PRAYER IN THIS TIME OF CORONAVIRUS

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shade of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, “My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust.”
He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare,
from the destroying plague,
He will shelter you with his pinions,
and under his wings you may take refuge;
his faithfulness is a protecting shield.
You shall not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness,
nor the plague that ravages at noon.
Through a thousand fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
near you it shall not come.
Because you have the LORD for your refuge
and have made the Most High your stronghold,
No evil shall befall you,
no affliction will come near your tent.
For he commands his angels with regard to you,
to guard you wherever you go.
With their hands they shall support you,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You can tread upon the asp and the viper,
trample the lion and the dragon.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
because he knows my name, I will set him on high.
He will call upon me and I will answer;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and give him honor.
With length on days I will satisfy him,
and fill with my saving power.

Reading from Saint Augustine

I will sing and play the lyre to the Lord. We shall be free from anxiety, and carefree we shall sing, and carefree we shall play the lyre when we contemplate the delight of the Lord and are protected as his temple, in that incorruptibility where death is swallowed up in victory. But what of the present? Already we have spoken of the joys that will be ours when that one petition is granted to us. But what of the present? Hearken, Lord, to my voice. Let us groan now, let us pray now. Groaning is proper only to people in misery, prayer only to those in need. Prayer will pass away, praise will take over; weeping will pass away, joy will take its place. In the meantime, when we are in the days of our troubles, let our prayer to God not cease, and let us go on asking him for that one thing. Let us not interrupt that petition until it is answered, by God’s gift and through God’s goodness. Hearken, Lord, to my voice, with which I have cried to you; have mercy on me, and hearken to me. He made that one petition; through his long begging, weeping, groaning, he asked only that. He has made an end of all desires; that one plea alone is left (Exposition 2 of Psalm 26, 14).

Pray together:

Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory to the Father

Prayer

+ Almighty and merciful God, refreshment in our weariness, support in our weakness, comfort in our sadness. We come to you to invoke your mercy, since today we still experience the fragility of the human condition in the presence of a new viral pandemic. Listen to the prayer we offer, comfort your children, save us from the present distress and open our hearts to be people of hope. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.