The Way of Peace
We Gather
Leader:We gather today to think about and to pray for peace. On 6th August the world celebrates Peace Day. It is a day when we remember when the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. It is a time when we remember all victims of war and violence and we pray for peace. In our present world, peace may appear a distant possibility and we see the lessons from the past seemingly ignored. We can feel helpless as we watch violence, war and injustice continue to be ever present realities. However, we can not give up and lose heart, for we are resurrection people, people of hope and so we gather today in that spirit and we ask God to be with us as we pray for peace in our world.
Opening Prayer
Leader:Peace be with you
All:And also with you
Leader:May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts.
All:And also in your heart.
Leader:God’s work is peace. As members of God’s family, we are called to be bringers of peace and to promote the growth of peace by the way we live for others. As God’s children we become the lights of peace and justice in the world. Our gathering today is a sign of our willingness to grow in peace and justice. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.
All:Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.
Penitential Rite
Leader: We come together as children of God who yearn for peace, to listen to God’s Word and to think about the ways we can work together to build God’s Kingdom on earth. Let us pause to reflect on God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Reader: Lord Jesus, you love us and call us to be children of God.
Lord have mercy.
All: Lord have mercy.
Reader: Lord Jesus, you invite us to care for each other and be people of
peace. Christ have mercy.
All: Christ have mercy.
Reader: Lord Jesus, you give us gifts to share and use justly and wisely
Lord have mercy.
All: Lord have mercy.
Leader: Loving God, you sent your son Jesus to be the Prince of peace bringing hope, love and justice to the world. Teach us how to reach out to others and be peacemakers and people of justice and fairness. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Word of God
First Reading:Isaiah 32 : 15 - 18
Responsorial Psalm:Psalm 72 In The Time Of God
Justice shall flourish in the time of God,
with the promise of peace, with the promise of peace.
Justice shall flourish in the time of God,
with the promise of peace forever.
Gospel:John 14 : 23 – 29
Reflection
Prayers of Intercession
Leader: As people who search for justice and peace in our world, we offer our prayers to God, the source of all peace and justice.
We pray for the leaders in our Church, our Government and throughout the world, that they may be inspired to make decisions based on goodness and integrity, guiding people towards the building of peace. Let us pray to the Lord.
All:Lord hear our prayer
We pray for areas of our world that are not experiencing peaceful times. May the peace of Christ reign in the hearts of all people. Let us pray to the Lord.
All:Lord hear our prayer
We pray for all humankind, that people learn to love and understand each other’s differences and accept that we all belong to one universal family and all are welcome at the table of God. Let us pray to the Lord.
All:Lord hear our prayer
Leader: Loving God, hear the prayers we make and give us peace and love in our lives. We ask this through Christ our Lord, the peace giver and peace maker. Amen.
A Litany On The Pebbles Of Love
Leader: As a sign of our desire to work for peace and be people of peace, let us reflect on the obstacles that need to be overcome. Those seemingly immovable boulders, can actually be moved by simple actions and sincere thoughts. We can be small pebbles of hope and we can actually make a real difference.
Leader: In the face of the boulders of disrespect for all who are different,
All:Let us be pebbles of respect for the dignity and diversity of
every person.
Leader: In the face of the boulders of having it always my way,
All: Let us be pebbles of mutuality.
Leader: In the face of the boulders of tuning out others,
All: Let us be pebbles of listening love.
Leader: In the face of the boulders of grudges and retaliation,
All: Let us be pebbles of forgiving love.
Leader: In the face of the boulders of using more than our share,
All:Let us be pebbles of simple sufficiency.
Leader: In the face of the boulders of violence against other species and
the earth herself,
All:Let us be pebbles of beauty and respect.
Leader: In the face of the boulders of violent entertainment,
All:Let us be pebbles of playfulness.
Leader: In the face of the boulders of discrimination and exploitation,
because of race, age, gender or sexual orientation,
All:Let us be pebbles of solidarity.
In the face of escalating violence, let us escalate love.
Leader: As a sign that we can all be pebbles of hope, love and peace all are invited to take a pebble and pray THE PEACE PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS
Final Prayer
Leader: We are all called to be peacemakers. We give thanks to God for calling us to do the work of peace in our world today. May we walk in peace, work in peace and live in peace and may God bless us in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Final SongShare it with the World