World events color the prayer in our parish communities. Praying for peace is particularly important and apt today, as our world grapples anew with the violence, terrorism and destruction that are only too prevalent. This liturgy is in the spirit by the Liturgy of the Hours and also includes a message from the Pope's meeting in Assisi with leaders of the world's religions.
A leader of prayer, a cantor/song leader and accompanist, three readers, and an assembly of the faithful.
All stand as the Leader begins the prayer by saying:
Leader:
We mark ourselves with the sign of our faith,
in the name of the Father, + and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Leader:
With one heart and one mind
let us bless the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is the way, the truth and the life.
All: Bless the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Hymn suggestions include:
All are seated as the Cantor proclaims the psalm.
Psalm suggestions include:
If you are unable to sing Psalm 85, choose another appropriate psalm or, if you are unable to sing any psalm, recite Psalm 85
This prayer is specific for Psalm 85. If you choose a different psalm, you will need to select the appropriate psalm prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours that corresponds to the psalm.
All stand as the Leader offers the prayer:
Leader: Let us pray.
pause for 7 seconds of silence to allow the assembly to pray in silence
Blessed are you, God of all peoples,
who come among us in Jesus your Son,
embracing the world with the peace
that is found only in you.
Strengthen us that we may
shatter the gloom of injustice and violence
with lives of justice and mercy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All: Amen.
All are seated as Reader I proclaims the scripture:
A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians:
Brothers and sisters:
We are ambassadors for Christ,
since God is making his appeal through us;
we entreat you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin,
so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God.
As we work together with him,
we urge you also, not to accept the grace of God in vain.
For the Lord says,
"At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you."
See, now is the acceptable time;
see, now is the day of salvation!
The word of the Lord.
Please allow for at least one minute of silence before continuing.
After the silence, Reader II reads the following message from Pope John Paul:
A reading from Pope John Paul II's Message for World Day of Peace, 2002
Prayer for peace is not an afterthought to the work of
peace.
It is of the very essence of building the peace of order, justice and
freedom.
To pray for peace is to open the human heart
to the inroads of God's power to renew all things.
With the life-giving force of his grace,
God can create openings for peace
where only obstacles and closures are apparent;
God can strengthen and enlarge the solidarity of the human family
in spite of our endless history of division and conflict.
To pray for peace is to pray for justice,
for a right-ordering of relations within and among nations and
peoples.
It is to pray for freedom, especially for the religious freedom
that is a basic human and civil right of every individual.
To pray for peace is to seek God's forgiveness,
and to implore the courage
to forgive those who have trespassed against us.
Please allow for at least one minute of silence before continuing.
All stand and the leader introduces the intercessions saying:
Leader:
Together let us offer intercession for the people of the whole world
to the God who cares for all the nations without difference or
distinction.
Reader III reads the intention of the intercession from those selected below. (note: 5 or 6 intercessions, from those given below, should be selected before the start of the liturgy)
Reader:
For the Church, the People of God,
that as we work to cultivate peace and unity,
we renew our effort to seek pure wisdom from above.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For understanding among all religions of the world,
that soon each realize that the same God
whom we all love and serve
wants us to live side by side in peace.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For leaders of nations,
that they advance in the way of wisdom and understanding,
leading to peace and justice for all people.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For reconciliation among all nations and people,
that through forgiveness we learn to live in peace.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For peace throughout the world,
that leaders keep the channels of dialogue open,
focusing on understanding and compromise
rather than violent force. Let us pray to the Lord.
For the United States of America,
that this great nation of immigrants be an example to the
world community that races and cultures can live together in
peace.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For our country,
that Mary, our patroness and protector,
watch over us, especially in these times of turmoil.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For peacemakers who hunger and thirst for justice,
that they work continuously to bring about the end to all
conflict.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For peace in the world, in our neighborhoods and families,
that the vision of the psalmist be realized,
when kindness and truth meet and justice and peace kiss.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For all who have lost their lives in war,
that their sacrifices serve to remind us
that killing is not the way to solve conflict.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For men and women who serve their countries in the military,
that their efforts bring about a lasting peace
without loss of human life.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For men and women who serve their countries in the military,
that God protect them from harm
and bring them safely home to their families.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For all members of our faith communities who are suffering,
that soon they be granted the healing power of God's love.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For all who have died in the peace of Christ and for all who
mourn,
that their faith and our communities provide comfort.
Let us pray to the Lord.
Leader:
Gathering our praise and prayer into one, let us pray as Jesus taught
us
Our Father . . . .
end the Lord's Prayer with the traditional:
For thine is the kingdom . . . . for ever and ever. Amen.
Leader: Let us pray
pause for 7 seconds of silence to allow the assembly to pray in silence
Yours, O God, is the vineyard and its harvest.
Yours the kingdom of justice and peace.
You call your people to tend its growth.
Bless the work entrusted to our hands
that we may offer you an abundance of just works,
a rich harvest of peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Leader:
And now, as children of the one God whose name is peace,
let us offer each other a sign of peace.
Hymn suggestions include: