LET US PRAY FOR PEACE TODAY…

Today we observe the annual World Day of Prayer. It is “an invitation for Christians to pause and pray together ecumenically and recalls our Christian responsibility to be sensitive to the signs of the times so that we might bring a more authentically Christian dimension to the concerns of our world, our country, our community. Sponsored by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada and its national counterparts around the world, it is celebrated in approximately 165 countries (CCCB Ordo Liturgical Calendar 2023-2024, p. 74).”

Women from around the globe take turns composing a prayer service that is then shared with all the member countries so we can pray and act in solidarity. This year the prayer was prepared by the Christian women of Palestine. 

As we started to prepare for our local celebration, I was struck by the beauty of the prayer. The theme of the prayer is: “I beg you, bear with one another in love.” The scripture theme is Ephesians 4:1-3: “I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 

Given that Palestine has been involved in a devastating armed conflict, the words of the scripture passage take on a deeper meaning. Every day the news shows photos of people’s homes and livelihoods blasted into piles of rubble. It is so challenging to understand why one people would do this to another. After all, isn’t Abraham the father of the faith for all Jewish, Muslim and Christian peoples?

Let us pray today for all of the people who live in the land upon which Jesus walked.

God of grace and mercy, we pray that peace return to the Holy Land.

May your people live in the awareness of their familial ties as children of Abraham and Sarah.  Restore a peace that will last and flourish.

We ask this through our brother, your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

Sr. Pat Carter, CSJ