Prayer Leader

I was sent to Makati at Shangri-La last December 9-10, 2010. Karen Padawag of Aboitiz asked me to lead the prayer. Here it is:

Heavenly Creator,

We are gathered here to celebrate your gift of love in its most concrete form: nature. Your majestic land, air, water and fire have never failed to remind us of your inexhaustible affection. They have also reminded us how selfish we've become in abusing the home you have prepared for us. Guilty, O Lord, that's how we feel for forgetting how much love you've shown through nature and so we'd like ourselves to be reminded once more, thru this environmental essay writing contest sponsored by Aboitiz. Through this, grant that our insensitivity be moved so we can act on the damage brought about by pollution not only of air, land and water but also of our minds. May the essays submitted in this contest not only change what we think but how we feel. Make us responsible Lord, because we ought to. We are also grateful for these young writers, hopefully, there are still ears and eyes out there who have the heart to see and listen to what they have to say. Grace this event with your presence Lord. Bless today's gathering. May it succeed and meet its objective--to attain unity in preserving our biodiversity. More than expecting today's recognition, we all offer these or your greater glory. AMEN.

I was actually approached by the Information Manager of WWF. He told me personally that I am such a competent speaker. :) That alone made my stay there more memorable I'd say. For someone to notice an opening prayer is something else. Well, at least for me. :)