Praying to “do no harm”

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Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the Sixth Week of Easter, 27 May 2025
Acts 16:22-34     <*{{{{><  +  ><}}}}*>     John 16:5-11

Let me begin this prayer
Lord Jesus with the call of
St. Paul to their jailer,
"Do no harm to yourself;
we are all here"
following the many 
sad news of people
harming themselves
and others because
of so much pains and sufferings.

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas… After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. About midnight… there was suddenly such a severe earthquake… When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here” (Acts 16:22, 23, 25, 26, 27-28).

These are the words most precious
these days, Lord:
"Do no harm to yourself."

Do no harm to yourself
even if you have failed
for you are more precious than
grades and achievements.

Do no harm to yourself
despite the pains and hurts
there must be a better way
to stop the beatings.

Do no harm to yourself
because we are here...
but, alas, Lord!
We can only cry those words
after they have harmed
themselves and others.
Worst,
we call only those words
"Do no harm to yourself"
when they are gone.

Forgive us,
Jesus for being far
from those in pain and sufferings,
for being insensitive
to those crying in silence,
for being indifferent
to the realities of mental health
and total well-being
of everyone.

Give us a chance,
Jesus to be like Paul and Silas
of saving one life
from doing no harm to one's self
by first being sensitive
to your presence in prayers
because the more we pray,
the more we become sensitive
of you and of others.
Amen.