Lord Jesus we remember that you welcomed the children
That they were for you a sign of the kingdom
We desire that same childlike spirit
Which recognises the role of children in the history of humanity
And welcomes them into our lives
We remember Moses a tiny baby set adrift in the reedbeds of the Nile
May we also, like the midwives, commit ourselves to protecting children
We remember the children
We remember Samuel open to your voice when the ears of adults were closed
Open our ears in childlike curiosity to your voice
We remember the children
We remember Josiah the boy King who returned your people to the true way
May we have the same commitment in your life-giving Word
We remember the children
We remember Anne Frank, patient chronicler of the Holocaust
Give us patience in the time of trial and danger
We remember the children
We remember Anna, the tiny angel of the East End
Fill us with the same wonder and delight at your beautiful world
We remember the children
We remember Nkosi Johnson, South African AIDS activist
May we have the same determination to tell the truth
We remember the children
We remember Muhammad Adh-Dhib, the Bedouin child who discovered the Dead Sea scrolls and Maria de Sautuola, who at eight years of age discovered the cave paintings of Altamira
May we have the same curiosity and desire to explore -- irrespective of the consequences
We remember the children
We remember Hector Pearson, boy martyr of apartheid
Give us the same courage and determination to fight for justice
We remember the children
We remember Louis Braille who at 15 invented the system which enabled millions of blind people to read
May we have the same commitment to overcome our limitations
We remember the children
We remember, also, the nameless children who have shared with adults the unfolding history of our world
We remember the murdered, the abused, the enslaved who have been the victims of adult greed and exploitation
We remember the children
We remember the forgotten, the neglected, those who have starved to death caught up in the failed schemes and misplaced hopes of the powerful
We remember the children
We remember the innocent, the carefree and the joyful who have brought gladness and insight without even realising what they are doing
We remember the children
And, Lord Jesus, we remember you, who came into this world without strength and without power, who depended on the care and nurture of Mary and Joseph before asserting your own independence and obedience to a greater power -- your Heavenly Father.
Lord Jesus give us the grace to remember the children