|
Dear
Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
Monday is
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is a day set aside to honor the memory
of a man of great faith, of non-violence and of peace. Dr. King sought
to confront evil and sin through the conversion of people’s minds and
hearts. He sought to bring about change not through force but through
love.
The quote
below illustrates this thought:
“The
ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing
evil, it multiplies it. You may murder the liar, but you cannot murder
the lie, nor establish the truth. You may murder the hater, but you do
not murder hate, nor establish love. Returning violence for violence
multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of
stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate
cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Martin
Luther King, Jr.
We all need to pray
for peace.
I offer
this litany for peace as one way to pray for peace.
Litany for Peace
From words
and deeds that provoke discord, prejudice and hatred,
O God,
deliver us.
From
suspicions and fears that stand in the way of reconciliation,
O God,
deliver us.
From
believing and speaking lies about other peoples or nations,
O God,
deliver us.
From cruel
indifference to the cries of the hungry and homeless,
O God,
deliver us.
From all
that prevents us from fulfilling your promise of peace,
O God,
deliver us.
Deliver us from our brokenness, we pray, O God,
And by your grace and healing presence deliver us to You.
To still
waters and green pastures,
O Creating God, deliver us.
To the
freedom and forgiveness we find in you,
O Risen Christ, deliver us.
To the
tough task of loving our enemies,
O Jesus, deliver us.
To
joyful service in your name,
O Servant of All, deliver us.
To the
promise of a new heaven and a new earth,
O Holy
Spirit, deliver us now and in the days to come.
To the wholeness of justice,
O Holy
Spirit, deliver us now and in the days to come.
To the power of your peace,
O Holy
Spirit, deliver us now and in the days to come.
Closing
Prayer
Charge our
lives with the power of your peace, O God. Overcome our fears and
self-deceptions with the promise of your presence. Make us signs of your
generosity and justice to all people. Enlighten us each day with hope
and faith, we pray, so that we may walk in your truth and be witnesses
to your love in all our sisters and brothers. Amen.
Let
give our hearts and minds to the Lord.
Fr.
Joe |
