World In Prayer prayers

As I mentioned in the post below, this was my week to write the World in Prayer prayers.  As it happens, it seems as though the only news story I didn't include was the story about Pope Benedict in Cuba.  


The Palm Sunday connection gave a great framework for writing these, for which I'm grateful.  I'm a little worried that it got rather pro-democracy-heavy in the middle, there.  But I'm pleased with the ending.


World News This Week in Prayer

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace on earth and in the highest heaven.

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

We greet Jesus who enters boldly into our world, as we call out:

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We lay before Jesus the pain and suffering of this world. We pray for those who seek peace and those who face war; for those who need healing and those who are ill; for those who provide for us and those in need. We lay our concerns and burdens down before Jesus as we remember the world in prayer.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for Spain where union workers called for a general strike to protest government labor reforms. On Thursday, 58 people were detained and 9 injured in confrontations between protesters and police.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for Kenya where the discovery of a major oil deposit creates hope for new wealth and fear of exploitation. We pray for Sudan and South Sudan as the African Union works to prevent renewed skirmishes over oil fields near their borders.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for the United States where the Supreme Court held hearings on the nation's new health care law and will determine its constitutionality. We pray for all those who are without access to health care.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for the Middle East as the Arab League Summit meets in Iraq. We pray for Syria where continued violence confounds the United Nation's plan for peace.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for Senegal where incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade conceded defeat to opposition candidate Mackey Sall in a peaceful run-off election. And we pray for Mali where a recent coup has created confusion.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for Myanmar where elections will be held on April 1. We pray for Aung San Suu Kyi, running for a seat in Parliament, who has suspended her campaign after falling ill.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for Afghanistan where Taliban fighters have attacked a NATO supply convoy and 37 people were reported killed. We pray for women in Afghanistan imprisoned for so-called "moral crimes" such as running away from an abusive marriage. We pray for those seeking their release.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for refugees and those who seek refuge. We pray for the over 400,000 people who sought asylum in 2011 as they fled their homelands of Afghanistan, China, Iraq, and elsewhere; and we pray for South Africa, the United States, and other nations that receive their requests for assistance.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We pray for those whose labor helps us live. We pray for farm workers as the United States marks the second annual Cesar Chavez Day on March 31. We give thanks for the pioneers of the Farm Worker Movement who were inducted into U.S. Department of Labor Hall of Fame this week.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

We give thanks for the wonders of the universe and acknowledge our place in it. We gaze with awe at a new photograph of the Milky Way, revealing the details of a billion stars. And we pray for our environment as scientists discover that commonly used pesticides have severely impacted the bee population.

Hosanna, Lord. Help us, we pray.

Help us, O Lord, to walk in your steps, to follow your way, to teach with your wisdom, to speak with your courage, to love with your compassion, and to be faithful to the end. We follow you on this way of the cross as we hope to join with you in your glorious resurrection.
Amen.