Cebu Archdiocese Issues Oratio Imperata for Rain Amid El Niño

The Archdiocese of Cebu issued an Oratio Imperata after local towns in Cebu are placed under State of Calamity due to the El Niño weather phenomenon.

The Oratio Imperata or Obligatory Prayer is a set of Roman Catholic invocative prayers consisting of a liturgical action and a short, general prayer which the local ordinary or prelate of the church may publicly pray when a grave need or calamity occurs.

The prayer for rain was released yesterday, March 3, 2019 and will be recited starting this Sunday.

The El Niño weather phenomenon is said to last until June this year and has already affected Cebu’s water supply and agriculture. P5.05 billion losses in agriculture or around 276,568 metric tons of rice and corn crops were destroyed as of April 2, 2019.

The Oratio Imperata hopes to bring rain to help lessen the effects of El Niño in the region. (ASC)

Oratio Imperata for Rain Amid El Niño

Most Gracious and Most Merciful God,
Creator, Source and Giver of all things,
Most powerful in heaven and on earth,
We give You honor and glory.

We thank You
For our home – the earth;
For our light – the sun, moon and stars;
For our solace – our family and friends, our community, our neighbors.

United as Your children, we come to You, pleading,
Shower us with rain, provide us with water that we need.
Father, Your children are begging to survive,
Hear us, we desire to live.

Prolonged drought is depriving us of the fruits of our toil;
Low water supply means hunger and thirst for most of us;
El Niño continues to threaten our relationship with one another.
O Lord, this is a very hostile phenomenon that we beg for You to end.

At this time of looming catastrophe, dear Lord, dwell in our hearts.
Teach us to be more generous; bring out the best in us;
Turn our eyes and ears toward the needs of others, especially the poor.
Move us to share more, care more, serve more and love more.

Holy God, You sanctify this earth to be our sacred abode.
Grant us courage to take in hand the sufferings of the environment;
Grant us might to save and protect the beauty of nature.
Grant us wisdom to restore whatever we have destroyed.

O Loving God, behold on us, Your beloved children
Feel us, feel for us;
Let heaven cry and its tears be our blessed rain.
Have mercy on us Lord, have mercy.

We beg you,
Most Gracious and Merciful God,
Please, let it rain.

Amen