A little child
carried water in a battered tin pannier,
and although it was at that time
a task she only half understood,
all her life she would become
a bearer of life,
a bringer of the water
that cleanses and slakes, purifies and soothes,
a liquid that speaks not of itself but proclaims its source…
the genius of its Maker.
The memory of that little child,
fixed in that defining, ambivalent moment,
shows that what carries the water
might not indeed be fine or fit,
but what matters first and finally is the water itself,
unsullied and miraculous….
(“The Water Carrier” by Mary Wickham, RSM)
Gracious and merciful God, on this World Water Day, we recall that Your Spirit moved over the waters of creation. Our bodies are at least 60% water and we depend on water for life. We pray for humility to see all the ways we take water for granted. Send Your Spirit to help us confront those who use water to create strife and conflict. Have mercy on those who are sick or in need because they cannot access safe water. We are thankful for Your gift of water seen in the beauty of waterfalls, placid lakes, rivers, and oceans full of amazing creatures. Give us guidance on how to be better stewards of this finite resource. We ask all of this in Your name.—AMEN.
(Catholic Health Association)
