Mural of Lake Nicaragua. Photo by RobertoVi, Pixabay
That we might become people of Gospel nonviolence, who allow God to disarm our hearts of the violence within us, that we might be nonviolent to ourselves and to every person we meet for the rest of our lives, we pray:
God of Peace, hear our prayer.
That we might practice nonviolence as Jesus did, come to understand his creative nonviolence, and obey his commandments of nonviolence: “put down your sword,” “be as compassionate as God,” and “love your enemies,” we pray:
God of Peace, hear our prayer.
That we might come to know and worship God as a God of peace and nonviolence, who “makes the sun rise on the good and the bad, and causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust,” that we might become peacemakers who help end war and create a culture of nonviolence, and so, fulfill our vocations to be the beloved sons and daughters of the God of peace, we pray:
God of Peace, hear our prayer.
For the church, that it might be a global community of Gospel nonviolence, that it might never bless violence or justify war again, that it might support and bless nonviolent campaigns for justice and peace, and that it might always teach, practice and model the nonviolence of Jesus, we pray:
God of Peace, hear our prayer.
For an end to war, poverty, starvation, racism, sexism, executions, torture, abortion, nuclear weapons, global warming and violence of every kind, we pray:
God of Peace, hear our prayer.
For the coming of a new generation of peacemakers, for new teachers, prophets, apostles, champions and saints of Gospel nonviolence, who will help the world turn from violence to nonviolence, who will lead us to reject war and nuclear weapons, reconcile with one another and create a new culture of peace and nonviolence, we pray:
God of Peace, hear our prayer.
God of peace, thank you for hearing our prayers, all the prayers in our hearts and all the prayers of the whole human race, and we offer them in the name of the nonviolent Jesus. AMEN.
Source: Prayers and Practices of Nonviolence, Mennonite Central Committee Canada
Father John Dear is a priest, peace activist, lecturer and author of 35 books on peace and nonviolence. He is the founder and director of the Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus in Morro Bay, California.
