Issue 20: “Oración del Obrero Luchando, Prayer of the Laborer’s Struggle”
"Poetry is a nightingale that sits in the darkness and sings"
-Percy Bysshe Shelley
Our mission at the Matthew 25 Initiative is to equip and sustain Anglicans serving alongside the vulnerable. The work of justice and mercy is often wondrous and also difficult. Holding beauty and naming pain and hope is what M25i does well. Walter Brueggeman writes, "A poem utters the unutterable and thinks the unthinkable." In places of brokenness, where much feels unutterable and unimaginable, we encounter Jesus. Continue with us in reflection and prayer through this series, "For the Soul," as poetry might offer Spirit-soaked imagination.
The “Prayer of the Laborer's Struggle” by César Chávez is a suitable plea this Labor Day. The words speak to the cries of those who experience insecurity in our economic structures. There is a recognition of Christ in the worker who might otherwise be overlooked.
As you read this prayer, consider the industries and organizations that operate in your neighborhoods: the delivery drivers, the warehouse fullfilment handlers, the dishwashers, or the nail technicians at your local salon. Who are those who are unseen who supply the goods and services that might be taken for granted? What are their names? Maybe you work in these arenas. Christ knows them, knows you. He sees them, sees you. He loves them, loves you. Consider pausing to "see" and lift up in prayer.
Oración del Obrero Luchando,
Prayer of the Laborer’s Struggle
by César Chávez
Dios,
Enséñame el sufrimiento de los más desafortunados;
así conoceré el dolor de mi pueblo.
Líbrame a orar por los demás
porque estás presente en cada persona.
Ayúdame a tomar responsabilidad de mi propia vida;
sólo así, seré libre al fin.
Concédeme valentía para servir al prójimo
porque en la entrega hay vida verdadera.
Concédeme honradez y paciencia
para que yo pueda trabajar junto con otros trabajadores.
Alúmbranos con el canto y la celebración
para que se eleve el espíritu entre nosotros.
Que el espíritu florezca y crezca
para que no nos cansemos de la lucha.
Acordémonos de los que han caído por la justicia
porque a nosotros han entregado la vida.
Ayúdanos a amar aun a los que nos odian;
así podremos cambiar el mundo.
Amen.
***
God,
Show me the suffering of the most unfortunate;
thus I will know the people’s pain.
Free me to pray for others,
for you are present in every person.
Help me take responsibility for my own life
so that I can be free at last.
Grant me courage to serve my neighbor
for in service there is true life.
Grant me integrity and patience
so that I can work with other workers.
Enlighten us with song and celebration
so that our spirits will lift in our midst.
Let our spirits flourish and grow
so that we will never tire of the struggle.
Let us remember those who have died for justice
for they have given us life.
Help us love even those who hate us;
so we can change the world.
Amen.
At M25i we hope to inspire an ACNA that is known for its sacramental service of those who are most vulnerable in our society. What might it mean for you to join us in that mission?
