Andre, My Brother
You knew how to pray…
in the midst of your tasks, in the quiet of the night,
deep in your solitude, or surrounded by friends.
Teach me the words that nourish my soul.
You knew how to welcome…
the rich and the powerful,
the poor and the miserable,
the scholar and the illiterate,
especially the simple, often the wounded.
Teach me to love them all without exception.
You knew how to suffer…
to hope in the future,
without complaint, without fear,
to stand firm, to face life.
Teach me the meaning of suffering in silence.
You knew how to live…
or the God whom you served,
for his Son and for his Son’s father and Mother,
to save what is lost,
to free what is shackled.
Teach me to hope in God and his universe.
Jean-Guy Dubuc
