Prayer For Peace In The Whole World

Lord, we pray for the power to be gentle; the strength to be forgiving; the patience to be understanding; and the endurance to accept the consequences of holding to what we believe to be right.
May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil and the power of love to overcome hatred.
We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe in a world emancipated from violence, a new world where fear shall no longer lead men to commit injustice, nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.
Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy to the task of making peace, praying always for the inspiration and the power to fulfill the destiny for which we and all men were created. Amen


Father, we pray for our nation,
its politicians and its people:
for the imagination and the will to seek the reconciliation
that will bring us stability and peace.
Send your Holy Spirit to break down division,
that in Christ we may recognise our common humanity,
and in that freedom work to honour all people
by bringing an end to suspicion and misunderstanding;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.


Lord God,
you hold both heaven and earth in a single peace.
Let the design of your great love
shine on the waste of our anger and sorrow,
and give peace to your Church,
peace among nations,
peace in our homes,
and peace in our hearts,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
O God and Father of us all,
hear the prayer we offer for our nation in this time of transition and uncertainty
Forgive our selfishness in ignoring the needs of our brothers and sisters.
Save us from the arrogance that disregards the opinions of others.
Strengthen us to work for your kingdom of justice.
And unite us as a people in the love of freedom and in the cause of righteousness;
for Christ our Saviour's sake. Amen


Dear God,

If there's one thing I know for sure right now, it's that the world wasn't meant to be like this.

Nice, France. Orlando. Dallas. Alton Sterling. Philando Castile. These names, and too many others like them, are my nation's newest synonyms for tragedy. For the friends and family of those who have died, they represent moments of agony that can never be unwritten. For those whose race or sexuality or occupation has given them reason to fear the same kind of violence, they are threats, reminders that catastrophe is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

Even for me, though these names are little more than headlines to weep over and shake my fist at, they still leave me reeling. They make me wonder how much longer the world as I know it can possibly survive. They make me wonder what I can do, how I should respond, if I too am complicit in this violence.

But you, God, know these names better than all of us. They're not just names to you. You've studied every detail of every life damaged or lost in these tragedies. You've numbered the hairs on every head, gathered every tear. The people I've only ever known as victims, you've known all along as reflections of your own image.

You know far better than I that the world wasn't made for hatred and pain. You're the one who knew our human race from the very beginning, the one who breathed life into our dust and called us very good. You know just how beautiful we were intended to be.


O God of freedom and joy, we humbly ask You to hear our prayers andanswer them as only You know best for us. May we live as your daughtersand sons liberated through Jesus. May we continually strive to make YourKingdom a reality here and now as we work for justice, peace, equality, andlove. Amen.


Liberate me, Lord,from the slavery of sin,from the prison of prejudice,and from the bonds of bigotry.Break down the barriers, Jesus,separating me from all my brothers and sistersthroughout the world.Deliver me from deceit and self-deceptionand set me free from hurtful habitsthat I might love and serve Youin everyone I meet this day.Freed by your grace,may I extend Your liberating loveto people still enslaved, oppressed or forgottentill everyone on earth reclaims their dignityas daughters and sons of God. Christ of Maryknoll, Joseph Veneroso, MMSaint John Baptist de La Salle and all you holy brothers who have gone before us,inspire us to be grateful for the gift of freedomand that our work of Catholic education will bring justice and peace to all peoples.Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever!


This beautiful world
can be cruel,
destroying life
and livelihood
in an instant,
challenging our faith
in a God who cares.
This beautiful world
is yours, Lord,
created in love,
gifted by grace.
Help us
understand it ,
care for it ,
protect it,
and when disaster strikes
be there,
if not in person,
then in prayer.


O God, who art the unsearchable abyss of peace,
the ineffable sea of love, the fountain of blessings
and the bestower of affection,
who sendest peace to those that receive it;

Open to us this day the sea of thy love
and water us with plenteous streams
from the riches of thy grace
and from the most sweet springs of thy kindness.

Make us children of quietness and heirs of peace,
enkindle in us the fire of thy love;
sow in us thy fear;
strengthen our weakness by thy power;
bind us closely to thee and to each other
in our firm and indissoluble bond of unity: