May the whole world proclaim your paternal goodness and your divine mercy” (from Mother Eugenia Ravasio’s prayer “God is my Father”).
Let us pause for a moment: what would happen if this prayer were fulfilled? Can we even imagine what it would be like if people, wherever they are, were fervently engaged in praising God’s goodness; if everyone contributed to witnessing His wonderful signs of love in their lives and in their immediate surroundings; if we supported each other in joining in the praise of our heavenly Father?
But is this just a beautiful and pious dream?
Yes and no… Yes, because it is difficult for us to believe that this is possible, when we look at the state of the world today, which often does not want to know, which often does not want to know anything about God, or even goes so far as to mock and ridicule Our Lord, like the soldiers in the Praetorium.
And no, because the place where this happens is indeed real: it is heaven, where all those who are with God find their joy in praising the glory of our heavenly Father. They never cease and all overflow with the love of our Father.
Now, in the Lord’s Prayer we pray every day: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. So God wants His praise to be heard on earth. And if He wants it, it must be possible.
Certainly there have been and there are communities, families, parishes, small prayer groups where this is already a reality. For them it is a joy to share God’s deeds with others and to proclaim His fatherly goodness and divine mercy.
It is up to us to pray and do our part so that many, many people would awaken to true life and praise our Father in heaven. Then the light would spread and the shadows would disappear.