A Litany for the Coronavirus

Anne and Jeffery Rowthorn, current Resident Scholars at the Collegeville Institute, wrote the following litany for use in places of worship in the midst of the spreading coronavirus.

Out of the Depths We Cry Out to You in the Face of the Coronavirus

Creator God of the universe, God of a thousand names and faces, divine source of health and wholeness, whose compassion embraces the entire community of Earth: behold your fearful people all over the world as we confront the coronavirus. Out of the depths we cry to you, O God. Holy God, hear our voices. Let your ear be attentive to our cries (Psalm 130:1-2, adapted) as we pray for all who may be affected by the virus:

For all health caregivers – nurses, physicians, aides, EMTs, paramedics, technicians and therapists; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For hospital and nursing home medical staff, assistants, and housekeepers who have close contact with patients and for the patients themselves; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For all who travel for their daily work over land and sea and through the air—flight attendants, pilots, ship captains and sailors, bus drivers, passengers and long distance truck drivers; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For all who handle money—bankers, supermarket, village market and convenience store cashiers; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For all who pump gas and serve customers at Interstate rest areas; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For restaurant workers—bartenders, coffee shop baristas, cooks, servers, chefs, and dishwashers; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For hospitality workers–hotel and motel receptionists, servers and housekeepers; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For daycare center staff who cuddle and comfort children and for all children; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For teachers and professors, coaches and cafeteria workers at schools and universities across the world and students everywhere; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For the homeless huddling for warmth over steam grates and under urban bridges; out of the depths, O God–

We cry to you. Protect them.

For the poor, the lonely, the vulnerable, migrants, and the isolated elderly who have no protectors; out of the depths, O God–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For clergy and people who eat the bread of life, drink from the common cup and pass the sign of peace; out of the depths–

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For all who have tested positive, all who are waiting for test results, and all who are quarantined; out of the depths—

We cry out to you. Protect them.

For all who have already died of the coronavirus, now free from pain and suffering. May the God of hope carry them all the way home, and comfort their families and friends; out of the depths—

We cry out to you. Protect them.

Loving God, hasten the day when the virus will have run its course; quicken scientists to develop medications and vaccines; call out the best instincts of your people—love, neighborliness, compassion, and a sense of caring for every member of your beloved community on Earth. We pray out of the depths to you, O God of hope, whom we call Jesus, Allah, YHWH, Divine Mystery, Wakan Tanka, Great Spirit.

Amen.

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