My spirit pines for things long depended on
And harbors a quiet fear of emptiness
Of separation from life’s energy and interactions
Of distance from so much that was familiar
I seek centering again, longing for much
And so, I Pray for Your healing touch
Now changed…How fragile and fleeting it all was
The innocence of closeness now cautioned
The joy of touch forever now tainted with fear
Feelings that make us all more human, challenged
Fears that were thought distant, now near
And so, I pray for Your healing touch
I long for a return
To simple things on which I always depended
To the people and places I always felt near
To a sense of closeness easily fulfilled
To the comfort of a gently held hand
And so, I Pray for Your healing touch
Returning, let us not
Create a new life we do not recognize
In ways that separate rather than heal
Fearfully pulling back our helping hands
Enabling fear to challenge mercy
And so, I pray for Your healing touch
_____
Dear Jesus,
Creator of all that is seen and unseen
Yours is the touch most needed right now
I long to receive Your Body and Blood again
Into my physical presence as sacrament
To touch me most intimately with Your love
To help me learn how to touch again
In different but even deeper, more loving ways
Amen