Good Friday Pandemic Prayer

Jesus, Saviour, hear our Good Friday prayer.
As human beings stagger under the weight
of a worldwide pandemic,
we turn to you, bearer of the pain of the world.
You woke that Friday morning in captivity,
and so we see your face in all who are imprisoned;
hear our prayer for those in jail,
who cannot escape contagion in close quarters.
We see your face in all who are unjustly accused;
hear our prayer for those who tell the truth about this virus,
and are scoffed at, or not believed.
We see your face in all who are tortured;
hear our prayer for those who are too poor to afford healthcare,
and must suffer without medical help.
We see your face in all who are condemned to death;
hear our prayer for those with underlying medical conditions
who are not triaged to receive care.
We see your face in all who are dying;
hear our prayer for those who are separated from loved ones
when they need them most, at the hour of their death.
We know, Jesus, that you faced death
carrying the burden of our sins,
and we continue to add to that weight.
Our failings are so apparent in this pandemic crisis;
whether it’s hoarding supplies for ourselves,
or a reluctance to be generous,
whether it’s being mean-tempered to family members
or failing to be polite to strangers,
whether it’s profiteering from people’s misery,
or an unwillingness to sacrifice anything for the common good.
You chose a path that was all for the common good–
you have borne our infirmities and carried our diseases.
On this Good Friday,  we join with the women at the foot of the cross
weeping for you, and for all the world’s sorrows.
As you breathe your last
and they lay your body in the tomb,
we feel the chill of death,
its hold on all of us.
We wait together for resurrection.