The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph and many of our Associates and friends have responded to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious’ call to pray, fast, and advocate for issues affecting our nation and our world. The Sisters have chosen to commit to three days of prayer, fasting and advocacy. The second of these days is Saturday, July 26, 2025, the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of Mary and grandparents of Jesus. This day is devoted to advocacy for vulnerable populations such as those who are elderly, have disabilities, are homeless or live in substandard housing.
The following prayers are one way you can advocate for our vulnerable populations.
Intercessory Prayers: The Marginalized
For those deprived of their human needs,
and their human rights:
that they may be given the dignity
which God confers on all his people;
We pray to the Lord:
For all who are forgotten or thrown away,
and especially for the poor, the sick and the aged:
that God might change our hearts
and move us to love them as the image of Christ;
We pray to the Lord:
For all who are lonely or afraid,
for teenagers on the street,
people in nursing homes,
prisoners with no one to visit them,
and all whom the world has forgotten:
that Christ might lead us to them;
We pray to the Lord:
For those who have mental or physical disabilities:
that we might cherish the gifts God has given them,
and in their lives hear the voice of our loving God;
We pray to the Lord:
Prayer of the Elderly, Pope Saint John Paul II
Grant, O Lord of life,
That we may savor every season of our lives as a gift
filled with promise for the future.
Grant that we may lovingly accept your will,
and place ourselves each day in your merciful hands.
And when the moment of our definitive “passage” comes,
grant that we may face it with serenity,
without regret for what we shall leave behind.
For in meeting you,
after having sought you for so long,
we shall find once more every authentic good
which we have known here on earth,
in the company of all who have gone before us
marked with the sign of faith and hope.
Mary, Mother of pilgrim humanity,
pray for us “now and at the hour of our death.”
Keep us ever close to Jesus,
your beloved Son and our brother,
the Lord of life and glory. Amen!
Closing Prayer
Lord of compassion and justice,
You call us to love not just in word but in action.
As we honor Saints Joachim and Anne, help us honor all who have gone before us in faith,
especially those the world overlooks.
Send us forth to lift up the lowly, shelter the homeless, and protect the dignity of every person,
made in your image.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.