A Thanksgiving Prayer of Gratitude

Loving God, may our hearts be filled with gratitude not just today but every day. Your blessings surround us, but too often we ignore them or lose sight of them in the presence of current challenges. Open our hearts to see the signs of your love in our midst and remind us that we are called to share that love.

Let us lift our voices and sing with grateful hearts for the movement of your Spirit among us:

For the resilience and hope that abounds among so many individuals on death row who refuse to allow the state to take their hope away from them;

For victims of violent crime who model reconciliation and courageously promote justice solutions that will create pathways of restoration in the wake of grave harm, for their continued journeys of healing and the love of those who support them;

For indigenous communities who embody the rich tradition of restorative peacemaking circles and have shared their wisdom so that this model can be adopted broadly;

For advocates and activists who defend the dignity of those facing execution and cry out against the injustice of state-sanctioned death through prayer and public witness;

For those who accompany individuals on death row and the incarcerated, including their attorneys, chaplains, and spiritual advisors;

For the elected officials who respond appropriately to calls for mercy and clemency, who use their power to defend the dignity of life;

For teachers of peace among us who create trusted spaces for meaningful dialogue rooted in connection and understanding;

For all those who generously lend their time, talent, and treasure to this life-affirming mission in the pursuit of a better kind of justice.

God, we stand before you with hearts full of gratitude, thankful for your gifts. Open our eyes to see these blessings and open our hands and hearts to share them, especially with the least among us.

We ask this all through Jesus Christ your son, who we receive in the Eucharist as our everlasting Thanksgiving.

Amen.