The noble plan only noble things,
noble their every move.
(Isaiah 32: 8, The New Jerusalem Bible)

Our Father, God of heaven and earth,
Holy Spirit, may our leaders
govern uprightly, with fair judgment.

May they be like a shelter from
the wind of destruction,
a refuge from the rabid storm
of riot, the plague of ignorance
consuming our breath.

May the apostles of healing
replenish our nation like streams
to arid ground. May they stand
an unmovable rock, a shade
for a desolate land.

May the eyes of the wise
no longer seem closed,
the ears of hearers be alert,
the heart of the hasty still,
and may the tongue of the noble
speak promptly and clearly.

Save us from those who
speak folly, their heart
set on villainy, their words,
their actions, devising
infamous plans
constructed of lies.

May we speak with love,
not as a gong booming,
a cymbal clashing.

Shepherd us to patience
and kindness, recognizing
that we know only
imperfectly, seeing only
reflections in a mirror.

Guide us in the quiet
of forests, building up
the disheartened,
offering encouragement,
the reassurance of
faith, hope, and love,
the greatest, most sustaining,
being love.

Amen. Let it be so.

*Biblical sources:
Isaiah 32: 1-8, 15-20; 33.
1 Corinthians 13; 14.
The New Jerusalem Bible,
Standard Edition,
Doubleday, March 1999.