Pray for Peace through Eco-Justice

Isaiah 6:3: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! All the earth is filled with God’s glory!

Opening Prayer:
Creator God, God within us and God beyond us, your wonder fills all that is. Thank you for the gift of all of creation. Teach us to live in peace and harmony with each other and all that you have made. May our world grow in beauty and harmony as we imitate your care for this wondrous world.

Reflection:
Describing God as holy often is meant to describe God’s transcendence, God being other than all creation. I like to think of transcendence as the God that is larger than all of creation and yet all of creation is held within God’s very being. There are no limits to God and so the universe can continue to expand and expand and yet be held within the very being of God.

The Earth is filled with God’s glory. The attributes of God are reflected in everything that God has made. When I encounter another person or when I spend time in nature, I can see something of God. Our Loving Parent chooses to be made known in everything that is. Having the same parent, we are truly brothers and sisters to all humans and to all of creation.

We are called to live in peace. We are called to live as holy people just as God is holy since we are made in the image of God. Holiness for us does mean holding all people and all creation in a loving way, just as creation is held within God’s very being. We are called also to live in peace and justice in our relations with all people and all of creation.

Reflection Question:

Reflect on what it means to be held within the very being of God. What does it mean for you to hold all people and all creation in a loving way?

(Pause for a moment of silent reflection)

Prayer Intentions:
Response: God, hear us.

• That we end pollution and work for the healing of air, land, water, and soil, that these may provide healthy life on our planet, we pray.
• That we recognize the gift and value of all species and work for an end to their extinction, we pray.
• That we choose to recognize all as our brothers and sisters and care for each other and all creation with love, we pray.
• That we live in gratitude for all the wondrous gifts given us by our Creator God, we pray.

Closing Prayer:

God of the sun and the moon, of the mountains, deserts and plains,
God of the mighty oceans, of rivers, lakes and streams
God of all creatures that live in seas and fly in the air
of every living thing that grows and moves on this sacred Earth.

We are formed by Christ into Your People, called to bring the world into Your marvelous light.
As the Body of Christ, we are messengers of ecological vocation.
We are entrusted with caring for this Earth which You have created.
Help us to love and respect it; to repair what we have damaged;
to care for what You have made good and holy.
Give us the wisdom and the passion to change our minds, our hearts and our ways.
Let us be mustard seeds in our world bringing about ecological conversion which grows and spreads to every corner of the Earth
For our sake now and for every generation which is to come. Amen.
(Catholic Earthcare Australia, 2002)

Dominican Blessing:  May God the Creator bless us, May God Redeemer heal us and May God, the Holy Spirit, fill us with peace.

Suggested Practice: I commit myself to add one new practice to the ways I already care for creation.

Join us to Be Peace, Build Peace, and Preach Peace. You can reach us via email at vocation@oppeace.org.

Please share this Novena on your Facebook page and forward it to at least 5 people. The Seventh Day of the Novena will be a prayer for Peace within our Family.

To download and print a copy of this reflection, please click here.

Prepared by Sr. Diana Kozlowski, OP, Columbus, OH.

Peace is Essential to Achieving Racial Justice

Acts 10:34-36: “[God] shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to the Lord. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—who is Lord of all.”

Song: Prayer for Peace by David Haas

Opening Prayer:
God, in your infinite love you created all the nations of the world to be a family. You sent your son, Jesus, to teach us that we are all called to love one another as sisters and brothers.  Yet your family is divided by violence, injustice and the many “isms” prevalent in our world today, including the sin of racism.  God of Justice, enlarge our hearts with love and mercy that we may learn to respect each other in our diversity. May your Spirit strengthen our resolve to continue to strive for peace and justice among all people.

Reflection:
A meaningful slogan that appears during many protests is the saying, “No Justice…No Peace” or “Know Justice…Know Peace.”  The statement that more clearly articulates the meaning behind these words is, “If you want peace, work for justice.”  Peace is essential in achieving justice, whether the goal is realizing economic, social or racial justice.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood this truth. It was the foundation of his commitment to non-violence in the struggle for civil rights.  In fact, King said often in his writings and in his speeches, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.”

