Almighty Father, we praise your name for Saint Damien,
missionary to the lepers,
and for all those who,
following in the footsteps of Your beloved Son,
have preached the good news of salvation
to the despised and rejected of the earth,
not counting the cost to themselves;
and we pray that Your love for us may enkindle in our hearts
an answering love for You and our neighbors,
and that Your grace may give us wisdom to see the opportunities
You give us to serve You,
and the courage to grasp them;
that in all things we may be made conformable
unto the image of the same Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
who now lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and ever.