Creator,
You have seen our efforts and You know our intentions. Our siblings long for affirmation amid the fragility of survival. Send down a fresh blessing of liberation, that every being who dares to engage the drama and trauma of life, may come to know Your radical grace and fortitude.
- Blessed are you, the big hearted ones, for you teach us the beautiful ways that love can be stretched and show us that it is ok to love in many ways, even if our love is too broad for church, family, friends, or society.
- Blessed are you, the embarrassed, for your embarrassment shows genuine care. It hurts to be exposed but you teach us what a gift it is to “risk it all” for the sake of authenticity.
- Blessed are you, the wounded ones, for you teach us that we need to practice tenderness so every sibling can relax into a trusted embrace.
- Blessed are you, the anxious ones, your “ready to go” energy and vigilant disposition, teach us the sacred vocation of concern, thus challenging us to always know that the work is not finished till each being is set free.
- Blessed are you, the confused ones, you teach us to be aware of those “oops and ouches” that happen when our dogmas, doctrines, protocols and procedures, distort the dream of God.
- Blessed are you, the sweaty ones, you teach us the sacredness of toiling for truth and laboring for justice, thus inspiring us to not be ashamed of smelling like the sacred work we engage in.
- Blessed are you, the ones with pain filled smiles, you teach us that sometimes the good news can only be found in those moments when we press forward in hopeful defiance, knowing that in the end, the good news is worth the endurance.
- Blessed are you, the intense ones, you teach us the depth of the human spirit to dive into the shadowy waters, where beauty and trauma are the tools for rejuvenation.
Creator, we thank You for our siblings who are courageous enough to embody the height and breadth of humanness. May we learn from each other to never shy away from the essential work that crafts us into pillars of strength for the poor, and pillows of comfort for the restless.
- Amen.
Composed by:
Rev. Fr. Jerry Maynard
The People’s Priest
Sept 14th, 2021
Humble, TX
3:50PM CST
