Our Father who art in heaven (2)

Prayer for forgotten children

“Our Father...”

You are “ours”.

And this "ours" goes so far,

so deeply,

that even those whom the world ignores

are called by You

"my child".

You are the Father of unwanted children,

who come in silence,

and leave without a name.

Little lives barely begun,

fragile seeds promised to heaven.

They were not wanted here,

but You wanted them.

You are still waiting for them,

in your arms that are wider than refusal.

You are the Father of the children who died before they were born,

of the children of light,

passed on like a sigh,

but engraved forever in your heart.

You are Father of the children of war,

those who have no more games,

no more home,

no more gentle looks.

Their hands tremble instead of drawing,

their eyes are filled with fear,

but you weep with them

and welcome their pain in your peace.

You are the Father of forgotten children,

found in the street,

lying on cardboard or snuggled up with a dog,

those whom no one sees,

those whose laughter has drowned in the rubbish.

You look at them,

you wrap them up,

you call them:

‘my little one, my little one... I'm here’.

You are “Father”.

Not of a few,

but of all.

You are "Our Father"

(To be continued)

Some versions of the Our Father, which are found in the chapel.