 A PRAYER FOR PEACE BY POPE FRANCIS (FOR UKRAINE) Lord God of peace, hear our prayer! We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced? how much blood has been shed? how many lives have been shattered? how many hopes have been buried? But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: "Never again war!"; "With war everything is lost". Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace. Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness. Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words "division," "hatred," and "war" be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be "brother," and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! Amen. (Source: USCCB https://www.usccb.org/prayers/pope-francis-prayer-peace)
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For Meditation created by Deacon Joe and Easter Almuena: 1. TEMPERANCE: Hold the tongue when spoken to with an irritating tone or hurtful words. (Proverbs 21:23) 2. JUSTICE: Work for universal peace and for the common good. (Matthew 6:24) 3. PRUDENCE: Focus on the spiritual — my relationship with God — rather than the physical, e.g., If you eat one chocolate, how about picking up the bible and read for at least 10 minutes? (Psalm 62) 4. FORTITUDE: Pray the “Hail Mary” when facing difficulties, or, say “Thank you, Lord” for big and little things that tend to be annoying. (2 Corinthians 12:9-11) 5. CHARITY: Say “I love you” often but most of all, ask how you may be of help. (Beatitudes, Matthew 5:3-12) 6. FAITH: You’ve done your best, leave everything else to God. (Romans 8:28) 7. HOPE: Say or post on social media only words that build up the person and the body of Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)  My grandson Cuppy was very jealous of her baby sister when she was an infant. He had been replaced as the most loved child in the whole wide world, so it seemed, because he attempted to poke his sister's eyes many times. One time, as his mom was fixing lunch in the kitchen, she heard a loud cry. There, underneath, Cuppy's sister's eye was a red mark. Things have changed since then. We have had the pleasure of being with Cuppy after a year for 2 weeks. Cuppy adores his sister. Cuppy is firmly and steadfastly in love with his sister. He guards her and looks for her when not in sight. Such is the love of God for us. Shall we not do the same?  “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?” (Mark 4:41) For reflection: Do I know him personally? If so, I know what he can do.  Photo: "Calming the storm" (1600/1601–1653)
Simon de Vlieger; public domain
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AuthorEaster Almuena Archives
March 2022
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