A poignant poem/prayer written and kindly shared by Sr Kate Holmstrom SHCJ.
“Weep not for me, but for your children.”
We are the women of Jerusalem.
We were standing by the Way of the Cross.
But we weep both for you, dear Lord,
And for our children.
We weep for all the sorrows of the world.‘
‘We are the women of Ukraine.
We weep for our husbands who embraced us so tenderly,
Bidding us goodbye
as they stayed on to fight,
While we cowered in dark basements
Or struggled to escape to freedom,
Facing an unknown, frightening future,
Encouraging our little ones,
traumatised and fearful.’
‘We weep for our lost, premature babies
As others weep for their own, miscarried children
Or for themselves when they chose to abort
In a tragic miscarriage of judgement and despair.’
‘We are the women of Russia.
Our sons and sweethearts did not go willingly (fed by lies and false promises)
To bomb and kill people just like themselves, ourselves.
We grieve for them all
– whether living or dead.
We cry out in desperation …
but to what avail?’
‘We are the women of Afghanistan
Stripped of our future and condemned to silence.’
‘We are the women of starving countries
Depriving ourselves of a morsel of bread to feed another.’
‘We are the women, old, cold or sick,
Haunted by nightmares of bills and debt.’
‘We are the women raped, beaten, abused
As we shudder and whimper, powerless and vanquished.’
‘You too wept,
Jesus of the tender heart,
Were overcome by the sorrow
at the death of Lazarus
And the destruction of Jerusalem, foretold.’
‘Yes, Lord, still we weep for you
And we weep for all the children of misfortune.
Mother of Sorrows – in our affliction we turn to you.
Tortured Lord – in your mercy, hear our prayers.’
