by Jean-Pierre Lintanf, Dominican Friar
Father, source of all life and of all tenderness,
I want to sing to You.
From You comes the most wonderful gift,
your Son, your Word.
It was your breath
that gave to the first witnesses
tongues of fire.
I sing to you because my word
is both yours and mine.
You alone speak of You,
and it is of You, with You,
and for You that I try to proclaim
from over roofs and walls
something that amazes me.
I give you thanks
for the myriads of open ears
that listen to me
and the hearts who are ready
for the word that I proclaim.
I thank you
for the overwhelming echo in return
or for the great silences.
I beg your forgiveness.
Fragile vessel
that shelters the treasure of your Word,
Sometimes I did not follow your word
and many times,
I was afraid by your word.
After all,
who am I to dare to speak about you?
And so, I ask You two things:
to remind me
that what’s important to me
is not necessarily important to you,
and that my word
will always have the sweetness of your word.
