Essence of all forms of life,
Never-ending Source of Peace,
Our divinity,
Matrix of Love:
Your eyes saw our unformed bodies;
We are Your almond tree in bloom.
How can we not believe that You sent Christ to us?
Just as You are in the Christ and the Christ in You,
we are also in both.
What You have joined together, Divine Wonderful Uniqueness
no human decree can separate.
We ask You only to remind us
that our separation is only a dream.
We ask You to be able
to take Your hand as we return home
because we go together;
because You love us so much
that You only remind us
that we walk together,
and You expect us to bring Your light
to this world that fear has stripped
off love, life and hope.
We long to wake up from the dream
and recall that separation
never existed; nor between You and us
neither between us and ourselves
though we insist so much on crucifying ourselves.
Thank you for your redemption gifts
And for the strength you give us
to not fall
into temptation
to forget, to ignore
the legions of marginalized
the condemned of the earth:
the family stigmatized and wounded by its diversity;
the swarm of migrants and refugees
demanding a piece of dignified life;
the illegitimate, the illegal ones, those imprisoned for the opprobrium;
the anonymous murdered women who do have a name that burns us;
the children of the streets, little apostles of forgiveness;
the political prisoners of unbridled power, martyrs of the crazed world;
teachers and students, peasants and workers enslaved and missing;
miners trapped in the guts of insane greed;
youths exploited and objectified without modesty;
elderly people turned invisible, unquantifiable pain.
Long and partial list of brothers and sisters so close
never oblivious.
Do not let us
deny them a place
on Your table
where everyone can fit
where there is also bread crumb
and sweet wines
Do not let us
feel any bit superior than all of them,
cleaner
better and worthy
more educated and deserving
because
if we were not actually One
we should not be able
to take a place at Your table
knowing
so many are still missing
with whom to share
with whom to smile together
We might have forgotten
that we are Your offspring
that we are brothers, family, one.
But You do not neglect us
As there is no amnesia that You do not understand
neither sadness that You do not know, nor love that You may ignore
no tears that You do not value
or pain that You do not mourn.
Beyond all dreams
There You Are
Your Holiness is ours.
Father, Mother
Son, Daughter, Spirit
All in One
Your Voice calls us to go home
Our gratitude
joy, holiness, healing
are our humble gifts
—lilies of forgiveness.
Grant us
to forget it all
but realizing
You are here.
Amen.
Prayer submitted by:
ENRIQUE ZENTENO LÓPEZ
Lay Pastoral Leader for the ICM Libres por Amor (Free by Love MCC -
www.icmlibresporamor.com
) at Puebla, México. He leads the LibreSoy (
www.libresoy.mx
) Community Broadcast Project, associated with Beacon of Hope Ministries from Clearwater, Florida, now also joined by the Virtual American MCC for Mexico and Latin America; he is launching the Hermanitos (
hermanitos.org
,
lilbrothers.org
) fund to support breakfast and meals for poor children living in the streets of Puebla. He serves as a volunteer translator and interpreter for MCC, and has been a member since 1982. He is a and a freelance graphic artist and communication consultant since 1974.
