It's the last day of November, the month of All Souls,
a special time to remember and pray for all who have gone before us.
As November ends, let's pray for those in our lives
who were often invisible, forgotten, lost and left out...
We pray tonight, Lord,
for those who've died,
whose lives seemed a mystery
to family, to friends, to colleagues at work
and others whose paths crossed theirs...
We pray for the misunderstood,
the under-appreciated, the marginalized:
for those left out of games and groups,
estranged from circles of family and friends,
sadly forgotten when it counted the most,
left behind without a thought,
standing alone,
so often, so very much alone...
The Lord forgets no one but all too often
we let those around us slip through our fingers
and past our hearts - even though we always meant to...
Take a moment to remember some of those people by name
and lift them up to the Lord...
We pray for those who suffered the pain
of no one to lean on,
no one to sit with and 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...
We pray for those
whose isolation blinded them
to those who reached out
to touch, to speak, to be with them
- but all to no avail -
so much had heartache and lonelinesseclipsed and hidden their way of life...
And we pray for those who died alone,with you alone to hold their hand...
We pray for those who knew,
as did you, Lord,
what it means to be abandoned,
deserted, forgotten and left behind:
left to surrender to love unseen,
reaching out to catch, to save,
to hold the heart in just the love
that every soul desires...
We pray for these forgotten, Lord,
that now, at last, they rest in peace,
embraced and held forever
in your merciful, loving arms:
made one with you and all who share
your never-ending joy...
Protect us, Lord while we're awake
and watch over us while we sleep
that awake, we might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace...
Amen.
Perhaps you're remembering some people
who went forgotten in your life over the years...
Perhaps there are some forgotten ones still with you,
to whom you can still reach out...
Perhaps sometimes you feel forgotten yourself...
Whatever the case may be,
tonight's song is a beautiful prayer for us to offer...
Jesus, Remember Me by The Taize Community
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