Prayer for deliverance (Pray as a family, neighborhood or parish)

Our Father in heaven,

we humbly pray to you as a nation. 

We plead to Your merciful heart

that You may look upon us with compassion.

Deliver us from the impending devastation

with which Typhoon Pepeng threatens us. 

Reeling from the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy,

we are worn and weary, homeless and hungry. 

We have barely begun picking up the pieces

of our shattered lives

and we dread the onslaught of another calamity.

In the midst of the destructive forces

of Typhoon Pepeng,

we turn to You, Father, our Creator and Protector,

and beg You to hear our prayers:

We pray for our brothers and sisters

who have lost their lives. 

Receive them in Your heavenly kingdom.

We pray for those who are lost and still finding

their way back to their families. 

Lead them safely home to their loved ones.

We pray for those who have lost homes and belongings.

Comfort them in their grief.

We pray for those who have lost crops and livestock. 

Console them in their loss.

We pray especially for those still awaiting to be rescued. 

Give them strength and faith in You

amidst their desperate and dangerous conditions.

We pray for those dislocated and dispossessed,

for those seeking refuge in evacuation centers.

Embrace them with Your warmth

and sustain them in Your providence.

For those of us who have been spared

the devastating effects of Typhoon Ondoy,

enlarge our hearts to aid those in dire need,

open our homes to those seeking shelter,

use our arms to comfort the grieving,

employ our hands to help others  

rebuild their homes and lives.

In the midst of these calamities,

may we never lose sight of Your abiding presence

and steadfast love for us Your children.

In the midst of our misfortunes,

may we see You suffering with those suffering,

toiling with those laboring for others.

May we behold You in all those caring for others,

feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless. 

To You, O Lord, Creator and Protector,

We entrust our lives and our nation,

our sorrows and fears, our hopes and longings.

In Your mercy, hear and grant our prayers.

Amen

*      *      *

Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ is a prolific composer of liturgical music and serves on the faculty of the Loyola School of Theology. For feedback on this column, e-mail [email protected]