International Leadership Team
Prayer for the Decade of Nonviolence
I bow to the sacred in all creation.
May my spirit fill the world with beauty and wonder.
May my mind seek truth with humility and openness.
May my heart forgive without limit.
May my love for friend, enemy, and outcast be without measure.
May my needs be few and my living simple.
May my actions bear witness to the suffering of others.
May my hands never harm a living being.
May my steps stay on the journey of justice.
May my tongue speak for those who are poor without fear of the powerful.
May my prayers rise with patient discontent until no child is hungry.
May my life's work be a passion for peace and nonviolence.
May my soul rejoice in the present moment.
May my imagination overcome death and despair with new possibility.
And may I risk reputation, comfort, and security to bring this hope to the children.
~ Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB
U.S. Province
World Council of Churches
Give me a heart of poverty, able to love
and open up and give myself to others.
Give me a heart of patience,
able to love and live in hope.
Give me a heart of peacefulness able to love
and sow peace in the world.
Give me a heart of justice, able to love and
measure myself by the standard of justice.
Give me a heart of mercifulness, able to love and
understand and forgive others.
Give me a heart of sensitivity, able to love
and weep without being discouraged.
Give me a heart of purity, able to love and
see God in everyone.
Give me a heart of strength, able to love and
be faithful unto death.
Give me a heart touched by the Gospel, able to love.
September
ULAF Region
Lord, you said to your apostles, “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:20). Why is it so hard for us now to live in that peace?
We ask you, O Father, to guide us along the paths that lead to peace.
We ask you, O Good Jesus, to make us aware of the love and commitment that peace requires.
We ask you, O Holy Spirit, to transform our minds and hearts so that we may seek actions that help us live in peace.
You are our peace, Lord Jesus. That is why we ask you to watch over our people, tormented by violence and burdened with insecurity and fear.
You are our peace, God the Father. That is why we ask you not to abandon the work of your hands. You created us, you knit us together in our mother’s womb. Look upon us, your people, with mercy.
You are our peace, Holy Spirit. Fill us with the fire of your love, that we may courageously pursue and practice nonviolence.
Holy Trinity, help us to trust in your peace, your mercy, and your love.
Amen.
European Region
Lord our God, we turn to you with confidence:
You are a God of peace and reconciliation, of love and mercy
Look at your earth!
We are stunned and cannot find words for what is happening:
War and terror, attacks, destruction, violence.
We are stunned and cannot find words for the suffering and hardship, fear, death, persecution, hunger and despair of countless people worldwide.
You're never on the side of one nation, one party,
You are always on the side of the victims, of those who suffer.
Let us, too, stand by their side and help with all our strength and resources wherever we can.
Let us stand by their side so that they do not lose courage and hope, so that they persevere on the long and difficult road to peace, justice, and freedom.
Open the hearts of the leaders of all nations to understanding and just peace.
Open the hearts of the leaders of all nations to compassion for all the people affected by war, give them a heart full of compassion for all the persecuted, the refugees, the hungry, the physically and mentally wounded.
Lord our God, we trust completely in your word: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Amen
St. Francis Province, North India
Lord,
Lead us from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Let peace fill our hearts, our world and our universe.
May our spirits fill the world with beauty and wonder.
May our minds seek truth with humility and openness.
May our hearts forgive without limit.
May our needs be few and our living simple.
May our actions bear witness to the suffering of others.
May our steps stay on the journey of justice.
May our tongues speak for those who are poor
May our souls rejoice in the present moment.
Let us dream together, pray together and work together,
to build one world of peace and justice for all.
Assisi Province, South India
O Divine Source of Peace!
Stop the war that breaks hearts and homes
Bridge the gap in minds with the power of love and understanding.
Let hatred dissolve in the warmth of compassion.
May every heart learn the language of forgiveness.
Let mutual love and respect flow among all people.
May love cover all enmity and heal old wounds
Clear our vision; remove the clouds of fear and pride.
Uncloud our rigidity and open our minds to peace.
Let wisdom lead the way where darkness lingers.
May peace bloom where conflict once grew.
Let compassion speak louder than weapons.
Guide us to live with humility and grace.
Let our differences become a source of unity.
Plant kindness in the soil of every nation.
May the broken be mended with hope.
Let our hearts beat in harmony with one another.
May every experience awaken us to love.
Let peace be more than a dream—let it be our way of life. Amen