Prayer for Peace

Today after the Angelus prayer Pope Leo XIV said,

“Dear brothers and sisters,  

Alarming news continues to emerge from the Middle East, especially from Iran. Against this tragic backdrop, which includes Israel and Palestine, people’s daily suffering, especially in Gaza and the other territories, where the need for adequate humanitarian aid is becoming increasingly urgent, risks being forgotten.

Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace. This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict. Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable chasm. There are no “distant” conflicts when human dignity is at stake.

War does not solve problems; on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal. No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures.

May diplomacy silence the weapons! May nations chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts!

I wish everyone a happy Sunday, and I bless those who are actively participating in the feast of Corpus Christi today, including those who are singing, playing music, decorating with flowers, displaying crafts and, above all, praying and taking part in the procession. Thanks to you all and have a good Sunday!

Let us pray for our world that there will be peace.

Prayer for Peace in our World

Lord, we pray for peace in our hearts, in our homes, in our world. We pray for countries to find diplomatic solutions that will bring harmony between nations. We pray for wars to end. We give thanks for your promise that one day there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Until that day, we pray for your continued grace and goodness to overflow in this world so that humans can live alongside one another respectfully, allowing for mutual flourishing. Please give those in authority the patience, humility, wisdom and endurance to persevere in bringing about positive solutions for their nations. Amen.

Jubilee

Yesterday we celebrated the 25th anniversary of one of our sisters. The theme for her jubilee celebration was connecting circles. During her prayer service she reflected on the five circles of her life -- Family, Friends, Ursuline Community, Wider Religious Life and Ministry. For each circle she explained the connection and a symbol was brought forth to represent those in that circle. We started with her family with a beautiful crewel that her mother had made and a single rose to recall her mom's presence among us. For her friends three multi colored roses were brought forward. For the Ursuline Community our crucifix, and for her ministry the Serviam shield was brought forward. The Serviam shield is the Ursuline motto around the world. It means "I will serve."

Each of the symbols truly reflected the circle it portrayed and was brought forward by someone in that particular circle. After each was place in front of the altar we sang, "O God, you are the center of my life. I will always praise you, I will always serve you, I will always keep you in my sight." It was a most inspiring reflection for all those present. Needless to say there were tears of joy and happiness throughout the Chapel. The celebration truly was a reflection of the jubilarian. Everyone present whether in person or via Facebook Live was touched by the beauty of the prayer service. A community of circles joined together to celebrate the life they touched along the way. The image below was the focus for the celebration. It truly reflects the celebration and all its parts. May the years ahead be filled with many blessings for her and the Ursuline community.

                                            

Pentecost Sunday

Today we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost -- the Birthday of the Church. I always enjoy this Feast and have fond memories of it. At Mass this morning one of the songs was Send Down the Fire by Marty Haugen.

     Send down the fire of your justice, Send down the rains of your love;

     Come, send down the Spirit,breathe life in your people, and we shall 

     be people of God.

Call us to be your compassion, Teach us the song of your love; 

Give us hearts that sing, Give us deeds that ring, Make us ring 

with the song of your love.

Call us to learn of your mercy, Teach us the way of your peace; 

Give us hearts that feel, Give us hands that heal, Make us walk 

in the way of your peace.

Call us to answer oppression, Teach us the fire of your truth; 

Give us righteous souls, 'Til your justice rolls, Make us burn 

with the fire of your love.

Call us to witness your Kingdom, Give us the presence of Christ; 

May your holy light Keep us shining bright, Ever shine with the 

presence of Christ. Marty Haugen

This song speaks volumes to me especially during this time. 

Our world is in such need of the fire of God's justice and love. 

We need to pray for God's intervention to shower us with peace, love,

and hope. May this Pentecost fill us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The following prayer was shared by Liturgical Press.

Come, Spirit of God!

 

Pentecost by Navarro Pérez Dolz, Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón, Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Jozef Sedmak. Getty Images.

Pentecost Prayer The earth rejoices, it bears its first fruit of glory: Jesus has risen to the Father! In joy, the earth brings forth the promise! Calm in its humility, it draws the light from on high. Come, Spirit of God! Come engulf the universe in your glory! You are the life of all life, the youth that renews everything. You are the heart of the world, beating in the rhythm of love. You are the joy and hope that bear us to the Father. — Days of the Lord  “Pentecost Prayer,” Days of the Lord, Liturgical Press, 1993.  May your heart be ablaze with the love of God through the Holy Spirit.

