Homilies and Reflections

Fr. Andy Cribben, O. Praem., offered the invocation at a gathering that included Vice President Joe Biden during Biden’s campaign stop at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay this September. Here follows the text of his prayer:

Let us pause for a moment of reverent silence as we prepare to invoke the blessing and protection of God.

In the midst of the world which You have created,
Among people whom You have created,
We pray, O God, for help in all that we are creating with You:

From your Goodness we seek your help that we might accentuate the good
among us;
From your Compassion we desire to be reminded to attend to those who
are living, and at times dying, outside the notice and care of others;
From your Beauty we ask you to help us to do better to enjoy, protect,
and love the natural beauty of our country and this world;
From your Love we seek to be nourished so that we may love the most
vulnerable in our midst including children and the elderly as well as pregnant women and expecting families, the yet unborn and the recently born, and that we may support parents charged to raise their children in love;
From your Heart of Peace move us toward the courage required to avoid
all vengeance, violence, war, and conflict.
From your Mercy and Forgiveness we beg for your pardon,
and for liberation from our guilt for our failures to love well.

And so it is with confidence that we recognize that You, O Lord, are powerfully present in our midst today, and we ask for You to shower your grace upon this gathering, especially upon Vice President Biden, upon all those who seek to serve the citizens of this country through public office, and upon all who live in this land.
We ask that you stir up in all of us a growing desire to serve the Common Good, to be citizens who seek peace and justice above all things
 for both our country and world.
O God, we ask that on this Labor Day weekend we may renew our commitments
to foster justice in the workplace, a justice which reflects
the dignity of the women and men who are not only employees or employers,
but human beings, Your beloved daughters and sons.
Furthermore, we ask that you guide the voters and legislators of this country
to cherish, protect, and respect the freedom and the right to vote.
And finally, O God, we ask you to stir up your grace, in and among all people who live in the United States of America, so that we may select leaders and hold them accountable to the principles and values which distinguish us
as one nation under God.  Amen.