O loving God,
we ask your blessing
on all monastic men and women,
especially those who live and work
in the most destitute parts of the world.
Help them to become people of prayer and peace.
May they be visible signs
that strangers can live together in God’s love.
Give them hearts wide enough
to welcome the traveler, the outcast,
the neighbor.
Enable them to listen to and learn from
the people they serve,
especially the poorest.
May their communities be models
of wise stewardship, of dignified human labor,
of sacred leisure, and of reverence for all living things.
Above all, O God,may a monastic presence in the world
be a constant witness of justice,
compassion and hope to all.
Amen.
Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB
AIM USA
345 East Ninth Street
Erie, PA 16503-1107 USA
(814)453-4724
http://www.aim-usa.org
aim@aim-usa.org
