Photo: ConcordPastor
I'm sitting on my porch, wrestling with the scriptures and my homily for the coming weekend.
The sky has turned dark and a wind has come up, rustling through the branches of the trees just outside my windows. It's definitely going to rain but it's one of those days when the sweet scent of rain-on-the-way freshens all outdoors, the fragrance of God passing by...
But my thoughts turn to those on the Gulf whose natural habitat has been so severely spoiled and soured...
Here's a prayer I found on Pray and Tell, composed by Teresa Berger:
Ocean Lament
We hold in prayer and lament this day
the terrible suffering of all life-forms in the Gulf of Mexico.
We grieve the profound marring of your creation,
and the threat to coastal ways of life.
Have mercy o God, have mercy.
Grant wisdom and perseverance
to all who struggle to contain this disaster.
Let those who lost their lives rest in peace.
And send out your Holy Spirit,
to create anew the face of this earth.
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Hi Fr. Austin,
ReplyDeleteLooks a bit like fear and trembling weather over in your patch! Your description has such realism that I can smell that wafting sweet breeze here too !
The Gulf disaster is getting a lot of attention here in the UK and I listened to Obama's speech from the Oval Office earlier today. As someone said, he is constitutionally incapable of making anything other than a beautiful speech ! The outlook for peoples livelihoods plus the ecological effects look awful and I will say with you the Ocean Lament Prayer across the other side of the sea- Thank you for this. Hope you are well. (I have not looked at the scripture for Sunday yet).
Bless You
Phil