A world in prayer

When we listen to the News broadcasts shared from across the world oft times we can remain with a sense of helplessness, overwhelmed by the suffering of humanity on so many levels, especially if the news is of personal, community or national tragedy, climate disasters, world migration and poverty?

What is there to do? How can we respond (without delaying) to offer help and support while discerning how to act individually and together, in the face of these almost relentless humanitarian and environmental challenges?

We are mindful of how Nano Nagle responded in her time (as a fearless advocate of practical action, of finding and acting to deliver on the solution needed at the core of things while caring with a compassionate heart) to the insurmountable challenges faced by those kept poor :

“…the Presentation Congregation was born from the free gift of one woman of herself, to God and to people enslaved not only economically, but also socially, culturally and politically [from this choice in freedom] came a family of women called to be freed by the Gospel, to freedom for the gospel, not only in principle, but in practice, throughout the five continents. […] The extension of Presentation ministries into direct action areas of extreme poverty, as well as local and global partnerships for development, brings the Ekklesia itself to life in free and creative ways in ever-widening circles of human endeavour”.

~ Anne Codd, in “Church – ‘Home and School of Communion’ – enriched by Presentation Charism” page 172: in ‘Nano Nagle and an Evolving Charism’.

A world in prayer

World In Prayer is a beautiful resource. Outlining what they are about, they say:

God’s loving compassion cradles the whole world,
touching every nation, every person, every bit of creation.

Praying for the world means, first of all, being aware of what’s happening in international news. It means sharing in God’s loving compassion for all. It means praying week in and week out, when the news is full of great joy and devastating sorrow, boringly ordinary or startlingly unexpected. It means stretching ourselves to pray with love and respect for those we hate, and those we merely dismiss. It means being honest enough to admit that we often want to call God to account in times of great evil or disaster – and even honest enough to whine on the days when we just don’t feel like praying. It means taking the risk of making mistakes (and yes, we’ve made them), and trusting that God will honour our longing for all to be well with every single nation, every single person, even when our words come out all wrong.

Praying for the world means inviting others to join with us in prayer…to experience praying for the world as an active, creative, life-giving response to even the worst international news.

World News – This Week in Prayer on 9th January:

Dear God,

While we know you hold onto us, and we know that you are there during every moment of our lives, we also live with so much fear. Fear for the planet, fear for all people around the world, fear for our friends and family, fear for the places we live, and fear for our own lives. There is so much to be afraid of and yet we still know that you are here with us. We ask for your presence to wash over us now.