"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 whom you also love.

This we ask through Jesus, the one without vengeance in his heart. This we

ask forever and ever.

Amen.

Prayer published by Pax Christi USA, and provided by The Rev. Karen Rucks, Executive Director, Council of Churches of Greater Springfield

May Peace rule where God reigns and May the God of Peace rule in your mind,
 in your heart and in your daily Activities