When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’ John 1:47-51
Today is the transferred feast day of St. Michael and all Angels. For those of us in the Indigenous community, it is orange shirt day. And, for me, it seems appropriate that they coincide, as the children torn from their families, the ones never seen again, and the communities destroy by the collusion of church and state, need angels and warriors to protect and defend their memory. Our tribes, villages and communities are rebuilding from intentional and planned destruction. We are still here, and by our Creator's love, the beauty and power of our lifeways is being restored.
A Litany for Orange Shirt Day
Loving Creator, you blessed us with offspring
bright, lively and always ready to learn
willing to be formed by their loving elders
dancing alongside the ancients and ancestors.
Lord let us remember the little ones today and may they be held in your loving arms.
Yet our precious children were ripped from us
by policies made to destroy our ways of living
their hair way cut, and tongues were lashed
never seeing their families and homes again.
Lord let us remember the little ones today and may they be held in your loving arms.
Some survived these schools but are hurting
the trauma, the isolation and pain remains
generations have suffered because of the survivors
their stories only recently shared with the world.
Lord let us remember the little ones today and may they be held in your loving arms.
Our hearts are on the ground and spirits broken
yet you are the one who sees and loves us as we are.
Lord let us remember the little ones today and may they be held in your loving arms.
Help us to hope again as we see our grandchildren
living our lifeways and singing the old songs.
Lord let us remember the little ones today and may they be held in your loving arms.
Let us never take for granted the suffering of others
and may our compassion be as fierce and loving as yours.
Lord let us remember the little ones today and may they be held in your loving arms.Amen.
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