No one on this planet has escaped hearing and seeing the catastrophe occurring in Haiti. There is a sense of profound frustration when watching images of immense human suffering and loss while feeling helpless to respond. I spoke this morning to a doctor and his wife who have worked for years in Haiti as medical volunteers and asked them what I could do to help. Their response surprised me. "Just pray," they said, "Pray for the people of Haiti." I confess that my first reaction to their advice was resistance. When thousands of persons die in a moment and tens of thousands more lose the little they ever owned, how does a thought or a prayer from my First World living room help— no matter how pious or sincere?

But those who have lived and worked in Haiti know something that I forget. In spite of the highest level of poverty in the Western Hemisphere, our neighbors to the south are known for a remarkable deep faith and highly attuned spiritual sensitivity in spite of their tumultuous history. Reporters said that, moments after the earthquake, the only words heard on the streets were cries of prayer not cursing. Maybe this is the paradoxical gift of those who live "at the bottom" and consistently struggle to find meaning and hope without material security.

So, what kind of prayer could I genuinely pray at this moment for my Haitian sisters and brothers? Maybe it goes something like this...

"Out of the depths I cry to You..."

Lord, help me to stop for a moment and just be in solidarity with the victims of the tragedy in Haiti.

I cannot begin to imagine what good could come out of such a catastrophe. But I can trust that, like me, bystanders around the world will be moved to reach out in some meaningful way to provide aid and relief.

Let my spirit crawl into the rubble with the unnamed persons whose beloved children, parents, spouses and friends are watching and praying now for any sign of life. Though I did not experience the terror of this earthquake, let it shake my sometimes complacent spirit to oppose the injustices that underlie every form of poverty. And though I am not living in their darkness, help me to love these sisters and brothers in their hour of need as if they were my own flesh and blood.

Finally, open my heart to the many "Haitis" around the world. We need them to be our teachers when we, who have too much, forget what life is all about. Allow the immensity of this suffering to dissolve my pettiness, expand my heart with compassion and motivate me to advocate for justice. May the images of Haiti today remind me to ponder what it means to live in poverty of spirit.