Finally, sisters and brothers,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence and if there is anything worth of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard
and seen. Then the God of peace will be with you.
– Paul’s Letter to the Phillipians 4:8-9
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, harmony;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born into eternal life.
– Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
Dear Lord,
In this world where conflicts flare up so easily, help me be a beacon of Your peace. When tensions rise and harsh words tempt my tongue, remind me of Your gentle ways. Give me the courage to extend olive branches instead of building walls.
Open my ears to truly listen, Lord, and guide my words to speak with love. When others push my buttons, help me respond with grace. In moments of disagreement, let me see Your image in those I struggle to understand.
Thank You for Your peace through Jesus. Help me follow His example and build bridges of understanding.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Open our hearts and minds Lord to see as you do and the courage to act as you would.
For Courage to Do Justice
O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others,
Open my ears that I may hear their cries;
Open my heart so that they need not be without succor;
Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,
Nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
And use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears,
That I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee.
– Alan Paton, South Africa, United Methodist Hymn
Each of us was created with a unique destiny as God designed, to bring peace and justice to the world. Let’s pray this prayer for world peace cooperating in our destiny according to His plan. Thy will be done!
A Prayer for World Peace
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 on 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 or women 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 and women were created.
– Author Unknown
Let’s pray that God reveals his peaceful heart to us today and we can see justice through His eyes revealing the precious nature of each soul.
A Prayer for Peace
We are moulded, each one of us,
in the image of God,
and within our souls there is a fingerprint
none can erase.
We pray for those who have no regard
for anyone but self,
who put no value on human life.
For nations and individuals who abuse and kill.
We are not called to be judge or jury,
but we are called to be agents of change,
and if the butterfly that flaps its wings
should be our attitude to others
then so be it, Lord,
and may the hurricane this generates
somewhere within the world
reach into the hearts and souls of those
for whom we pray, and reveal to them
how precious are those
for whom they have no love,
and how precious are they
who now bring tears to the eyes of God.
– John Birch
Lord, Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth. Lead us from despair to hope, from fear to trust. Let peace fill our hearts, our world and our universe. Let us dream together, pray together and work together, To build one world of peace and justice for all.
Prayer for Peace
On This Day….
Mend a quarrel
Search out a forgotten friend
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust
Write a love letter
Share some treasures
Give a soft answer
Encourage youth
Manifest your loyalty in a word or deed
Keep a promise
Find the time
Forego a grudge
Forgive an enemy
Listen
Apologize if you were wrong
Try to understand
Flout envy
Examine your demands on others
Think first of someone else
Appreciate, be kind, be gentle
Laugh a little more.
Deserve confidence
Take up arms against malice
Decry complacency
Express your gratitude
Worship your God
Gladden the heart of a child
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth
Speak your love
Speak it again
Speak it still again
Speak it still once again….
~ Author Unknown
Do you need a boost of faith? I think we all do. Faith is the key that puts every other truth into its proper place. Triumphs become opportunities for gratitude instead of pride. Tragedies become opportunities for growth instead of despair. Life just makes more sense and our faith in God gives us joy even when we face what can feel like insurmountable trials. We all need healing and miracles in our lives. Let’s pray:
Padre Pio’s Prayer for Trust and Confidence:
O Lord, we ask for a boundless confidence and trust in Your divine mercy, and the courage to accept the crosses and sufferings which bring immense goodness to our souls and that of Your Church.
Help us to love You with a pure and contrite heart, and to humble ourselves beneath Your cross, as we climb the mountain of holiness, carrying our cross that leads to heavenly glory.
May we receive You with great faith and love in Holy Communion, and allow You to act in us as You desire for your greater glory.
O Jesus, most adorable Heart and eternal fountain of Divine Love, may our prayer find favor before the Divine Majesty of Your heavenly Father.
Come Holy Spirit, light a fire in the hearts of your people. Help our faithlessness turn into faithfulness allowing us to be more like you. Your faithfulness is never ending. I pray for all your people who have lost hope, or who need the seed of faith you planted in their heart to grow big and wild like a mustard seed. I’m standing in the gap for them today. Amen.
In a world with so much suffering it is only in true surrender to God that we can accept the gift of peace. Surrender is not a destination, a place where we arrive at some point but a life practice. A practice where we explore the places in our life and ultimately our heart and have the realization we need God. In the constant lifting of the veil of my heart, I invite God in to take the lead in those areas I’ve protected and kept to myself. As I fall more deeply in love with the King of the Universe, I surrender in love through love.
There is a prayer by St Ignatius of Loyola that we can pray often to help us on our way.
Suspice
Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding, and my entire will.
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.
Everything is yours; dispose a bit, holy, according to your will.
Give me only your love, and your grace,
That is enough for me.
Amen
All glory needs to be given to its proper source. In a world that wants to be relevant, it is easy to take our lives for granted thinking this is our only life. But true living is living a life of authenticity and love which is understood by having an eternal perspective. This lens draws us to glorify God who is love. This posture is right and just our duty and salvation. When our hearts realize this truth, nothing can hold back our divine praises.
The Divine Praises Litany
Blessed be God.
Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, True God and True Man.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, True God and True Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the Great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy.
Blessed be the Great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most Chaste Spouse.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most Chaste Spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints.
May the Heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.
Smitten With Goodness 