Water is a sacred gift that sustains life. We see a sign of God’s generosity in water. It quenches our thirst and makes the earth fertile. In Baptism, it becomes a symbol of his renewing grace. Taking care of water is also a form of safeguarding life and of recognizing that this resource belongs to everyone, without distinction.
In his prayer intention for September, Pope Leo invites us to pray that water be protected so that we might learn to appreciate it with gratitude, justice, and moderation, and so that we might know how to defend the right of every brother and sister to have equal access to drinkable water.
By praying this prayer, you join the millions of people who belong to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network who, from every corner of the world, are praying for humanity’s challenges and the Church’s mission. Take a moment, pray with the Pope.
PRAYER TEXT
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Lord of Life, You have given us the gift of water, source of fruitfulness, freshness, and hope. It quenches thirst, nourishes the earth, and heals wounds.
We thank You, because it is also a symbol of your grace and love that renews us through Baptism. Today we ask You to teach us to safeguard it with gratitude, justice, and responsibility.
Forgive us for turning it into a commodity, forgetting that it is a universal gift, a right without borders, meant for all your children. We see with pain so many brothers and sisters who lack clean water, who walk for miles to find it, who become ill due to its scarcity.
May your Spirit make us pilgrims of the essential, able to live with simplicity, denouncing waste and pollution, defending the right of every brother and sister to drink without fear and without inequality.
May our care for water be a sign of love for the Creator and a commitment to the lives of the poor, educating new generations to value and protect the Earth’s resources. Amen.