Daily Prayers for February 8

On February 8, 1887, the Dawes Act was approved by the United States Congress, dividing Native American reservation lands into separate properties to be owned and maintained by individuals. Tribes were to be dissolved and Native Americans were expected to assimilate into white American culture. Most of the land granted to Native Americans was desert, unable to sustain agriculture.

O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you

as the day rises to meet the sun.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

Song “Poor Wayfaring Stranger”

Forgive us, Lord, for stealing the land : Have mercy and set us free.

Psalm 39:5 8

Lord, let me know my end and the number of my days : so that I may know how short my life is.

You have given me a mere handful of days, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight : truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.

We walk about like a shadow, and in vain we are in turmoil : we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.

And now, what is my hope? : O Lord, my hope is in you.

Forgive us, Lord, for stealing the land : Have mercy and set us free.

Genesis 27:1 – 29 John 15:1 – 11

Forgive us, Lord, for stealing the land : Have mercy and set us free.

Seattle, chief of the Suquamish, said, “We know that the White Man does not understand our ways. One portion of the land is the same to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he needs. The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on.”

Prayers for Others

Our Father

Lord, show us that reconciling with those we imagine are different from us is not only for peace, but also to train us more deeply in the faith that honors everything created by your hand. Help us see that reconciliation leads to deeper knowledge of you. Amen.

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;

may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;

may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;

may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

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