The relationship between peace and justice cannot be overlooked as we continue to strive for racial justice in our world today.  As Christians and people of good will, the message of love is a core part of our faith and our values. It is through love that the spirit of peace and justice will flow.  Another quote from King about the power of love puts it this way: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  Love is, indeed, the only force that will drive out the darkness of violence and injustice, including the sin of racism.

Reflection Questions:  Because of divisions in the world and our society, we all have prejudices or biases within us that keep us from seeing each other as we really are.  How can I explore my own implicit bias?  How can I explore becoming more culturally competent?  Do I have friends who are culturally different from me?  In scripture, we are called to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Who do I consider to be my neighbor?

(Pause for a moment of silent reflection)

Prayer Intentions:
Response: God hear us.

• For peace in our families, in our communities, our nation and the world, we pray.
• For the grace to see every human being as a child of God, regardless of race, language or culture, we pray.
• For the strength and wisdom to resolve differences non-violently and respectfully, we pray.
• For public officials, that they will strive to work for the common good and social justice, we pray.
• For the courage to have difficult conversations about race, and for a better appreciation of how our words and action—or even our silence—can impact our local, national and world communities, we pray.

(USCCB Prayers of the Faithful for Day of Peace in our Communities)

Closing Prayer:
Dear God, in our efforts to dismantle racism, we understand that we struggle not merely against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities – those institutions and systems that keep racism alive by perpetuating the lie that some members of the family are inferior and others superior.
Create in us a new mind and heart that will enable us to see brothers and sisters in the faces of those divided by racial categories.
Give us the grace and strength to rid ourselves of racial stereotypes that oppress some of us while providing entitlements to others.
Help us to create a Church and nation that embraces the hopes and fears of oppressed People of Color where we live, as well as those around the world.
Heal your family God, and make us one with you, in union with our brother Jesus, and empowered by your Holy Spirit.
Amen.

(Written by the Pax Christi- USA Anti-Racism Team)

Dominican Blessing:  May God the Creator bless us, May God Redeemer heal us and May God, the Holy Spirit, fill us with peace.

Join us to Be Peace, Build Peace, and Preach Peace. You can reach us via email at vocation@oppeace.org.

Please share this Novena on your Facebook page and forward it to at least 5 people. The Sixth Day of this Novena will be a Prayer for Peace through Eco-Justice.

To download and print a copy of this reflection, please click here.

Prepared by Truc-Lan Nguyen, OPA.

Pray for Peace through Interfaith Dialogue

John 13: 34: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.^”

Song: Prayer of St. Francis (Make Me A Channel of Your Peace)

Opening prayer:
God of all people, open our hearts to understanding other faith traditions.  We are all made in your image and seek to know and follow your ways, to praise you, and to be instruments of your Holy presence.  May we respect those who are different from us, who follow a different faith tradition than us.  May we seek to know the truth of your Word and find common ground among the many faith traditions and recognize that we share a common humanity. Help us to be people of compassion and understanding, creating a path to a peaceful coexistence among all people.  Amen.

Reflection:
Many of us tend to think our way of doing things is the only way to do something.  It may be hard for us to accept those who follow different religious practices or who worship in ways different from what we are accustomed to. But, when we engage in authentic dialogue to understand the customs, behaviors, and beliefs of others, we can begin to let go of the differences that may have kept us apart or made us fearful and intolerant of the other.

It takes courage to be open-minded and not feel threatened by the beliefs of others. We can feel challenged when we are confronted with questions about our way of doing things.  We can feel uncomfortable also with the misconceptions others have of our religious beliefs.  But, only through dialogue and a willingness to understand (not change, evangelize, or proselytize) can we open the door to the possibility of mutual respect and of coexisting peacefully.

Reflection Question:  How do I treat others who are different from me?  What are the ways I show love to those who are different from me?  Do I believe God loves everyone?  Do I seek to understand and befriend those from another faith background?

(Pause for a moment of silent reflection)

Prayer Intentions:

• Holy Spirit, Come. Help us to be open-minded and understanding of those whose faith traditions are different from our own. Holy Spirit, hear us.
• Holy Spirit, Come. Fill us with a spirit of mutual respect in our interactions with people of other faith traditions. Holy Spirit, fill us.
• Jesus, our Savior. Deliver us from saying and doing things that demean others and denigrate their beliefs. Holy Spirit, deliver us.
• God our Redeemer. Forgive people who are intolerant of people of other faith traditions. Forgive us for not always speaking up to prevent harmful outcomes. Holy Spirit, forgive us.
• God of Creation, teach us to value the dignity of each person and care for each other as you care for us.Holy Spirit, teach us.

