Gandhi, with a French interpreter

‘Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.’ 
― Mahatma Gandhi

Psalm 16 Good News Translation (GNT)

A Prayer of Confidence

Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    all the good things I have come from you.”
How excellent are the Lord's faithful people!
    My greatest pleasure is to be with them.
Those who rush to other gods
    bring many troubles on themselves.
I will not take part in their sacrifices;
    I will not worship their gods.
You, Lord, are all I have,
    and you give me all I need;
    my future is in your hands.
How wonderful are your gifts to me;
    how good they are!
I praise the Lord, because he guides me,
    and in the night my conscience warns me.
I am always aware of the Lord's presence;
    he is near, and nothing can shake me.
And so I am thankful and glad,
    and I feel completely secure,
because you protect me from the power of death.
I have served you faithfully,
    and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead.
You will show me the path that leads to life;
    your presence fills me with joy
    and brings me pleasure forever.

 

 

The ‘White Helmets’ of Syria

Prayer for Peace in the Philippines

On 25 January 44 members of the Philippine National Police, and others, were killed in an encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, a province in Mindanao. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines suggests that this prayer be prayed before the Prayer after Communion at Masses from 1 March till 28 March. Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, President of the CBCP, wrote to his fellow bishops:

‘As the nation continues to grieve over the tragedy in Mamasapano and the family of nations is threatened by war and terror from extremist groups, our best contribution to the nation and to the world is to encourage people to pray . . .

‘I respectfully propose that we the bishops of the Philippines encourage our people to pray the following Oratio Imperata for Peace. Hopefully this prayer can calm the anxieties of our long suffering people and touch the hearts of the enemies of peace.’

The decision to include this prayer in Mass belongs to the bishop of each jurisdiction.

Lord of Peace, we come to You in our need
Create in us an awareness
of the massive forces of violence and terrorism
that threaten our world today.

Grant us a sense of urgency
to activate the forces of goodness, of justice,
of love and of peace in our communities.

Where there is armed conflict,
let us stretch out our arms to our
brothers and sisters.

Where there is abundance and luxury,
let there be simple lifestyle and sharing.

Where there is poverty and misery,
let there be dignified living and constant striving for just structures.

Where there is selfish ambition, let there be humble service.
Where there is injustice, let there be humble atonement.
Where there is despair, let there be hope in the Good News.
Where there are wounds of division, let there be unity and wholeness.
Where there are lies and deceit, let your Truth set us all of us free.
Where there are thoughts of vengeance, let there be healing and forgiveness.

Help us to be committed to the Gospel of peace.
In spite of our differences in faith traditions and ethnic roots,
Teach us Your spirit of mercy and compassion.
For it is only in loving imitation of you, Lord of Peace,
that we can discover the healing springs of life
that will bring about new birth to our earth
a new era of peace
and a new harmony among all
Forever and ever. Amen.

Floribert Bwana Chui: a Martyr to Corruption

Floribert Bwana Chui of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a member of the Community of Sant’Egidio, was murdered in 2007 for refusing a bribe.