Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sisters and brothers, Advent is a season of hopeful longing. Hope for the coming of the Christ child and longing for the abundant life Christ promised. But we know many in our communities and around the world are hungry. You know this because of the work you do in your communities through your food pantries, and in your community meals. And because of the work we do together through ELCA World Hunger.
This Advent, at the encouragement of our brother Pope Francis, we have been invited to join with all people of faith to pray for the end of hunger. I urge you to pause wherever you find yourself at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 10, and take part in a worldwide wave of prayer. Together, let’s pray that citizens and world leaders will work to find just and equitable solutions to end hunger so no person goes to bed hungry.
Through announcements and gatherings in your congregation, I ask you to invite members of your community to pause in unity with others for this special moment of prayer. You may wish to share this video message from me on YouTube at http://bit.ly/1bj7O5o.
Thank you for taking this moment to pray at noon on Dec. 10, and for the many ways that you take action through your congregation and together in ELCA World Hunger to end hunger in your community and around the world. In this season of hope and anticipation, what a fitting way for us to participate in God’s incarnate love.
Blessed Advent,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop, ELCA
P.S. For your possible use, below are the words that many of our brothers and sisters from the Roman Catholic Church will be praying at noon on Dec. 10.
O God, you entrusted to us the fruits of all creation so that we might care for the earth and be nourished with its bounty.
You sent us your Son to share our very flesh and blood and to teach us your Law of Love. Through His death and resurrection, we have been formed into one human family.
Jesus showed great concern for those who had no food – even transforming five loaves and two fish into a banquet that served five thousand and many more.
We come before you, O God, conscious of our faults and failures, but full of hope, to share food with all members in this global family.
Through your wisdom, inspire leaders of government and of business, as well as all the world’s citizens, to find just, and charitable solutions to end hunger by assuring that all people enjoy the right to food.
Thus we pray, O God, that when we present ourselves for Divine Judgment, we can proclaim ourselves as “One Human Family” with “Food for All.” Amen.
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