Closing Prayer:
The following prayer authored by Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergy was used in many places in inter-religious worships around the time of the Gulf War in 1991:

Eternal God, Creator of the universe, there is no God but You.
Great and wonderful are Your works, wondrous are your ways.
Thank You for the many splendored-variety of Your creation.
Thank You for the many ways we affirm Your presence and purpose,
and the freedom to do so.
Forgive our violation of Your creation.
Forgive our violence toward each other.
We stand in awe and gratitude for Your persistent love
for each and all of Your children:
Christian, Jew, Muslim,
as well as those with other faiths.
Grant to all and our leaders attributes of the strong;
mutual respect in words and deed,
restraint in the exercise of power, and
the will for peace with justice, for all.
Eternal God, Creator of the universe, there is no God but You. Amen.

Reprinted from the World Council of Churches website at: https://www.oikoumene.org/en/resources/documents/wcc-programmes/interreligious-dialogue-and-cooperation/interreligious-trust-and-respect/prayer-for-peace-by-christian-jewish-and-muslim-clergy

Dominican Blessing:  May God the Creator bless us, May God Redeemer heal us and May God, the Holy Spirit, fill us with peace.

Suggested Practice: I commit myself today to be accepting of those whose faith traditions are different from me and to finding ways to be welcoming to everyone I meet.

Join us to Be Peace, Build Peace, and Preach Peace. You can reach us via email at vocation@oppeace.org

Please share this Novena on your Facebook page and forward it to at least 5 people.  The Fifth Day of the Novena will be “Peace is Essential to Achieving Racial Justice”

To download a printable copy of this reflection, please click here.

Prepared by Mary Ellen George, OPA.

Peace through Hospitality

Opening Prayer:
Gracious God, lover and creator of all peoples, open our minds and hearts to our many sisters and brothers who are without family, homeor country because of disasters and violence all across our beautiful, battered earth. Help us to hear their cries, to listen to their stories, and to honor their dignity as your children as we open to them places of safety and welcome.
We come to you in the name of your Son, Jesus, who also was a refugee in need of safety and shelter.
Amen.

Song:  Prayer for Peace by David Haas  

Scripture:
When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall do him/her no wrong.
You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as a native among you, and you shall love the stranger as yourself, for you once were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:33-34

I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me.
I assure you, as often as you did it for the least among you, you did it for me. . . and what you did not do for one of the least among you,
you did not do for me.
Matthew 25:35-36, 45

Continue to love each other as brothers [and sisters], and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this, some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:1-3

Reflection:
There is an old Irish proverb that says, “In the shelter of each other, the people find a home.” The scriptures of both the Old and the New Testaments call us to be that “home” to those who come to us bereft of home and family, of country and culture.
Today, in 2018, there are some 65 million displaced people in our world, living both within and outside of their native countries. Of that number, over 21 million are refugees — those who have fled for their lives from cruelty and injustice, violence and loss in the most horrific of forms. There are children born and growing up in primitive refugee camps; and there are adults who risk their own lives, and often that of their children, in trying to give those little ones a future.
Peace through hospitality is possible in many ways:

• Peace through hospitality—by providing safety and welcome for those who struggle to survive for another day.
• Peace through hospitality—by giving hope to those who have lost hope of finding a safe home.
• Peace through hospitality—by the active work of direct service and by prayer and advocacy on their part, crying out against the injustice that would ignore and further endanger those in desperate need of safe shelter.

Reflection Question:
How can I share peace—God’s “shalom”— with migrants and refugees through my own hospitality of heart and home?

(Pause for a moment of silent reflection)

Prayer Intentions:
Response: Holy Spirit, hear us.

– Holy Spirit, awaken us to the knowledge and understanding of the suffering of migrants and refugees, we pray.
– Holy Spirit, give us the awareness to reverence the dignity of every one of these, your people, we pray.
– Holy Spirit, stir our hearts with compassion for migrants and refugees in their suffering, we pray.
– Holy Spirit, grant us the right judgment and courage to speak and act on behalf of migrants and refugees, we pray.
– Holy Spirit, fill us with wisdom in becoming a shelter for each other, we pray.

