As Mother’s Day approaches, and Father’s Day follows, let’s pray for parents.

Let’s pray for grandparents. Let’s pray for aunts and uncles.

Let’s pray for single parents and step-parents and foster parents and adoptive parents.

Let’s pray for older brothers and sisters who care for younger ones.

Let’s pray for “people” who encourage and embrace and nourish the youngest members of our family.

In many versions of Luke’s Gospel, verse 19:15 reads as follows: “People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them.”

Luke, and some of his translators, seems to suggest that it wasn’t only parents who brought children to Jesus. There were other caregivers, possibly extended family members or servants, who came with children.

Too often, I think, we read that passage only as a story about children, about Jesus including and valuing children.

But, in embracing the children, isn’t Jesus also responding to the concerns of their parents and caregivers? Isn’t He acknowledging their prayers? Isn’t He telling us that those people who love and care for children are important and need to be encouraged and nourished as well?

Jesus was saying, “I see you” to parents and people who brought children.

So, as we pray for parents and people who care for children, let’s also ask Our Lord to show us how we can support and encourage them as well.

On May 1, as the sun sets around 8:17 pm, from wherever you are, with whomever wants to join you, let’s pray together for parents and people who care about children.

Let’s pray for mothers and fathers. Let’s pray for single parents and those with shared custody. Let’s pray for step-parents and foster parents and adoptive parents.

Let’s pray for grandparents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles.

Let’s pray for teachers and coaches, for daycare and pre-school workers, and those who provide home care for children. Let’s pray for doctors and nurses.

Let’s pray for those who love and care for infants and toddlers, school-age children, middle school and high school youth, and young adults.

Let’s pray with specificity, including those we know by name, and those we see pushing strollers, waiting at the bus stop, coaching ball teams.

And let’s ask together for his Light in helping us find who and how we can help and encourage in ways beyond prayer.