By Claudia Law and Ralph Balan
…young people’s plea… to the God of compassion and mercy…
God, are you there?
I’ve been wanting to talk to you but I feel you’re so far away…
I kinda know you’re here but why do I feel so far from you?
The pandemic is difficult, I thought the world was going to end…
Everyone panicked… I was anxious, I was a close contact, on home quarantine… I got Covid-19… I was sick, people died… My loved ones were affected.
Yesus, di mana Engkau?
Aku tahu Engkau ada disampingku… Tapi aku tidak dapat merasai kehadiranMu… Dunia ini semakin merana, manusia semakin sengsara…
Peperangan, keganasan, kemusnahan, penderitaan, dan kematian berleluasa… Kami dahaga dan lapar akan Engkau, Ya Tuhan… Untuk cinta kasihMu, kedamaianMu, pengharapanMu…
My friends tell me to trust You. I tried.
I prayed about my partner and he was nice to me… Then we got into a fight… and one day he stopped talking to me. I tried to ask him what was wrong but he ghosted me. I think it is my fault that we didn’t work out.
My heart is painful. Why me Lord? Why do You let this happen to me?
I feel so tired and defeated… No matter what I do or how much I do, it never seems enough. My parents want more, my partner wants more, my teachers want more—I feel like I have nothing else to give…
Jesus, I want to rest, save me…
耶稣，我又失败了。我考试不及格，找不到工作。(I failed again in my exam and couldn’t find a job.)
祢为什么让这件事发生在我身上？ (Why do You let this happen to me?)
祢不在乎我吗？ (Do You not care about me?)
我好害怕，我很想放弃。 (I am scared, I want to give up.)
耶稣，祢在哪里？祢到底在哪里？ (Jesus, where are You?)
Jesus, I think I am useless and good for nothing… My parents say that and they always ask me why I can’t be more like my brother or sister. I know I’m not as smart or successful as my sibling, why can’t they love me as I am? I feel like they want me to be someone I’m not. It’s very difficult…
Lord, I’m struggling at home. My parents or relatives often ask me to do things for them but I want my own freedom. Even though I am an adult now, I still feel like I’m treated like a little kid at home.
I have to take care of the adults, and the younger ones, and what about myself? Who takes care of me? Who actually cares about me? I feel so lousy, I’m just a nobody… God, do You care about me?
Why do I always feel that I’m not good enough? Someone said I look fat, so I try to eat less. I want to be better, but everything I do seems wrong and I get blamed for being stupid, that I should know better.
Why is it so hard to be me? Why am I even born into this world if I’m not good enough?
Allah Bapa, aku kesunyian di sini… Aku jauh dari rumahku, dari keluargaku, dari sahabat-sahabatku… Walaupun aku sudah berkawan dengan kenalan-kenalan baru di sini, aku masih memikirkan dan merindui orang-orang di tempat halamanku… Lindungilah mereka Ya Tuhan supaya aku dapat bertemu mereka lagi… Jangan tinggalkan aku keseorangan, aku merinduiMu Yesus…
O Tuhan… Saya berasa sangat susah hati. Tiada perkataan yang boleh huraikan perasaan saya pada masa ini. Saya ingin mendekatiMu melalui doa dan bacaan Kitab, tetapi saya merasa malas ataupun letih. Apabila diingatkan untuk mengikuti Misa, saya berasa leceh pula membuang masa kerana ada perkara yang lebih seronok. Begitu juga dengan malam ini, saya di sini kerana dijemput kawan tetapi hati saya masih tidak tenteram. Tolonglah saya, O Yesus, tenangkan hati saya agar saya dapat menerimaMu pada malam ini.
My God, I need help. I cannot stop what I’m doing, I think it has become an addiction… I get so easily tempted especially when I’m down, or when I’m bored, or when I’m alone… I don’t know how to let go of this, Lord… I don’t want this to affect my life, my future, my health, my family, and my friends… Save me, Lord. I’m drowning…
God, I feel anxious being here… I don’t know why I’m feeling this way… But my heart is so unsettled… I feel like the worst always happens to me and I worry about what people would say about me… I feel depressed, lonely, like I’m in a dark hole and I can’t seem to get out of it… I want to try and keep trying, but I don’t know how… Please help me to stop this feeling… I really don’t know what to do, help me Lord.
Jesus, I want to be better, I want to do better.. Help me persevere and be faithful to You despite my circumstances, just like You did on Your way to Calvary… I want to walk with You Lord, give me the courage and strength… Remember me Lord when You come into Your Kingdom…
Lord, You hear my prayers… I come to You as I am—weak, hurt, and sinful… I want to surrender myself to You tonight, and offer up all that I am—my past, my present, my future… Take me, O Lord, and accept my offering…
O Lord, open my eyes to see my sins, to be humble to say sorry to You, and to accept Your grace which You have given freely to me.
O God of compassion and mercy… be here with me, be here for me.
