Our Mother

Who art not in heaven

but right down on Earth

where we were born

where we belong.

Blessed are we to still be here

beneath your sheltering atmosphere.

Oh dear Mother!

magnificent is your beauty.

Unmatched, diverse, and vast are your landscapes:

mountains, valleys, deserts

oceans, islands, glaciers

waterfalls, rivers, lakes

forests, trees, coral reefs.

Wondrous are your creatures:

mammals, birds, reptiles

amphibians, fishes

and we, your human beings.

Thank you, Mother, for

giving us our daily food to nourish our bodies

clean air to breathe

fresh water to quench our thirst

sunny days to warm our hearts

roots to feel grounded, a roof to call home.

Please, Mother, I beg you

forgive our trespasses

for we, who call ourselves the smartest of species,

have wounded you deeply:

through deforestation, careless civilization

coral bleaching, overfishing

fossil fuels, poisoned skies

polluted waters, blinding lights

plastic and oil drowning your seas,

cities rising where forests used to be.

Gracious Mother,

lead us not into destruction,

but deliver us from extinction.

Grant us one more chance

to mend what we have broken.

For you are powerful,

merciful, and wise.

In you, we place our hope.

Amen.