A Prayer of Thanksgiving during the Pandemic
God, our Creator, by your great love and mercy, you have lavished us with everything we need for our wholeness and holiness! Please listen to our prayer as we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
While it is true that we suffer during this COVID-19 pandemic, we also acknowledge the things for which we are most grateful:
- Our common home, Earth, having a great vacation from our carelessness in polluting her;
- More people spending longer time in prayer, meditation and creation walks;
- Wild animals reclaiming their sacred spaces without humans disturbing them;
- Families building closer relationships among themselves during lockdowns;
- More people awakened to help those who are in need;
- Hearts learning to accept the uniqueness of others, may it be their race, color, ethnic background, beliefs, religion or traditions;
- The reduction in manufacturing of non-essentials;
- More and more people learning to reduce waste
- Creativity in educational instruction including online, modular, blended and home-school learning;
- The gifts of life, freedom and relationships, which we often take for granted;
- The generosity of so many people who recognize and respond to the extraordinary and abundant needs of others during these unprecedented times;
- The technology that helps us connect with each other.
As a whole, we the people on Earth are learning and preparing to treat our beloved Mother Earth and all God’s people with respect and reverence when this pandemic ends. Amen.
This prayer was written for MESA by Sister Helen Libo-on, directress of School of Saint John the Baptist; Sister Hilda Jimenez, director of Mercy Junior College; and Sister Virgencita Alegado, director of Holy Cross High School. All three schools are located in Mindanao, Philippines.
