Liturgies for WholenessExemplo

A LITURGY FOR A TRIP TO THE GROCERY STORE

Oh God of abundance, come with me on this grocery store trip,

an unremarkable errand You can transform with

divine possibility.

Rid me of haste before I enter the store.

Let my steps down aisles be slow

and my posture toward others be patient.

May this place of overstimulation

that triggers one’s greed

somehow become a place of stillness

and self-control.

As I fill my cart with what I need,

remind me that it is You alone who sustain me,

in both body and spirit.

Let me be satisfied by nothing other than You.

Show me the way of good stewardship—

how to spend less on myself

and consider others as I shop.

If anxiety comes as I navigate these aisles,

quiet me with Your presence

and the steadiness of Your hand.

Even here, remind me of the access I have

to the fruit of Your Spirit:

may my love be genuine,

my kindness tireless,

my gentleness unrelenting.

In every encounter with strangers—

cashiers and baggers,

greeters and butchers,

fellow sojourners with carts—

may I treat them with dignity,

for I do not know the griefs with which they arrived.

Oh perfect Provider—

for today and every future grocery run—

this is what I ask:

Help me to spend my resources in a way that nourishes this body,

blesses others,

and most of all, honors You.

Amen