# Holy Father, I abandon myself to you – a prayer for the storm
*2008-08-18*

> Bill Young pre‑records a heartfelt prayer of surrender as a storm approaches South Florida, offering his suffering and love for the needy to the Holy Father.

## Opening

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young, and welcome to the 140th episode of Prayer and Lunch. Because a storm is moving into South Florida, I’m recording this prayer in case we lose power over the next few days.

## The Prayer of Abandonment

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Holy Father, I abandon myself to you. Do with me as you please. I am poor and weak, but I give you my humble “yes.” In my weakness may your power be shown, uniting my suffering to that of your Son for the salvation of the world. May my suffering, permitted by the childlike spirit of sacrifice, lead to the grace that transforms our hearts and manifests the strength of redemption in human history. I offer you every tear, every secret complaint, every fear, and every feeling of powerlessness, that your kingdom may come among the little ones of this world.

May my stability be a strength to all missionaries who give themselves to the ends of the earth. I offer you my humble love for every person who lives in spiritual and material poverty, for every mother who watches helplessly as her child dies of hunger, for every abandoned child. I give you everything so that all may come to know the love of God through the loving service of others, and may come to know you as the God of love, liberation, and reconciliation. Amen.

## Reflection

In moments of danger and uncertainty, the prayer reminds us that our weakness is the very place where God’s power can be most clearly seen. By uniting our suffering with Christ’s, we participate in the redemption of the whole world, especially the most vulnerable—children, mothers, and the poor.

## Closing Blessing

May God bless you all.

*When we surrender our frailty to Christ, His redemptive love can flow through us to heal a hurting world.*