Prayer for Entering Yom Kippur

As we enter Yom Kippur
We call on the heavens and earth,
We call on the ancestors and on the generations to come.
We call on the Great Mystery that holds and fills us all –
Please,
Guide us as we step into the holy light of this day.
Help us be present to the beauty and fragility of life,
Be with us as we experience life’s passing.
Release us from all that keeps us separate and afraid,
Let shame and regret unwind from our souls.
Help us open to the great compassion
That flows from the source of mystery,
Let this infinite love take root in our tender hearts.
May graciousness fill the spaces between us,
May forgiveness blossom and grow.
And may the holy light of Yom Kippur shine through us all
For healing, for love, for shalom.

With love,
Rabbi Yael