*You are welcome to use as a resource for Mother’s and Father’s Day services with permission © Ashley-Anne Masters.

God of all life, we pray:

For those who got pregnant right away and those who have been trying for years

For those who entrust their babies to the care of another family

For those who cannot wait to welcome a baby into their home and those who are terrified they are not fit to be parents

For those whose child will get a soccer scholarship and those whose child will never run

For those who proudly pose for pregnant photos and those who shamefully hide their bellies

For those who are proud to be fathers and those who hope the DNA tests are incorrect

For those who pay child support and those who need child support

For those who fight with teenage daughters and those whose daughters have run away

For those who cannot pay for college and those who cannot pay for medical care

For those who home school and those who fear their children won’t make it home from school

For those who think their son is the best surprise of their life

For those whose children are in prison and those whose children want to be corrections officers

For those whose baby doesn’t live outside of the womb and those whose wombs are empty

For those taking hormones and those who feel exhausted from hormone changes

For those grieving what will never be and those amazed by what life has become

For those who are single parents and those who are now step parents

For those who have an empty nest and for those whose nest was never full

For the couple who is closer than ever and the couple getting divorced

For all of your children of all ages, hold them close and give them life, Amen.

This litany was originally featured on Fidelia’s Sisters