Daily Prayers for May 1
On May 1, 1886, one hundred and eighty thousand US workers went on strike for an eight-hour workday. Rallies continued until May 3, when a bomb was thrown into a crowd and shots were fired, killing eight policemen and an unknown number of civilians. Ever since this incident, remembered as the Haymarket Massacre, May 1 has been remembered as International Workers Day.
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 “Steal Away to -Jesus”
Gather us to you, O Lord : and whisper justice in our ears.
Psalm 2:1 – 2, 11 – 13
Why are the nations in an uproar? : Why do the -peoples mutter empty threats?
Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt, and the princes plot together : against the Lord and against his Anointed?
Submit to the Lord with fear : and with trembling bow before him;
lest he be angry and you perish : for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Happy are they all : who take refuge in him!
Gather us to you, O Lord : and whisper justice in our ears.
Leviticus 26:1 – 20 Luke 3:1 – 14
Gather us to You, O Lord : and whisper justice in our ears.
American labor organizer and activist Cesar Chavez said, “When we are really honest with ourselves, we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we are. It is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life. I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness is to sacrifice ourselves for others in totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men!”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God, help us to imitate you as we feed those who hunger for bread, for justice, for companionship, for forgiveness, for alternate ways of living in this world. Give us your words, equip our hands, and guide our feet. Sustain us, Lord, with your healing love. 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.
