Yes, Lord, even though I am already an adult, there is much emptiness within me that needs to be filled with love; everyone looks up to me because I once embarked on the path of faith and I seemed strong and full of joy because I felt you very close back then... But since then, no one has noticed that I have a heart like everyone else. Everyone wants me to be strong, but I am, Lord, weak. And many times I wish others would accept my weakness, that others would accept the fact that I too am deeply human, just like everyone else. Therefore, I ask you today to heal those wounds that I have always kept secret because I feared I would appear weak and that others would lose respect for me.
You know about my frustrations, you know my failures, you know me completely. Therefore, today I stand before you as I am: on one hand, I am sad about who I am and what I have ever done, but on the other hand, my heart is full of joy because I know you embrace me, that you understand me...
(Elias Vella OFMConv. /1941–2022/, prayers)
