INTRODUCTION
 
As we seek to deal with fear, worry, stress, and uncertainty, we must turn to God for refuge and strength. In the prayer below, I seek to capture some or most of the things we should be daily praying for at this time.  If you like the prayer, please share it with others.  I encourage parents to pray this prayer with your children.  It can serve as a teaching moment for them as they learn about all the aspects of this battle that our whole world is engaged in.  The one thing that all of us can do daily, is pray—be it this prayer or some other prayer.  Let us not forget that we are in a global battle and each of us must play our part to defeat this unseen and insidious enemy.
 
Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd and refuge in times of stress, we come to you during this time when lives everywhere are threatened and disrupted at every level.
 
We pray for the thousands of people who have already lost their lives to this virus. We pray for their grieving loved ones.
 
We pray for the elderly in nursing homes and all those in hospitals who cannot receive visits from their loved ones.
 
We pray for doctors and nurses who daily are working long hours and risking their lives to help people infected with this insidious virus.
 
We pray for hospitals overwhelmed with patients and faced with a shortfall of medical supplies.  We pray for all who are working day and night to make the medical equipment and supplies that our hospitals are desperately in need of.
 
We pray for all who are engaged in research to discover a vaccine to fight this terrible virus.  Holy Spirit, bless the work of their minds and hands.
 
During this time of national crisis, we pray for our leaders working in all branches and levels of government to put political differences aside and work together and efficiently for the welfare of all.
 
We pray for all who have already lost their jobs or are in fear of losing their jobs and wondering how they are going to pay their bills.  We pray for our economy during this time.
 
We pray and ask God’s blessing on our Social Concern office and all social agencies that are seeking to offer aid to those in need.
 
We pray for ourselves, that we will do what we need to do to protect ourselves and others from this disease. We pray that we will be ready and willing to help others in whatever way we can. We pray for children and adolescents who are experiencing an extended period of lockdown in their homes. May they learn new ways to be together.
 
We pray for our Church leaders and Church family.  Lord, you always seek to bring good out of bad things. May this be a time of extra prayer and reflection so that we can hear and see what you wish to teach us during this time.  May this challenging time help us to be more compassionate and less selfish.  
 
May this time of disruption help us to never take for granted the many graces we daily enjoy, including the wonderful blessing of being able to gather together for communal prayer and worship.  Amen.
 
Fr. Eamon Tobin, Pastor
Ascension Catholic Church
Melbourne, FL 32935
tobin2@live.com
 
P.S. The above is just a suggested prayer.  If it does not speak to your heart, create a prayer that does. After you finished praying the above prayer or a similar one, say a decade or two of the Rosary for the above intentions.