Pray for rain, Cardinal Tagle tells faithful, clergy

MANILA, Philippines — Storm the heavens with prayers for rain. 

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle sent out instructions to clergymen and the faithful to pray for rain.

“We are sending you the intention to be inserted into the daily and Sunday Prayer of the Faithful of the masses (in English and Tagalog),” Tagle said.

“Let us together storm the heavens with our supplication, that God’s mercy be upon us and send us the rain we need,” he added.

Tagle said they turn to God at a time when there is an ongoing water crisis.   

“We are currently facing a crisis in water. Experts reported that we are experiencing a mild El Niño. People tasked with managing our water/power resources have warned that we face a crisis in those areas. Our relief will come from nature. And so we implore the Master of all creation, God, our Father, at whose command the winds and the seas obey, to send us rain,” he said.

The English prayer reads: “We ask the Lord to hasten to send the rain we badly need, especially in Luzon, so that the damage to crops and other livelihood and an impending water shortage may be averted, we pray.”

“We beg the Lord to inspire us in this time of crisis to share in the name of Jesus what we have and to take responsibility for one another and for the environment and resources that you have generously provided us, we pray.”