We light these candles to remember those who feel that hardship will overwhelm them. For the poor, the persecuted, the hungry, and the unhoused, we pray to God, who walked with three men through the consuming flames of a fiery furnace

We light these candles to remember those who are battling illness. We lift up those who suffer the pain, indignity, & bewilderment that accompany a broken body. For all who desire to be returned to wholeness, we pray to God, who lit the night sky with a star to guide three Magi to the healing Christ

We light these candles to remember those who are alone. We remember those isolated from loved ones; far from home; wandering down the wrong path; or convinced that God is unconcerned with their suffering. We pray to God, who is like the woman who lit a lantern to search all night for one lost coin

We light these candles to remember those who have died, those who mourn the dead, and for loss that feels like a death. The shadow of death can seem impenetrably dark during these long nights. We pray to God, whose first act in creation was to call light from darkness

We light these candles to remember those who are captive to darkness. For those lost in the night of addiction, depression, anxiety, or unexpected grief, we pray to God, who guided the Israelites through the darkness with a pillar of fire