Loving Heart of Jesus,
Fountain of Divine Mercy:
four our sake You became a little child;
You, the Lord, the All-Powerful One
breathed softly,
frail and small,
in the arms of Your Mother.
You, who hold all things in the world,
and for whom everything was made:
You entrusted Yourself
to the daily care
of Mary and Joseph.
You brought joy to a human home,
filled Mary’s heart with wonder,
and were the light of the eyes of Joseph.
You knew the concern,
the trials and the toil,
the journeys,
the sorrows
of Mary and Joseph
as they worked to keep You safe,
searched for You in Your absence,
fed You and clothed You,
and rejoiced as You grew
in wisdom, strength, and grace.
Lord Jesus,
You have entrusted to our care
these children
and given to us the burden
and the blessing
of making a home for them.
You who found boundless welcome
in the Immaculate Heart of Your Mother,
enlarge our hearts
that we might welcome our children
with love,
though we are not worthy
to have placed in our charge
these young ones:
your brothers and sisters,
whose only true Father is God;
who have been called—each one—
by an ineffable name,
and chosen by You
to praise Your Glory,
bathed in Your Redeeming Love.
We are only Your servants,
and our task overwhelms us.
How can we
till this garden?
Miracles of Your Love
shoot up and grow in our midst.
They turn toward us,
seeking the light of the sun.
And we feel so dull,
like shadows in the dusk;
or the thick,
smothering,
blinding fog
of their early morning.
Awesome and terrible
and too beautiful
this task:
we hold precious pearls in our hands,
bought at the price of Your undying Love.
Thus we kneel before You
and entrust ourselves, our children,
our home,
to Your Merciful Heart.
Give us wisdom
to know what is good;
how to protect,
correct,
encourage,
and toil
for each of our children, for our family,
for our home.
Give us the energy of a love
that is delicate and strong,
full of the security of affection,
the light of discipline,
and the space of freedom
that leaves room for them to grow.
They are Yours
and we are Yours.
Grant that we might be a family,
dwelling in the Love of Your Heart,
giving ourselves to You in one another,
finding Your Joy in one another—
Joy!
O Lord, keep always
that treasure of Joy
alive in heart and memory,
even amidst the gathering of clouds….
Strengthen our family
that we might be witnesses to Your Love,
that we might bear witness to Your Glory
and share Your Joy with our neighbors,
with the lonely ones,
with those who hunger
for bread,
or love.
Make our home a refuge of comfort
to all who cross our threshold,
bearing their secret sufferings.
Give us strength
to labor day by day by day;
never discouraged,
seeking and finding in Your Mercy
water for the thirst of hearts
that love and struggle
and trust in You.
