Prayer for Journeying Together

God of Our Journey,

as we gather together

we lift up our voices

to give praise and thanksgiving to your name,

the God of encounter

who, by the power of the Holy Spirit,

makes us one in Christ, our Savior.

 

God of Our Journey, Dios de nuestra jornada [Spanish],

as we journey together with Christ, your Son,

who walks alongside of us day by day,

may we embrace your presence within us

and discover your presence in the people

whom we encounter along the way.

 

God of Our Journey, Diyos ng ating paglalakbay [Filipino],

as we journey together in the power of the Holy Spirit,

enlighten our minds and our hearts in our intercultural encounters,

with one another and with all cultural families,

so that we may become better listeners

and the bearers of your faithful Word.

 

God of Our Journey, Wakȟaŋtȟaŋka oomani awaŋuŋkičiyankapi kiŋ [Lakota: Native American],

as we journey together with all members of the Body of Christ,

instill in us the presence of your love and compassion,

so that we may persevere in faith,

trust in your goodness,

and place all our hope in you.

 

God of Our Journey, Dieu de notre voyage [French],

as we journey together as disciples of Christ,

set our missionary hearts ablaze

and transform our lives by your grace,

so that we may go forth into the world

to proclaim the Good News

and to build up the reign of your love

through our acts of justice, compassion, and mercy.

We ask this through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,

who, by the power of the Holy Spirit,                          

brings forth a world of harmony and peace,

One God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Optional Languages for “God of Our Journey”

  • Chinese (Mandarin): 我们旅途的上帝; Wǒmen lǚtú de shàngdì
  • Creole: Bondye nan vwayaj nou an
  • Filipino: Diyos ng ating paglalakbay
  • French: Dieu de notre voyage
  • German: Gott unserer Reise
  • Igbo: Chineke onye ndu anyi
  • Korean: 우리 여행의 신; Uli yeohaeng-ui sin
  • Lakota (Native American): Wakȟáŋtȟaŋka oómani awáŋuŋkičiyankápi kiŋ
  • Polish: Bóg Naszej Podróży
  • Portuguese: Deus da nossa jornada
  • Spanish: Dios de Nuestra Jornada
  • Swahili: Mungu wa safari yetu
  • Vietnamese: Thiên Chúa của đường đời chúng con
  • Other                              

Notes:

“Prayer for Journeying Together” was composed for Journeying Together: A National Intercultural Encounter for Ministries with Youth and Young Adults, hosted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church with the Secretariats of Catholic Education and of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, in collaboration with the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and the National Dialogue on Catholic Pastoral Ministry with Youth and Young Adults.

  • The prayer could be used during any gathering of participants, on-site or on-line, in preparation for the national gathering to be held in the Summer of 2021.
  • It could be prayed at any point during the gathering: e.g., as an opening prayer or as a concluding prayer.
  • In the second, third, fourth, and fifth stanzas, there is the option of replacing the second evocation to God with any other language. Several language options are listed above, but feel free to add your own, depending on your local context.
  • Worship participants could choose to either recite the non-English titles to God together (i.e., in unity) or have a representative from the cultural community recite the entire first line (or entire stanza) alone. If you choose the former option, make sure to go over all pronunciations before the start of the prayer.

 

Journey Together Prayer © 2020 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops