Colleen Orchanian

In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus teaches that we are to be His hands and feet. "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me." That sounds great in theory, but in application, it's not so easy. He is telling us that each person we encounter – whether someone we live with or work with or someone we run into at the store – we are to treat as if they are Jesus Himself.

This Bible passage is very familiar to most of us. We've heard it or read it many times in our lives. And sometimes a passage you've read a hundred times suddenly hits home. God opens our eyes and says, I'm talking to you! That's what happened to me. I was listening to a podcast where they were talking about a Litany for Priests and Seminarians written by the Sisters of Life.

A litany is a form of prayer originating in the 4th century. It contains a series of petitions followed by a specific, repeated response. In the Litany of the Saints, we respond Pray for us after each saint's name. In the Litany of Humility, we respond, Deliver me, O Jesus, and then Grant me the grace to desire it. In litanies to Jesus, the response is often Lord have mercy.

The Litany for Priests and Seminarians has two parts. In the first part, the response is Jesus, love me there. Each petition is about healing for the priest. The second response is Father, love them through me, and is directed to petitions for the souls in his care.

As I listened to the conversation about the litany, I realized that I, too, have souls entrusted to my care. (And so do you.) So I decided to write my personal litany as a way of praying for them and me, and reminding me of the perspective I need toward others to serve God faithfully.

I thought about the people entrusted to my care. How should I pray for them? Here are some of the petitions:

• For those who are grieving, Father, love them through me.

• For those who believe themselves to be unlovable, Father, love them through me.

• For every person abandoned or wounded by their earthly father or mother, Father, love them through me.

• For those who struggle with mental health and wellbeing, Father, love them through me.

• For those who are blind to Satan's deceptions, Father, love them through me.

• For those who have to bear great physical pain, Father, love them through me.

• For those who have been rejected or betrayed, Father, love them through me.

There are more, but you get the idea. In each case, I pray for them in their brokenness and pain, and I ask for the grace to love them like Jesus so they can feel the love of God the Father. It's a reminder to me of the great responsibility I have to be God's hands and feet for every person I interact with, whether in spiritual direction, leading a retreat, or fixing dinner for my family. They are all souls entrusted to my care. I have to consciously be Jesus to them. I have to allow God to love them through me.

Some of the petitions remind me of my faults and weaknesses. For example, For those who seem to be unattractive, irritating, or unloveable to me, Father, love them through me. That one reminds me that my likes and dislikes don't exempt me from the duty to love. And I've found that the irritating habits of others are easier to handle because of the litany I pray.

Another petition is this: Every time I am tempted to rely on my own strengths or talents, Father, love them through me. It's so easy to rely on myself and my strengths, or so I thought. In reality, when I let go of this lie – that it's all about me – I find it very freeing. The pressure is off. It's God doing the heavy lifting – not me. Sometimes I need to be reminded of this, and the litany is helpful there.

There are actually two parts to this litany. I've shared the second part, where I ask the Father to love them through me. The first part is just as important – it's about healing me so that I can allow God to love them through me. If I'm broken, I can't love others well. So I have to pray for my own healing. I have to know the Father's love myself so that I can share it with others.

Some of the petitions in the first part – the part about me – are these:

• In the places where I continue to sin, Jesus, love me there.

• In the places where my heart is hardened and closed off to others, Jesus, love me there.

• In that place in my family that is messy, frustrating, and broken, Jesus, love me there.

• In the places where my heart is broken, Jesus, love me there.

Petitions like that help us pray for ourselves and our individual healing, which will allow us to better serve the souls entrusted to us by God.

Why am I sharing all of this with you? Because you, like me, have souls entrusted to your care. You, like me, have people who come to you for guidance and direction. You, like me, have people who are seeking God and think you can help. You, like me, have people in your life who are hurting and need to experience God's love. God put them in your life for a reason. He wants you to love them for him.

You can create your own litany just like I did. The first part is about healing your hurts. Jesus, love me there. Write out where you want and need the love of Jesus so that you can love like Him. Follow each petition with Jesus, love me there. Then write the second part. Think of the souls entrusted to your care. Who are they? What are the crosses they carry? How can you pray for them? You don't have to name the person, only the need. Follow it with Father, love them through me.

Once you have your litany ready, pray it every day. I start by saying, Christ hear us; Christ graciously hear us; Lord Jesus hear our prayer. I end the same way, and then I pray the Our Father. The repetition is good. The words strengthen us so that we can serve God through the least of these we encounter. Let the Father love through you. What joy that will bring!

Questions for prayer:

1. What souls has God entrusted to you? How can you pray for them?

2. How should you pray for yourself so that you can be a better instrument of God's love in the world?