Thursday, August 14, 2014

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM


I was asked to offer a prayer for peace.  Please forgive me if I preach and pray as a Christian, for that is what I am…

Our Sacred Scripture reveals to us: 

“God is Love” (I Jn 4:16)

“In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that God has loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins” (I Jn 4:10)

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13)

“Who is my neighbor?    Who showed himself neighbor to the robbers’ victim?  The one who treated him with mercy.  Go and do likewise.” (Lk 10:29, 36-37)

“So I say to you:  love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father…” (Matt 5:44-45)


God and Father of the human family, you have made us in your image and likeness; you have blessed us with dignity as your adopted sons and daughters. 

Help us to recognize that dignity in those we love and those who do not love us.  Help us to embrace the path of peace, of reconciliation, of forgiveness, of mercy, of healing.

May bombs and mortars and rockets cease forever! 

In our lifetime, from Mohandas Gandhi to Martin Luther King to Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela to Pope Francis, we have heard (and sadly ignored) the prophetic words that violence breeds only more violence; it never breeds the peace for which we long.

 Why must differences breed fear, which breeds bigotry, which breeds hatred and violence?  Why, O Lord, why?

Alle Menschen werden Bruder  When, O Lord, when??

May we drop the weapons, drop the ego, drop the self-righteousness, drop the proper pride, drop everything we clutch so tightly that it keeps us from extending a hand of reconciliation to those we regard (and who regard us) as enemies.

God our heavenly Father, make us people of peace!  Make us people of love!  Make us people of healing and reconciliation!  Make us your true children!  Now, O Lord, now!!