prayer for augsburg 2030
A Prayer for the 500th Anniversary of the Augsburg Confession
Gracious God, Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the witness of those who, five centuries ago at Augsburg, sought to confess
the apostolic faith in a spirit of peace and truth. We praise You for the Gospel of justification by
grace through faith, which remains the foundation of our hope.
Lord Jesus Christ,
You prayed that we might all be one, even as You and the Father are one. We confess the pain of
our long separation and the pride that has often fueled our divisions. Heal our wounded history
and grant us the humility to recognize Your presence in one another.
Holy Spirit, Giver of Life,
Lead us as we prepare for this great anniversary. Guide Catholics and Lutherans alike to discern
the consensus that joins us in faith. Transform our hearts so that we may no longer be strangers,
but brothers and sisters working together to witness Your love to the world. Gather us together,
O Lord, That we may walk in the light of Your truth and finally attain to the light of everlasting
life, where You live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen
A PRAYER FOR THE HEALING OF THE WOUNDS OF SEPARATION
O God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--
You have called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light,
and You have gathered us from every nation, language, and people
into the one Body of Christ.
In the stillness of Your presence, we praise You for what we already share:
one Lord Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man;
one saving Cross and empty tomb;
one Gospel of mercy and truth;
one Baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection;
one Holy Scripture that speaks and comforts and corrects;
one hope that does not disappoint;
and one Spirit who prays within us with sighs too deep for words.
Lord Jesus, on the night before You suffered, You prayed that we may be one.
We confess with humility that our divisions have wounded the witness of Your Church
and have burdened the world with scandal, confusion, and sorrow.
Forgive us for the pride that hardens the heart,
for the fear that closes the hand,
and for the words we have spoken without love.
Teach us again the way of charity--
that we may speak the truth without contempt,
and hold conviction without cruelty;
that we may listen before we answer,
and seek understanding without surrendering what is holy.
Pour out upon all who confess Your Name
a renewed hunger for Your Word,
a deeper reverence for Your Sacraments,
and a steady longing for holiness of life.
Make us eager to honor the faith we see in one another:
the love of Christ, the reverence of prayer,
the courage of martyrs and saints,
the service of the poor, the care for the suffering,
the daily fidelity of families,
and the hidden offerings of countless believers known only to You.
Grant, O Lord, that our unity may begin where You always begin:
in repentance, in humility, and in prayer.
Give us the grace to meet one another at the foot of the Cross,
where every human boast falls silent
and only Your mercy speaks.
May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,
so that bitterness yields to blessing,
suspicion yields to friendship,
and rivalry yields to the joy of shared discipleship.
And as we grow in communion,
let the world see not our arguments, but our love--
and come to believe that the Father has sent the Son
for the life of the world.
We entrust to You, Lord, all pastors, bishops, priests, deacons, and lay leaders,
all theologians and teachers,
all communities of prayer, religious life, and mission.
Guide us by Your Spirit into all truth,
and keep us faithful to the grace we have received.
Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
All saints who rejoiced in the one Lord and served His one people, pray for us.
And now, Father, gather us--
not by our strength, but by Your love--
until that day when every barrier is removed,
every tear is wiped away,
and we are perfectly one in the praise of Your glory.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
You have called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light,
and You have gathered us from every nation, language, and people
into the one Body of Christ.
In the stillness of Your presence, we praise You for what we already share:
one Lord Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man;
one saving Cross and empty tomb;
one Gospel of mercy and truth;
one Baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection;
one Holy Scripture that speaks and comforts and corrects;
one hope that does not disappoint;
and one Spirit who prays within us with sighs too deep for words.
Lord Jesus, on the night before You suffered, You prayed that we may be one.
We confess with humility that our divisions have wounded the witness of Your Church
and have burdened the world with scandal, confusion, and sorrow.
Forgive us for the pride that hardens the heart,
for the fear that closes the hand,
and for the words we have spoken without love.
Teach us again the way of charity--
that we may speak the truth without contempt,
and hold conviction without cruelty;
that we may listen before we answer,
and seek understanding without surrendering what is holy.
Pour out upon all who confess Your Name
a renewed hunger for Your Word,
a deeper reverence for Your Sacraments,
and a steady longing for holiness of life.
Make us eager to honor the faith we see in one another:
the love of Christ, the reverence of prayer,
the courage of martyrs and saints,
the service of the poor, the care for the suffering,
the daily fidelity of families,
and the hidden offerings of countless believers known only to You.
Grant, O Lord, that our unity may begin where You always begin:
in repentance, in humility, and in prayer.
Give us the grace to meet one another at the foot of the Cross,
where every human boast falls silent
and only Your mercy speaks.
May the peace of Christ rule in our hearts,
so that bitterness yields to blessing,
suspicion yields to friendship,
and rivalry yields to the joy of shared discipleship.
And as we grow in communion,
let the world see not our arguments, but our love--
and come to believe that the Father has sent the Son
for the life of the world.
We entrust to You, Lord, all pastors, bishops, priests, deacons, and lay leaders,
all theologians and teachers,
all communities of prayer, religious life, and mission.
Guide us by Your Spirit into all truth,
and keep us faithful to the grace we have received.
Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
All saints who rejoiced in the one Lord and served His one people, pray for us.
And now, Father, gather us--
not by our strength, but by Your love--
until that day when every barrier is removed,
every tear is wiped away,
and we are perfectly one in the praise of Your glory.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayers composed by Fr Joseph Tedesco OCSO, Superior, Mepkin Abbey, South Carolina, United States