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The continuing recession in the United States has been especially hard on Baby Boomers, those in their 50s and 60s raised with high hopes of a happy and fulfilling retirement filled with travel and the pleasures of a life of leisure. Instead the Labor Department's latest report on jobs identifies this age cohort as the greatest victims of the economic down swing.
And so we pray this news. . .
Dear God and Creator,
We pray for Baby Boomers,
those in their 50s and 60s
who have lost their jobs
and have not been able
to find work because
employers are hiring
younger people.
Those who have been
re-employed lament
earning half of what
they did in the past.
Other Baby Boomers
have had no choice
but to accept a
series of part-time,
low-wage temporary
positions just to pay
bills and put food
on the table.
The toll of unemployment,
age discrimination, and
fear of further economic
hardships is high:
a loss of self-esteem,
a feeling of failure,
and a lack of hope
about their future.
Fear has been especially
high among older workers
who still lack access to
Medicare and Social Security.
Hear our prayer
for these disappointed,
angry, and frightened
souls who see no way out
of their terrible plight.
Into your heart, O God,
we commend these
Baby Boomers.
Grant them the courage
and the will power
to carry on. Bring them
also a sense that
they are not alone.
Help them feel that
they are lifted in our
prayers and thoughts.
Amen.