Loving God,
Turn my eyes to the other,
that I may see each as you see me—
with an innate dignity that transcends appearances, circumstances,
class, and all earthly status, which are temporary.
Help me to see the other as Your beloved child, eternally.
Turn my ears to the other,
that I may hear their cries as you hear mine—
with a compassion and tenderness that draws me closer
in the midst of suffering.
Help me to hear the other as Your beloved child, eternally.
Turn my mind to the other,
that I may come to understand them as you understand me—
struggling to find meaning and wholeness in a world that’s
fragmented, and Your light in a world that’s dimmed.
Help me to understand the other as Your beloved child, eternally.
Turn my feet to the other,
that I may approach them across the gaps that divide us—
gaps too often widened by illusions of family, tribe, creed, race…
even otherness itself.
Help me to approach the other as Your beloved child, eternally.
Turn my hands to the other,
that I may serve them as You serve me—
with a touch that cleanses, that heals, that feeds, and that reassures.
Help me to serve the other as Your beloved child, eternally.
Turn my heart to the other,
that I may love them as you love me—
steadfast, forgiving, ever-merciful, with patience,
seeing my joy in theirs.
Help me to love the other as Your beloved child, eternally.
Loving God,
Turn my life to the other,
that I may live in solidarity with them,
and thus with You,
forever.
Amen.
(Edward O’Neill Hoyt, Catholic Relief Services)