Rev. Adam Booth, C.S.C., Offers Prayer for Stonehill Community at Academic Convocation 2022

Good and Gracious God, we give you thanks for calling us together into this community of scholarship and faith. 

We ask you to bind us together as a beloved community that is honest, just, and compassionate, 

A community in which all are included, welcomed, valued, and challenged to grow, 

A community that recognizes we all have something to learn from every one of our neighbors, 

A community where we trust one another enough to ask for help, and are generous in bearing one another’s burdens, 

A community that might prompt a world that knows so much division and suspicion to exclaim in joy-filled surprise: “See how they love one another!” 

A community from which one may come to know You better, our God who are love. 

We ask you also, God of Wisdom, to help us learn, 

To learn in our classrooms, our labs, our meetings, our library, our athletics facilities, our coffeeshops and dorm rooms, 

To learn about the wonders of the created world, and marvel that their Creator cares for us too, 

To learn about the hopes and fears, achievements and atrocities that make up the human person and our history, to be inspired by the greatness humanity is capable of, and to be moved to lament and to act to correct the injustices around us, 

To learn to develop our minds, but never at the expense of forming our hearts to love with the abandon displayed by the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

We ask you to help us put the habits and skills of thoughtful reflection we learn here to use for citizenship, service, and leadership in the Church and the world. 

May the competence to understand the world we gain here never be separated from a courage to act to make it more just and equitable for all. 

As Our Lady, Queen of the Summit, watches over us in her love, may she also join her prayers with ours. 

As people of hope, bathed in the light of your blessing, we entrust our prayers to you, most holy God. Amen.