Greetings, beloved in Christ. This past Sunday, Palm Sunday, our Presiding Bishop, Sean Rowe, received word that Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, had been hit by Israeli missiles. It was reported that the emergency department, the pharmacy, and the chapel were destroyed, leaving patients without shelter and others without access to healthcare. We grieve the loss of this important ministry, and as we embark on Holy Week, the time in which we walk with Jesus the way of the cross, the time in which we remind ourselves that sacrificial love indeed involves sacrifice, I ask your prayers. And because it is our tradition in the Episcopal Church to offer up our Good Friday offerings to the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, I ask that you give generously. You give generously to our siblings in Christ who are striving to make peace in a violent world.

I leave you with this prayer:
Loving God of all the earth, we pray for those who perpetuate injustice in the Holy Land and across the world, regardless of their motives. We pray that you will change their hearts, that you will fill them with the spirit of mercy. Teach us all the pathways of peace and forgiveness. Spirit of comfort whose glory covers the face of the earth, comfort the oppressed. Give shelter to those who have lost their homes, and let your peace dwell in every heart. With thankful hearts we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.