by Ferdinand Patinio/PNA
The Archdiocese of Manila has asked the clergy to pray for rain amid the water shortage in some parts of the country due to the El Niño weather phenomenon.
In a letter addressed to parishes, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle urged them to include the prayer in daily and Sunday Masses.
“Let us together storm heavens with our application, that God’s mercy be upon us and send us the rain we need,” he said in a letter dated March 12.
“Our relief will come from nature. And so we implore the Master of all creation, God, our Father, at whose command the winds and the seas obey, to send us rain,” the Cardinal added.
Below is the full text of the prayer (in English and Tagalog) issued by Tagle:
Intentions for the Prayer of the Faithful
English:
We ask the Lord to hasten to send the rain we badly need, especially in Luzon, so that the damage to crops and other livelihood and an impending water shortage may be averted, we pray.
We beg the Lord to inspire us in this time of crisis to share in the name of Jesus what we have and to take responsibility for one another and for the environment and resources that you have generously provided us, we pray.
Tagalog:
Hilingin natin sa Panginoon na ipagkaloob ang biyaya ng ulan na siyang matinding pangangailangan lalo na sa Luzon ngayon upang ang pinsala sa mga pananim at kabuhayan at ang napipintong krisis sa tubig ay maiwasan. Manalangin po tayo.
Ngayong panahon ng krisis, himukin nawa ng Panginoon ang ating mga puso upang matutong magbahagi sa ngalan ni Hesus at mamulat sa ating pananagutan sa kapwa, sa kalikasan, at sa lahat ng biyayang ipinagkatiwala sa atin. Manalangin tayo.
Experts said the country is experiencing a mild El Niño, which has caused water level at the La Mesa Dam to drop below its critical level and resulted in water service interruptions in Metro Manila and some parts of Rizal.
