November 2019: Prayers and Reflections

Prayers and Reflections

Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together

We, who believe in God and in the final meeting with Him and His judgment, on the basis of our religious and moral responsibility, and through this Document, call upon ourselves, upon the leaders of the world as well as the architects of international policy and world economy, to work strenuously to spread the culture of tolerance and of living together in peace; to intervene at the earliest opportunity to stop the shedding of innocent blood and bring an end to wars, conflicts, environmental decay and the moral and cultural decline that the world is presently experiencing.

[…] the family as the fundamental nucleus of society and humanity is essential in bringing children into the world, raising them, educating them, and providing them with solid moral formation and domestic security. To attack the institution of the family, to regard it with contempt or to doubt its important role, is one of the most threatening evils of our era…

[…] everyone must safeguard this gift of life from its beginning up to its natural end. We therefore condemn all those practices that are a threat to life such as genocide, acts of terrorism, forced displacement, human organ trafficking, abortion and euthanasia. We likewise condemn the policies that promote these practices. Moreover, we resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism, nor must they incite violence or the shedding of blood… God, the Almighty, has no need to be defended by anyone and does not want His name to be used to terrorize people.

From: A Document on Human Fraternity
for World Peace and Living Together

His Holiness, Pope Francis;
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb

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Art, Poetry, Music, Discipleship

The saints’ lives and writings often bring to life before us some aspect of the life of Jesus, the Word made flesh and make it present among us. St Francis (+1224) was devoted to the humanity of Christ. His vision of the Cross was a human Jesus who suffered and died. This influenced Art and the depictions of the Crucifixion showed someone truly human suffering…

Poetry and music are important for us because they help us accept our brokenness and allow God to shine his light in our hearts. We can admit we are broken and begin to form communities of the shaken. As Oscar Wilde said: ‘How else but through a broken heart may the Lord Christ enter in’ (‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’)

John O’Brien OFM, A Love Supreme (2019), pp. 8 and 15

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Blessing for a Survivor of Crime, Abuse or Oppression

Lord God,

your own Son was delivered into the hands of the wicked,

yet he prayed for his persecutors

and overcame hatred with the blood of his cross.

Relieve the suffering of N.; grant him/her peace of mind

and a renewed faith in your protection and care.

Protect us all from the violence of others,

keep us safe from the weapons of hate,

and restore to us tranquillity and peace.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

From The Veritas Book of Blessings for all Occasions

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Urnaí Cheilteach

In ainm an Athar Naofa ’tá ar Neamh,

in ainm an Mhic d’fhulaing an Páis,

a Mhaighdean Mhuire, tar i m’choinnibh,

a Mhichíl naofa, glaoimse tú ar láimh,

agus beir m’anam soar leat ar uair mo bháis.

An tAifreann Sochraide: Léachtaí, Paidreacha agus Machnaimh (Veritas, 2019)

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