For the Church and her mission to spread love and mercy in our world, we pray to the Lord.
For an end to all wars, for peace in the world, in our societies, and in our homes, we pray to the Lord.
For healing and freedom from all that prevents us from living God’s commandments of love, we pray to the Lord.
For the sick and for those in most need of our prayer at this time, we pray to the Lord.
For the departed, especially for those who have been forgotten, we pray to the Lord.
PRAYERS FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD
Loving Father,
We bring to you the suffering of our world today.
Look kindly upon every person living in fear, suffering persecution, or facing death.
Help us to remember that you are the Father of all of your children on earth.
Fill each heart with an unwavering trust in your Fatherly love.
Forgive us when we have not cared for our earth, the home you have given.
Forgive us when we chose the path of selfishness rather than the path of Love.
Forgive us when we forgot to live as brothers and sisters on this earth,
the way you have shown in fellowship with your disciples.
Look upon us with your compassion,
the way you looked upon the world from the cross.
Remember not the evil we have done,
but see the depth of our repentance.
Give peace to the world,
help us to live anew.
Send your Spirit to guide each our step,
to build rather than to destroy,
to love rather than to hate,
to live rather than to die.
In Jesus’ name,
through the victory of his resurrection,
we pray.
Amen.
PRAYER FOR PEACE
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… but our efforts have been in vain.
Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost.” Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarrelling into forgiveness.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division,” “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother,” and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen.