November is traditionally the month of the year when the Church remembers the deceased. While we carry always in our hearts our family, community members and friends who have died, November offers us a particular focus on the deceased on November 1st (All Saints Day), November 2nd (All Souls Day) and increasingly, November 11th (Remembrance Day).
As we bring this month of Remembrance near to its conclusion, let us pray this prayer by Joyce Rupp for the strength of spirit and peace of heart:
Consoling God,
be a source of serenity for me
when struggles and difficulties
threaten to overwhelm me.
Compassionate God,
hold me to your heart
when I feel helpless
In the face of the world’s pain.
Light-filled God,
keep me ever close to you
during those moments
when bleakness surrounds my life.
Comforting God,
shelter me under your wings
when I am engulfed in sadness
and overcome with distress.
God of Peace,
you are the centre of my life,
a strong refuge of peace
in the whirlwind of my pain.
I look to you for strength
and a constant assurance of hope.
– Joyce Rupp: Out of the Ordinary
