"The Lord is close to the broken-hearted": Prayer for victims of abuse

Lord, we are so sorry for what some of us did

to your children: treated them so cruelly,
especially in their hour of need.
We have left them with a lifelong suffering.
This was not your plan for them or us.
Please help us to help them.
Guide us, Lord, Amen.

-- The following prayer was sent to Archbishop Martin of the Archdiocese of Dublin by someone who suffered abuse so that it could be shared in our parishes. It captures our situation with simplicity and sincerity.

For more on how to help victims of abuse through prayer, visit the Resources for Prayers in response to abuse of any kind collected by the Archdiocese of Dublin.

Photo by AP.