Closing Prayer:
God of Peace, God of Welcome—we thank you for the rich and beautiful tapestry that you weave as you love into being all the peoples of our earth. Guide us in the way of your Son, Jesus, and in the power of your Spirit as we respond to your command to honor the strangers and angels among us. We offer ourselves as instruments of your welcome and peace by becoming shelter for migrants and refugees through our prayers, our words and our actions. We come to you trusting in your love, which is beyond our imagining, and in the name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Dominican Blessing:  May God the Creator bless us, May God Redeemer heal us and May God, the Holy Spirit, fill us with peace.

Resources:
Here are two websites that provide good basic sources and information for issues on migrants and refugees:

• Jesuit Refugee Services at www.jrsusa.org

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at www.usccb.org/offices/migration-and-refugee-services (also a resource on human trafficking)

Join us to Be Peace, Build Peace, and Preach Peace. You can reach us via email at vocation@oppeace.org.

Please share this Novena on your Facebook page and forward it to at least 5 people. Please join us for the fourth day of this novena, when we will pray for Peace through Interfaith Dialogue.

To download a PDF this prayer and reflection, click here.

Prepared by Judi Engel, OPA. 

Pray for Peace through Communication

Ephesians 4:31-32: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Song:
• Prayer of St. Francis (Make Me A Channel of Your Peace)

Opening prayer:
God of all creation, send us your Spirit to guide and help us, that through us, your Spirit will fill the world with beauty, wonder, and peace. Let us live in the gift of this moment and look for the good in others.  Remind us that it is not enough to simply wish for peace or believe in peace— you call us to work for peace. Give us the courage to be true to your call to be people of peace.  Open our minds and hearts to the message of your Gospel.  May each one of us be a blessing of peace to others.

Reflection:
Communication is important to achieving peaceful relationships.  Our spoken words and tone make a difference in creating either an inviting and welcoming space or a hostile environment for others in interacting with us. Bullying and verbal abuse can create much harm to the dignity of the victim, resulting in low self-image and psychological depression, which may later lead to substance abuse or suicide.  Bullying and verbal abuse can also cause marginalization, divisions or polarities between people.

We need to be mindful of the words we choose to use with others and follow Jesus’ example of compassion, love, and caring for one another. To build peace, be peace, and spread peace, each of us should pay attention to the words and language we use and the tone we deliver.  We should also encourage others to do the same and to eliminate all kinds of bullying.

Reflection Question:  God’s Word is the Living Word. As Jesus’s follower, how should I live and speak so my words may become the living word?

(Pause for a moment of silent reflection)

Prayer Intentions:
Response: Holy Spirit, hear us.

• Holy Spirit, Come. Help the victims of bullying and verbal abuse and give them courage to seek help for healing. Send people to help them recover, we pray.
• Holy Spirit, Come. Awaken people who are bullying and help them to learn how to use words, language and tone properly with compassion, love, and care, we pray.
• Jesus, our Savior. Deliver us from the temptations and the tendency to harm others through bullying and verbal abuse, we pray.
• God of Redeemer. Forgive people who bully or verbally abuse others. Forgive us for not always speaking up to prevent harmful outcomes, we pray.
• God of Creation, teach us how to value the dignity of each person and care for each other as you care for us, we pray.

Closing Prayer: Grant us, Lord God, a vision of your world as your love would have it be: a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or are poor; a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them; a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect; a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love. Give us the inspiration and courage to build it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Downloaded from United Church of Christ prayer website at http://www.ucc.org/justice_ejcp_ef_prayers)

Dominican Blessing:  May God the Creator bless us, May God Redeemer heal us and May God, the Holy Spirit fill us with peace.

Suggested Practice: I commit myself today to pay more attention to my tone when I speak and to use positive words when talking to others.

Join us to Be Peace, Build Peace, and Preach Peace. You can reach us via email at vocation@oppeace.org.

Please share this Novena on your Facebook page and forward it to at least 5 people. Tomorrow’s prayer will be for Peace Through Hospitality.

To download a PDF this prayer and reflection, click here.

Prepared by Sister Mai-Dung Nguyen, OP, Louisville, KY.