Opening Prayer
You are the Gate. Thank You for opening it for us. You are the Shepherd. Thank You for enabling us to hear Your Voice. You lead us forward and into God’s pastures. You have made us holy, Shepherd Jesus, even though it was for our sins that You died. In our baptized life, we hear You, follow, and are transformed. You empower us to be shepherds of God’s heart and healing presence by the way we treat, speak to, and lead each other. We learn from You, Jesus, how not to return evil or violence, even when it is thrown at us. You are the gate to a power greater and more gentle than all the violence, darkness, and strange voices we experience. Open gates within us and our society which need to be open to the Shepherd’s call.
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