A prayer for Australia Day

A prayer for Reconciliation by some Indigenous Australians

Holy Father, God of Love,
You are the Creator of this land and of all good things.
We acknowledge the pain and shame of our history
and the suffering of our peoples,
and we ask your forgiveness.
We thank you for the survival of indigenous cultures.

Our hope is in you because you gave your Son Jesus
to reconcile the world to you.
We pray for your strength and grace to forgive,
accept and love one another,
as you love us and forgive and accept us
in the sacrifice of your Son.
Give us the courage to accept the realities of our history
so that we may build a better future for our nation.

Teach us to respect all cultures.
Teach us to care for our land and waters.
Help us to share justly the resources of this land.
Help us to bring about spiritual and social change
to improve the quality of life for all groups in our communities,
especially the disadvantaged.
Help young people to find true dignity and self esteem by your Spirit.
May your power and love be the foundations
on which we build our families, our communities and our nation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Prepared by Wontulp-Bi-Buya Indigenous Theology Working Group, 1997.)

A prayer for our society

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we pray that you will send down upon our nation
a true spirit of repentance
for the sinfulness which passes as broadmindedness,
the apathy which calls itself tolerance,
the materialism which glories in its prosperity and grasps for more.
And with this sorrow, Lord God,
let faith and obedience go hand in hand among us,
that lives may be transformed,
that integrity and godliness may characterise our people.
With this mind, we pray for all who preach the glorious story
of your love in sending your only Son into the world.
We pray for all who will listen to them:
remove from their hearts all barriers and obstacles to the best news ever,
and assist them to turn from empty and false ways,
so as to meet with you, the true and loving God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acknowledgement Sandy Grant.