International Prayer for Peace
Benedictine Prayer
We invite you to join us Sunday, March 18, 2007, the Sunday for the Third Annual, International Ecumenical Prayer for Peace Day.
This prayer that was prayed around the world on in 2005 and 2006 by Benedictines, their Oblates and lay associates, and other members of religious orders, churches of many faiths, chaplains, families and friends. This year we
Let us pray:
“God, we come to you with our arms outstretched, in praise, thanksgiving and petition. Please consecrate our plea for peace and make it Holy: Bless the hungry with Your Harvest, and the homeless with Your Shelter. Bless the oppressed with Your Freedom, and those who are desperate with Your Hope. Bless us all with tolerance for our neighbor and relief from the corrupt. Bless those who are hungry of soul and spirit; let them lean on you, and know Your Guidance and Your Love. And please heal the woundedness in our world.
“Let us go beyond our earthly limitations, forgive those who tear down our buildings and kill our loved ones. If we have thwarted peace, let us restore it, and welcome others with a smile.
“We pray for our nations’ leaders to bring us balance, order and justice. Make our determination strong; fill us with resolve to withstand evil. Lord, we pray for our own inner peace; let us reach out to you for Your Comfort. Touch us. Heal us.
“And Lord, please protect those who protect us. And may the mighty arm of the Archangel Michael, Your Defender, stay the hand of evil. And finally, God, as Your Son taught us to love our enemies, bless them as well. Jesus, heal our woundedness. Holy Spirit, soften our hearts with the Hidden Light of Your Love.
In the Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.”
Note: Pray in Your Faith Tradition. We appeal to all Faith Traditions: Christians (Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic, Coptic and others) Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and others. Christians will want to pray in the Name of Jesus. You may want to substitute the traditional words of your faith. The important thing is that we all join hands around the world and ask God Our Creator for His Peace on Sunday, March 19, 2007.
My Declaration of Peace
The empowering part of the Prayer for
Peace is The Declaration of Peace. We not only pray for God’s Peace and Happiness, but we declare peace in our own lives – it begins with us – by doing three things: (1) try to eliminate hatred and intolerance from our hearts, minds and behaviors, (2) to feed the hungry and visit the sick, and (3) to forgive and bless one enemy that day, Sunday, March 18, 2007, and every First Sunday before and after. First Sundays are our very own Declare Peace Day.
In this way we work with God in a joint venture, if you will, to restore the peace with which God created us. Throughout history this kind of venture has worked well.