{This is a cyber-copy of the prayer service we shared at our parish in Cloverdale, California, August 2021}

Welcome.  We begin in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.     Amen.

We are gathered to pray for rain.  The western part of North America, especially California is facing intense and deadly drought.  This has resulted in catastrophic fires, lack of drinking water in places, and agriculture decline from reduced or failed water supplies.  And there is the even broader impact on the environment, on the plants and animals, as all parts of creation suffer. 

It is recognized that technology, that science, that humanity is capable of realizing these problems.  But we do not have the power to bring the rain without the help and mercy of almighty God.  So we gather, humbly, in urgent need of the mercy and grace of God.  We gather to pray for rain.  We also pray for the wisdom to see the sins of humanity that have fueled these droughts, the fires and the deadly wounds to creation, the environment, our common home.  

As we have come to pray let us first listen to the Word of God:

I A reading from the Prophet Hosea:  Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.  [ Hosea 10:12 ]

Psalm:  147:   Response:  It is good to sing praises to our God

[1] Praise the LORD!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

for he is gracious, and a song of praise is seemly. Response

[8] He covers the heavens with clouds,

he prepares rain for the earth,

he makes grass grow upon the hills.

[9] He gives to the beasts their food,

and to the young ravens which cry. Response

[10] His delight is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his pleasure in the legs of a man.

[11] but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,

in those who hope in his steadfast love. Response

A reading from the Epistle of James:  “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.  Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” [James 5:17-18]

A reading from the Gospel of John:

“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! [John 7: 7-11]

Pope Francis in his encyclical, Laudato Si wrote:  “A healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion, which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults, and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change.” (Paragraph 218);  

He also said:  “God does not come to free us from our ever-present daily problems, but to free us from the real problem, which is the lack of love. This is the main cause of our personal, social, international, and environmental ills. Thinking only of ourselves: this is the father of all evils.”

We are in a deep and deadly drought.  We must humbly pray for the mercy of God to send healing, life-bringing rain.  

But there is,  also, in the world a deadly drought of God’s holy love.  We must humbly pray for God to send merciful rain upon the souls of men and women.  

The selfishness of humanity has resulted in deep wounds to creation, the environment, our common home, and to His Church.  Drought is but one sad example of these wounds.  

So we will pray.  But before we do let us remember that our Blessed Mother would expect her children to care for the beautiful home, creation, God has given us.  Her Son, our Savior spoke of going to Heaven to prepare a place for us.  It is time we show Mary and Jesus our care for the current home, for each other, for His Kingdom here on earth as we ask God to send rain to cleanse and heal the land and to cleanse and heal our souls.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father we come, humbly seeking, through the mercy and grace of your Son, Jesus, that your Holy Spirit would guide us as we pray for the rain we so urgently need.

We ask, Lord, that you would help us to live faithfully in caring for and nourishing your holy love in and for creation and in and for all people.  We pray to the Lord. [Lord hear our prayer]

We pray for all the places on earth suffering from the vast wildfires, Siberia, Greece, France, and the western part of North America, that you would send help, courage, and strength to the first responders and for all the victims facing the loss of home and work.  We pray to the Lord…

We pray for all creation suffering from these fires, for all creatures suffering and dying that as you care for each sparrow you would care for them.  We pray to the Lord…

We pray for other parts of our earthly home suffering from floods, storms, and extreme weather, especially for the land and people of Haiti, may your mercy and grace flow freely.  We pray to the Lord…..

We pray for lands at conflict and war, especially Afghanistan, that the greed, spiritual blindness and hate be overwhelmed by the peace and justice of God.  We pray to the Lord…

Lord, we pray for rain for California.  And as we trust for your rain to come,  we pray you will send cool, calm weather to help quench the many fires burning in our state.  Help us to be faithful stewards in our own homes and communities of the waters of life.   We pray to the Lord.

We especially pray that our lives and actions will better enable and help you to hear and answer these prayers.  We pray…

And we pray for the special intentions and needs brought and shared in the silence of our hearts. We pray to the Lord….

Heavenly Father, hear and answer these prayers we make through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

And we pray as Jesus taught us:

Our Father….

And we ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for us as we pray:

Hail Mary, full of grace… (x 3)

St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us.

St. Heribert of Cologne, pray for us.

St. Florian, pray for us.

St. Junipero Serra, pray for us.

St. Peter and our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us. 

Glory be….

This concludes our shared time of prayer.  But let us, faithfully, fervently continue in prayer and in seeking to be faithful, caring children of our Heavenly Father in our shared home.

✠ In the Name of the Father, and in the Son and in the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER