Praying in the New Year for Our World and All Peoples
Posted on January 10, 2021, by Loretto Community
Out of darkness the light of Christ will shine,
Refrain from “Out of Darkness,” music and lyrics by Tom Kendzia. Printed with licensed permission
As the dawn of day breaks through the night.
Then the poor and oppressed will cry out and be heard
By the light that rises from the night.”
Our existence on earth gives us new meaning when we remember that God chose to become one of us. Our existence is not so ordinary when we remember that God decided to become human so we could have a real understanding of God among us. There are no unimportant moments therefore in our life. Christmas, Epiphany and all the holy days of the New Year are just beginning opportunities to better know God and the created world in all its joys and sorrows.
How does Loretto respond to this great gift of God? Our name says it all. According to “I Am the Way,” Loretto’s Constitutions, we call ourselves “Loretto after the shrine in Italy which honors the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph at Nazareth. That heritage, born at the stable and fulfilled at the cross, moves us to extend the boundaries of learning and justice, of human dignity and peace, of active faith and pastoral concern to all.”
Please join with Loretto in this new year as we pray for our world and all the people in it. In particular, we offer prayers for all those afflicted by the coronavirus. We appeal to Mary, under her title of “Health of the Sick,” to protect us during this time of great trial.
