He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.
“Prayer for Peace” by Faustin Mulonda, Jul/Aug 2023 Herald, p. 26
God, Christ, and Holy Spirit,
You are the perfect model of communion, you who are one God in three persons. You are the full sense of unity rich in diversity that expresses your true nature. Your works bear the mark of your being and speak to us about you.
Biodiversity, a concept that tries without success to express the astonishment of man in front of the multiplicity, the richness of your sublime work of creation. It reveals to some extent the plans of God for the world, and which finds its unity in the paradisiacal Shalom.
You created us in many peoples, colors, cultures, languages and place us in a single world with many spaces far apart, but connected by air, sea, land, and rail lines to ensure the unity of our humanity.
To better celebrate the rich diversity, you have endowed us with the freedom of movement, the intelligence, and the means to travel and contemplate your greatness.
Baffled by that which separates and divides, we have created borders and transformed communication channels into real barriers. Thus, we have moved away from your design that leads us to the fullness of joy, love, and peace. We’ve transformed the world, our common habitat in several countries dominated by tribalism, nationalism, xenophobia, homophobia, and several other forms of violence that threaten conviviality. This artificial division of land involves discrimination based on country of origin, sexual orientation, fortune, religion. …Yet we are all brothers and sisters, children of one family of God.
May the fire of love than emanates from your holy Trinity consume the degrading and inhuman concepts of foreigners, migrants, refugees, undocumented migrants, homosexuals… that empty your children of their inestimable and equal value, ignore their dignity, and are the basis of discrimination and exclusion in our societies.
Determined to follow your advice that guides us toward the restoration of the kingdom of God on Earth, we return to you, our merciful God. Give us the strength and courage to serve you, to accomplish the mission of Christ, through the help of the Holy Spirit. Make us instruments of your peace to renew humanity, to transform our countries into true places of refuge for people bruised by war, poverty, and insecurity.
We ask you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayer Phrase
“Do not be afraid, for I am your God…” (Isaiah 41:10).
Voices of God
What is the voice of God saying to us? Do we hear the whispers of God’s longing for shalom; God’s dream of beauty and wholeness for all creation? Do we hear the “voice” of God calling to us in faces and eyes, in the sounds of suffering and joy, in scripture and sacred word, in tears and laughter, in silence and noise? Spend a few moments reflecting on when and how God’s voice speaks to you. When did you first feel called to join God in the pursuit of peace and justice? How does the call of shalom continue to come to you through the many “voices” of God?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.