For an End to Racism

Leader: Good and gracious God, you invite us to recognize and reverence your divine image and likeness in our neighbor. Enable us to see the reality of racism and free us to challenge and uproot it from our society, our world and ourselves. We beg for both forgiveness and conversion as we open our hearts and minds to the transforming work of your Spirit among us. GOSPEL READING: Mt. 22: 34-40 or Luke 10 : 25-27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with your entire mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two great commandments. Leader: Let us pray for those who as a result of ongoing racism in our society, lack decent affordable housing, suffer from substandard school systems, have little or no opportunities for jobs near their homes, and still encounter discrimination when searching for a better place to live with their families. All: We pray those who still suffer from the consequences of racism in our society, that the day will soon come when all will have equal access and opportunity to secure good housing, education, and employment. Leader: Let us pray for those institutions and groups in our society that devalue the presence and contributions of people of color, that are indifferent to soaring rates of violence and the disproportionate number of blacks and other minority groups in prisons and on death row, and that take no concern for the rapidly rising numbers of African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans that have no health insurance. All: We pray for a change of heart and mind for those among us who still subscribe to a racist mentality that propagates prejudice and discrimination. May we all be moved to rid ourselves of whatever vestiges of racism still linger in a nation that has pledged itself to justice for all. Leader: Let us pray for those members of minority groups who due to racial barriers suffer disproportionately from the harmful effects of pollution, who must live in communities with abandoned toxic waste sites or factories with unhealthy levels of toxic emissions, and whose children are more likely to be victims of lead poisoning or air pollution linked to severe asthma. All: We pray that our government will work together with business and community leaders to ensure that no one need live in degrading and unhealthy conditions as a result of double standards regarding the safety of air or water. May our laws and public policies recognize the rights of all people to a healthy environment in which to live and work.

For an End to Racism

Leader: Let us for the hidden and insidious new forms of racism that are on the rise around us, seen in the rise of hate crimes based on race or ethnic group, the increasing use of racial stereotyping and profiling in searching for criminals or terrorists, and the narrow ethnocentric attitudes that award superior status to my own cultural group and inferior status to all those who are different. All: We pray that each of us might examine ourselves for signs of intolerance or judgment of others based on differences in race or ethnic origin. May we all be gifted with the ability to see each other as You do, Lord, so that we appreciate the beauty of the diversity of our human family, and defend the rights and dignity of each person as our brothers and sisters. Leader: Let us affirm together WE pledge to examine our own biases and positions of privilege through self-reflection, and earnestly work to resolve them. WE pledge to live by compassion and be consciously inclusive of all individuals. WE pledge to affirm the value of diversity.

WE pledge to promote understanding, inclusion, and mutual respect, and thus build community within all races, ethnicities and cultures. WE pledge to transform our institutions into authentically anti-racist and anti-oppressive communities of action. WE pledge to advocate for justice, demand equal opportunity for all and so help create a beloved community for everyone to share. Closing Prayer: Good and gracious God, Who loves and delights in all people, we stand in awe before You, knowing that the spark of life within each person on earth is the spark of your divine life. Differences among cultures and races are multicolored manifestations of Your Light. May our hearts and minds be open to celebrate similarities and differences among our sisters and brothers. We place our hopes for racial harmony in our committed action and in Your Presence in our Neighbor. May all peoples live in Peace. AMEN. For an End to Racism (adapted from Sisters of Mercy) (PS)