Gratitude for breathing
Your Spirit in us
for glorious dawning
of each precious day
Gratitude for where
divine wisdom leads
at every moment
of life’s journey
Gratitude for holding
our humanity in
Your gentle hands
of healing compassion
Gratitude for food
shared and prepared
concerned about hungry poor ones
surviving with less than nothing
Gratitude for kindness
done in small seeds
nothing ever wasted
where generosity prevails
Gratitude for family
mindfully present
though socially distant
united in love
Gratitude for being drawn
to gracious self surrender
Your dwelling place
our wounded hearts
Gratitude for simple things
sunrise and sunset
children’s smiling faces
Your presence everywhere
Fr. Mike Bassano, MM
Fr. Mike is a member of Solidarity with South Sudan and ministers to the people in the UN Protection of Civilians Site in Malakal. The camp has 30,000 residents, a number of whom are infected with COVID-19. Mike lives in the UN section of the camp reserved for staff of humanitarian agencies working in the area. Currently he is prohibited from visiting the people in the camp, but provides the Sunday liturgy via radio. Photo credit: Maryknoll Magazine (“Letter from Camp in South Sudan,” April 2020)
