Prayer at the Memorial Service for Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Johannesburg, 10 December 2013

Let us pray.

Masithandaze.

Are rapeleng.

Laat ons bid.


Creator God, Lord of Life and Love

You hold the whole universe in your hands and

Yet you also number the hairs on all our heads

You know the fates of the nations, and

The hopes and fears of each individual.


On this day of Madiba’s memorial service

We pray for the peace of the world –

for peace without and for peace within.


Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace,

May your Shalom touch every place of conflict, division, brokenness or fear,

May it fill our communities, families and lives.


From the horrors and turmoil of nations in conflict,

to the fractured relationships and

violence of too many homes, bring your reconciling love.


We pray for South Africa in particular on this Memorial Day.

Help us to draw on the best lessons of our past and

build on the firm foundations, that by your grace, Madiba laid for us.


Give us courage to hold fast to his values, to follow the example of his praxis and to share them with the world.


We lift our hearts, with gratitude for your loving care that you have called Madiba home, to his eternal post, where pain and suffering are no more.


We commend his soul to your merciful keeping and his family to your continuous love,


As we pray:

Go forth, revolutionary and loving soul, on your journey out of this world, in the name of God, who created you, suffered with you and liberated you.

Go home Madiba, you have selflessly done all that is good, noble and honourable for God’s people.

We will continue where you have left off, the Lord being our helper.

We now turn to you, Lord, in this hour of darkness, sadness, pain and death, in tears and mourning,

We wail, yet we believe that you will console us, that you will give us the strength to hold in our hearts and minds, and the courage to enact in our lives, the values Madiba fought and stood for.

We turn to you, Lord, and entrust Madiba‘s soul to your eternal rest and loving arms as he re-joins the Madiba clan, his comrades and all the faithful departed.

We pray particularly for his closest and dearest, for Ma Graça Machel, for his children, grandchildren and all his relatives; may you surround them with your loving arms, your fatherly embrace and comfort.

At this dark time of mourning, at this perfect time when you have called him to rest and a perfect end, accept his soul and number him among the company of the redeemed in Heaven.

Console and comfort his family, South Africa, Africa and the world.

May his long walk to freedom be enjoyed and realised in our time by all of us.

MAY HE REST IN PEACE AND RISE IN GLORY!

Amen

+Thabo Cape Town