A Parent's Prayer for Daughters and Sons from the Ignatian Tradition

Build us Daughters and Sons, O God,

Who will be strong enough to know when they are weak,

And brave enough to face themselves when they are afraid.

Daughters and Sons who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,

And humble and gentle in victory.

Build us Daughters and Sons

Whose wishbones will not be where their backbones should be.

Daughters and Sons who will know You—

And that to know themselves is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead them, we pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,

But under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.

Here let them learn compassion for those who fail.

Build us Daughters and Sons whose hearts will be clear,

Whose goals will be high.

Daughters and Sons who will master themselves

Before they seek to master others.

Daughters and Sons who will learn to laugh,

Yet never forget how to weep.

Daughters and Sons who will reach into the future,

Yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are theirs, add, we pray,

Enough of a sense of humor, so that they may always be serious,

Yet never take themselves too seriously.

Give them humility, so that they may always remember

The simplicity of true greatness,

The open mind of true wisdom,

And the meekness of true strength.

Prayer shared Mary Eileen Collingwood  in remembrance of her Dad, Robert F. Cook who died this week in the Cleveland area. Robert had ten children who celebrate his life and memory.

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