Prayers for Lent 2007
Week One

Litany for World Peace
Adapted from a Pax Christi prayer by Joan D. Chittister, OSB

Great God, who has told us
“Vengeance is mine,”
save us from ourselves,
Save us, O God, and heal our hearts.

Save us from the vengeance in our hearts
and the acid in our souls.
Save us, O God, and heal our hearts.

Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt.
Save us, O God, and heal our hearts.

Save us from our desire to punish as we have been punished,
Save us, O God, and heal our hearts.

Save us from our desire to terrorize as we have been terrorized.
Save us, O God, and heal our hearts.

Give us the strength it takes
to listen rather than to judge,
Give us your strength, O God.

Give us the strength to trust rather than to fear,
Give us your strength, O God.

Give us the strength to try again and again
Give us your strength, O God.

Give us the strength to make peace even when peace eludes us.
Give us your strength, O God.

We ask, O God, for the grace
to be our best selves.
Fill us with your grace.

We ask for the vision
to be builders of the human community
rather than its destroyers.
Fill us with your vision.

We ask for the humility as a people
to understand the fears and hopes of other peoples.
Fill us with your truth.

We ask for the love it takes
to bequeath to the children of the world to come
more than the failures of our own making.
Fill us with your love.

We ask for the heart it takes
to care for all the peoples
of Afghanistan and Iraq, of Palestine and Israel
as well as for ourselves.
Fill us with the greatness of your heart.

Give us the depth of soul, O God,
to constrain our might,
Make our souls great.

Give us the depth of soul to resist the temptations of power,
Make our souls great.

Give us the depth of soul to refuse to attack the attackable,
Make our souls great.

Give us the depth of soul to understand
that vengeance begets violence,
Make our souls great.

Give us the depth of soul to bring peace - not war - wherever we go.
Make our souls great.

For You, O God, have been merciful to us.
Lord, have mercy.

For You, O God, have been patient with us.
Lord, have patience.

For You, O God, have been gracious to us.
Lord, be gracious.

And so may we be merciful
God, make us merciful.

May we be patient
God, make us patient.

May we be gracious
God, make us gracious.

May we be trusting
with these others who you also love.
God, teach us trust.

This we ask through, Jesus
the one without vengeance in his heart.
This we ask forever and ever. 
Amen. Amen.