From Prayer to Action: Standing with Gaza’s Children

There is a prayer that I have regularly prayed since 1990, when I first read it. It is a prayer adopted from the writings of author Ina J. Hughes. It is a prayer for children. A few of the lines of her prayer are: “We pray for children who sneak popsicles before supper,…who can never find their shoes. And we pray for those…who are born in places we wouldn’t be caught dead,…who never get dessert, who have no safety blanket to drag behind them, who can’t find any bread to steal, whose monsters are real. We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,…who don’t like to be kissed in front of the carpool, whose smiles can make us cry. And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, will eat anything,…who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being.”

These days as I offer this prayer, I think of the children of Gaza, who live in a place where most of us would never be willing to venture, where there is no bread to steal, where the monsters are real, where the nightmares are lived, and it seems the children have no future. 

At every Mass, we pray for those who have died. For the past two years when I offer the words “for those who have died” my thoughts often include remembering the hostages who have died and their families who live. It seems life can be unfair. Last week in his homily, Father Dan asked the question, “why am I here?” This week I have prayed over the question, “why was I born here?” I could have been born in a place where the nightmares come twenty-four, seven, and three hundred sixty-five. But I was not. 

I wish such places didn’t exist. They do. Gaza is one of those places. There are others. I am writing tonight to remind us to pray, especially for the children. God listens to our prayers. I can’t help but think that in these places may live the child who could cure cancer, paint like Michelangelo, compose like Mozart, or be a mom or dad. If only they were given the opportunity, born in a place like me. But they were not. 

Pope Leo recently proclaimed “Gaza is starving.” There are no popsicles there. There is no bread. There is nothing to eat. Children are hungry.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is on the ground with staff in Gaza. They were there for the people of Texas as well. Hearing the story of the suffering in Gaza, especially the children, you may desire to help alleviate the suffering by supporting CRS. They are on the ground providing vital emergency humanitarian relief, medical, and psychological care for the sick, malnourished, and wounded. They are also working to provide food, shelter, cash assistance, and hygiene supplies. 

You can contribute to help CRS by putting cash or check in an envelope marked “Gaza Relief.” Checks should be made out to Saint Patrick Parish, and we will send in one check. You can also give using our electronic giving platforms. Indicate you desire for your gift to go to “Gaza Relief.” 

May the children of Gaza and other parts of the world discover their true “being.” May they not have to see the look of despair in their children’s eyes that their parents are seeing in theirs.

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