November is the month of All Souls, a special time to remember and pray for all who have gone before us. Today let’s pray for those who were often invisible, forgotten and left out../
I pray today, Lord, for those who’ve died
whose story seemed a mystery
to family, to friends, to colleagues at work
and others whose paths crossed theirs…
I pray for the misunderstood,
the under-appreciated, the marginalized:
for those left out of groups and games,
estranged from family, without friends,
forgotten when it counted most,
left behind without a thought,
standing alone
so very much alone…
I pray for those who knew the pain
of having no one there,
of having no one there,
no one to lean on,
no one to sit with and to talk to,
no one to share a joy, a sorrow,
a hope, a loss, a kiss, a dream,
a hug or just a quiet moment…
no one to sit with and to talk to,
no one to share a joy, a sorrow,
a hope, a loss, a kiss, a dream,
a hug or just a quiet moment…
I pray for those shut out
by loneliness and fear,
whose isolation blinded them
to those who reached to touch,
to speak, to be with them
– but all to no avail –
so much had heartache
shaped their way of life…
by loneliness and fear,
whose isolation blinded them
to those who reached to touch,
to speak, to be with them
– but all to no avail –
so much had heartache
shaped their way of life…
I pray for those who knew as you did, Lord,
what it means to be forgotten, betrayed,
deserted, denied, abandoned, left behind:
left to surrender to an unseen love
whose arms reach out
to catch, to save, to hold the lonely
with just the love that every soul desires
without end…
left to surrender to an unseen love
whose arms reach out
to catch, to save, to hold the lonely
with just the love that every soul desires
without end…
I pray for these forgotten ones
that now, at last, they’ve found their rest,
embraced and held forever,
in your loving arms, O Lord:
made one with you
and all you’ve gathered home
to your never-ending peace…
that now, at last, they’ve found their rest,
embraced and held forever,
in your loving arms, O Lord:
made one with you
and all you’ve gathered home
to your never-ending peace…
Amen.
