious and merciful God, today we ask for perseverance through the pains of our lives and a broad vision to help us transform our sufferings into new life for the benefit of others. The poet Wendell Berry invites us to have such a vision. He says:

If we will have the wisdom to survive,

to stand like slow-growing trees on a ruined place, 

renewing, enriching it…

then a long time after we are dead the lives our lives prepare will live

here, their houses strongly placed upon the valley sides,

fields and gardens rich in the windows.

The river will run clear, as we never knew it, and over it, birdsong like a canopy….

Families will be singing in the fields.

They will take nothing from the ground they will not return….

Whatever the grief at parting.

Memory… will spread over it like a song.

The abundance of this place, the songs of its people and its birds,

will be health and wisdom and indwelling light.

This is no paradisal dream.

Its hardship is its possibility.—AMEN.

_{(“A Vision” in The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry)}

Gracious and merciful God, yesterday, on March 8, International Women’s Day was celebrated, having been officially recognized by the UN in 1977. We pray for the women of the world who must overcome fear with courage in so many aspects of their lives. Rosa Parks once said:

“I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”

And speaking of courage, Jan Richardson says:

I cannot say where [courage] lives,

only that it comes to the heart that is open,

to the heart that asks,

to the heart that does not turn away.

When courage arrives, it might surprise us

by how quiet it is,

how it moves with such grace 

for possessing such power….

We will recognize it by how still our fear becomes

as it loosens its grip,

perhaps never quite leaving,

but calmly turning into joy

as we enter the life that is finally our own.

_{(“Blessing of Courage” by Jan Richardson)}

So Gracious God, thank You for all the women who have inspired us to greater courage in our lives, and we ask Your blessing on those who are still consumed by fear due to unjust structures.—AMEN.

We pray in gratitude for the diversity of ways that humans have responded to the mystery of life through our various religions and declarations of faith.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel says:

“No religion is an island. We are all involved with one another.”

_{(No Religion is an Island by Abraham Heschel)}

So Gracious God of our understanding and experience, may our interfaith journeys help us to be in solidarity in the pursuit of what is right and just.

May we learn the art of true dialogue wherein we listen to each other and grow in love and understanding.

May we find common ground in our shared commitment to support the afflicted and oppressed of our world.

And may our devotion to service be an expression of our faith in the goodness of humanity and in the great goodness of You, our God.

We echo the words of Mary McLeod Bethune when she says:

“Faith is the first factor in a life devoted to service. Without it, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.”

And so Gracious God, help us to believe that it is possible to grow in interfaith harmony in ways that are creative, inventive, loving, kind, and compassionate. We ask this in Your many names.—AMEN.

_{(Adapted from The Interfaith Peace Project by Thomas P. Bonacci C.P.)}

Heavenly Father, Today we honor the California State Senate Women of the Year… but we also honor women everywhere. 

We know, Father God, that women play an integral role in advancing Your kingdom and influencing the world around us.

These incredible women we honor today are courageous—some put on a uniform… wear a badge… and protect the communities we serve with unwavering dedication.

Some are women veterans who have bravely chosen to serve and defend our great nation…. With valor and distinction.

We honor our Olympic athletes who represent the United States in rigorous competition around the world, displaying excellence and perseverance.

We celebrate educators who invest tirelessly in the generations of leaders to come; lawyers, PhDs and scientists… and those with judicial authority and wisdom…. We honor nonprofit leaders and founders of organizations that serve the underserved and create educational opportunities for higher education—lifting up students who show leadership and a heart of service to others… yet face barriers beyond their reach.

Lord, exceedingly and abundantly bless each one of these women as they continue the work in the areas that you have  placed on their hearts—a passion to make our world a better place, reflecting Your love and justice.

In Scripture, we are reminded of the strength, dignity, and enduring courage of such women in Proverbs 31: 

“She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future…. She always speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction.”

May these women we are honoring today embody this timeless truth—clothed in Your strength, speaking in wisdom… as they lead, serve, and inspire others for greatness. 

Exceedingly and abundantly bless each one of these women as they continue to do the work that you have placed in their heart to do.

Guide them, protect them, and multiply their influence for good.—AMEN.

As we adjourn today in memory of former President pro Tem John Burton, we pray in gratitude for his life and legacy.

Creator God, we bless and affirm the dedication of Mr. Burton to living a life of radical hospitality as he worked to create a space of belonging for all.

His life was a healing balm to those in need and a challenging voice to those needing to implement change.

As we remember the blessings of his life, may we continue to live with fidelity to the ideals of our call.

May we meet the challenges of each day with enthusiasm and hope.

And may those we serve experience the fruits of our commitment to the common good.

We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

Gracious and merciful God, since 1993, World Water Day has been celebrated on March 22^nd. This year, the theme “Water and Gender,” explains how water access affects gender equality.

We pray for all women and girls who are mostly responsible for collecting water each day in many parts of the world, walking long distances to accomplish the task.

We lament this burden that keeps girls out of school and limits their opportunities to contribute to the betterment of their societies.

We pray to be aware that as climate change leads to scarcity of water in countries already experiencing droughts, women and girls experience more domestic violence because of their inability to find sufficient water.

Merciful God, give us guidance on how to be better stewards of this finite resource on which all our lives depend. Open our eyes to the urgency for governments and civil society to work for sustainable and affordable solutions to the world water crisis.

We ask all of this in Your name.—AMEN.

God of life, the world feels fragile right now.

War spreads. Fear grows. Many hearts are heavy with grief.

Hold us steady in this moment.

Help us remember that love still matters—

That compassion still matters—

That the work of tending life still matters.

Give us courage to keep planting seeds of goodness—

in our communities, in our relationships, in the fragile future we cannot yet see.

Let fear not shrink our hearts.

Gracious God, teach us to live with faithfulness in uncertain times.—AMEN.

As we spin on our beautiful planet Earth, we pray in the words of E.E. Cummings: 

I thank You God for most this amazing

day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay

great happening illimitably Earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any—human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened).—AMEN.

Gracious and merciful God, we pray for Your power to be gentle;

the strength to be forgiving;

the patience to be understanding;

and the endurance to accept the consequences of holding on to what we trust to be right.

Please lead us. May we know the power of good and the power of love to create a new world where fear and selfishness no longer lead people to commit injustice or bring suffering to others.

We pray for vision to see and faith to believe in a world emancipated from violence.

Help us to devote our energy to the task of making peace and inspiring all to contribute their gifts for the preservation of humanity.

We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.

As we bring ourselves into awareness of God’s presence today, we pray for all who still long to experience God’s heart of mercy:

For all who suffer and struggle alone—may they receive healing and support;

For all who experience injustice and persecution—may they receive strength and courage;

For all who grieve and mourn—may they receive comfort and peace.

God of love and mercy, all of the days of our lives are in Your hands. Help us to know Your presence in each unfolding event; Your active, enabling grace in every circumstance; and Your enduring call to follow You each day with courage and gratitude.—AMEN.