Each day, at the same time, we are asking Pax Christi USA members, friends and all people of faith, to take five minutes to join in prayer with others around the world for peace. We are asking people to pray for five minutes, one minute for each year of the war in Iraq. We pray that this year will be the last year of war in Iraq, and we offer our prayer so that no future war-- whether in Iran or elsewhere--ever takes place. The time we are asking people to pray is at 12:00 pm EST (11 am CST; 10 am MST; 9 am PST). Any prayer for peace will do, but we are encouraging you to use the designated prayers listed on the Pax Christi USA website. Each prayer can be downloaded from the website or is available as a prayer card from PCUSA.
Prayer for World Peace
by Joan D. Chittister, OSB
Great God, who has told us "Vengeance is mine,"
save us from ourselves,
save us from the vengeance in our hearts
and the acid in our souls.
Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt,
to punish as we have been punished,
to terrorize as we have been terrorized.
Give us the strength it takes to listen rather than to judge,
to trust rather than to fear,
to try again and again to make peace even when peace eludes us.
We ask, O God, for the grace to be our best selves.
We ask for the vision to be builders of the human community
rather than its destroyers.
We ask for the humility as a people
to understand the fears and hopes of other peoples.
We ask for the love it takes to bequeath to the children of the world to come more than the failures of our own making.
We ask for the heart it takes to care
for all the peoples of Afghanistan and Iraq,
of Palestine and Israel,
as well as for ourselves.
Give us the depth of soul, O God, to constrain our might,
to resist the temptations of power,
to refuse to attack the attackable,
to understand that vengeance begets violence,
and to bring peace - not war - wherever we go.
For You, O God, have been merciful to us.
For You, O God, have been patient with us.
For You, O God, have been gracious to us.
And so may we be merciful and patient
and gracious and trusting
with these others who you also love.
This we ask through, Jesus,
the one without vengeance in his heart.
This we ask forever and ever.
Amen.
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A Simple Action for Peace
Several significant days are coming up soon:
- September 11: Fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks
- September 21: UN World Day of Peace
- October 4: Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, proponent of peace
- October 7: Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi
What can we, as individuals, do to help bring peace in the world? We often feel powerless against seemingly inordinate odds. Below is one simple way that might just get our legislators’ attention. The more people that are invited into the process the more effective it will be. |
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Write a note stating:
1. Peace is our right.
- I have a right to live in peace: myself, every person, every living thing.
- I have a right to peace: in my person, my home, my neighborhood, my city, our country, and our world.
2. The present process isn’t working.
- Hatred, fear, violence, war, terrorism are only escalating.
- Killing others has never led to a lasting peace, nor will it ever.
3. Peace won’t happen unless we plan for it, just as diligently as we now plan for war.
- We need to study, research, imagine, create, practice, teach, and fund it.
4. One way to plan for peace is through a Department of Peace.
5. I believe in peace so strongly, that if the US government won’t fund a Department of Peace, I will. Here’s my down payment. Tuck $1 in with your note. |
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 Where to Write
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Whom to Write in the House of Representatives |
| Whom to Write in the Senate |
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