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "Holy Father, I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them." John 17: 20 – 26

I find this Gospel to be so pertinent for our time. Today we are treated to Jesus praying for his loved ones and friends. Jesus prays that we all may be one. His desire is for us to be unified. Wouldn’t it be great if our world would embrace Jesus’ invitation to be one. He is not asking for us to be cookie cutter molds – he desires us to be open to one another and to take each person where there are. We have so many diverse personalities making up our world that it is not always easy to be one. Each one of us has to make the choice to live out Jesus’ prayer to be willing to embrace relationship with one another. Take some time to reflect on God’s invitation to you. Are you able to accept God’s invitation that we may come one?

Come As You Are

Yesterday we celebrated a profound milestone: the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’. When the late Pope Francis released this prophetic encyclical in 2015, he invited the entire world to hear the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor—and to respond with courage, care, and community. Today, that response is alive in each of us. Across the globe, participants of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform have taken bold, creative steps to live out the Laudato Si’ Goals. We need to continue the response each day.

Today we celebrate the Sixth Sunday of Easter. The time since Easter Sunday has simply flown by and tomorrow, we commemorate Memorial Day. The readings we have listened to during these days have had a common theme, Jesus offers his disciples peace and tells them, “Do not let your heart be troubled or afraid.” As I prayed with this Gospel the song Come As You Are came to mind. It is a simple melody with a most profound message.

Come as you are, that’s how I want you
Come as you are, feel quite at home
Close to my heart, loved and forgiven
Come as you are, why stand alone?

No need to fear, love sets no limits
No need to fear, love never ends
Don’t run away, shamed and disheartened
Rest in my love, trust me again

I came to call sinners, not just the virtuous
I came to bring peace, not to condemn
Each time you fail, to live by my promise
Why do you think, I’d love you the less?

Come as you are, that’s how I love you
Come as you are, trust me again
Nothing can change, the love that I bear you
All will be well, just come as you are.

© Deidre Browne

Our loving God invites us to trust and have hope. We need to remember that our God is always with us. When we are fearful that is an opportunity for our God to draw near to us and give us God’s love and peace. We are never alone; God invites us to always come as we are and to remember that we are loved.  

Habemus Papam

On Wednesday, May 7th the Conclave to elect the 267th successor of Peter began. With the sealing of the Sistine Chapel door the work of the Cardinals began and the world waited in hope. At the end of the first day black smoke appeared signaling that there was no Pope elected. On Thursday, May 8th the white smoke appeared and the world waited for the announcement of the new Pope. The word came a little more than an hour after the smoke. I ran for the nearest television at work where I could watch it in real time. As I waited I experienced a number of emotions - hope, wonder, awe and excitement. When the announcement "Habemus Papam," my heart lept when I heard it was an American. I never expected an American to be named as the Pope.

When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost emerged I was struck by the sense of warmth and humility on his face. It appeared more than once he was overcome by emotion. It was nice to hear his brothers speak of their relationship with him. When his brother was asked if he was going to call his brother "Pope" he simply replied that he never called him "Father" as a priest and was not planning on changing that. You could hear the pride in his brothers and those who know him well.

As he begins his pontificate let us pray for him that he will remain true to his quest for justice and peace in our world. May he take the lead of his predecessor Francis and serve with a caring heart. May God bless Pope Leo XIV.

Kindness & Compassion

Last evening I attended a Town Hall Meeting at the First Baptist Church in Bronxville. It was an interesting experience as I went not knowing what to expect. There were many elected officials and participants from all age groups. As the meeting began the moderator mentioned the guidelines for the time. He stated that the premise of the meeting would be “kindness.” I immediately thought what a wonderful way to begin. How important at this time in our country’s history that we practice kindness. We all need to practice this. The Town Hall Meeting was most informative, and I am grateful to those elected officials who are working so hard for the interest of their constituents. May we all participate and respond with kindness.

A friend shared the quote below from Thich Nhat Hanh with me and as I read it the words echoed for me the meaning of today’s Gospel. Jesus spoke to Peter with compassion. The disciples were called to follow Jesus and be leaders, we are called to do the same. We are called to be disciples of Jesus and whatever we do in life we never stop being a disciple. Being a disciple is a lifelong commitment. We are continuously transformed into the image of Jesus. The call to compassion is one that mirrors how Jesus treated people. May we always live with compassion and kindness.