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    • Jun 28, 2018
    • 12 min read

War

Updated: Sep 23

Interviews

Prayers


A prayer for peace in the Ukraine

“To whom shall we go?” (cf. Jn 6: 68)

Lord, there was a time before the bombs

Lord, there was a time before the atrocities

Lord, there was a time before the destruction

Lord, there was a time before …

Who wants the devastation, the ravaging, the turmoil, the loss of limbs, the deaths and destruction of livelihoods, crops and homes?

Who wants the unspeakable harm to the innocent, the undefended, those who cannot run, the weak, the frail and the hospitalized?

Who wants to carry out the commands that humiliate, decimate, dismember, waste, ruin the countryside, towns and cities?

Who, in the beginning, willed to wield the brutality of our neighbours?

Who, then, can enter the well defended, unreachable depths of unforgiveness?

Our hope for peace is built on the crucifixion opening out into the resurrection!

Our hope for peace is built on the extermination camps closing and the beauty of their silence!

Our hope for peace is beyond the machinations of human beings, their hidden plots and plans!

Our hope for peace is bled from the wounds which cannot heal without your help!

Our hope for peace is that human cry for help which pierced the hands and side of Christ!

Mary, Mother of the Lord, St. Joseph and all angels and saints,

Raise a plea in the presence of God which, like a wave gathering Momentum, will reach the throne of Mercy

And open the gates of grace!

by Francis Etheredge Profiles in Catholicism


Prayer for the Children of Ukraine


Oh Lord, we pray for all the people of Ukraine, innocent victims of Russia’s merciless and murderous attack on their country and all who live within it. So many have died, so many have been injured, so many have had to flee from their homes to be able to survive. We pray for all Ukrainians in this time of great need and suffering. Oh Lord, we pray especially for the children of Ukraine whose lives have been so seriously disrupted, who are living in poverty, living with injuries, living with the knowledge that many of their relatives and friends have died, and whom they will never see again. Oh Lord, we pray for the children who have died and we pray for those who have, so far, survived. May those who have died rest in your Peace, Oh Lord. May those who survive be found by their families. May they receive the care that they need, To heal from their suffering, pain and trauma. And live to rebuild their lives and their country. Amen by Dr. Eugene Fisher Profiles in Catholicism


A prayer for all in the Ukrainian war

“Heaven is Open to the Reconciled”

Lord, there was a flower on the windowsill

Lord, there was a home in the house

Lord, there was a family in the garden

Lord, there were neighbours next door

Lord, there was a street in a town

Lord, there was a child …

Lord, they are no more.

Suddenly there were explosions, wreckage, holed, crippled homes;

Suddenly there were sounds that scare us all and words which hurt;

Suddenly there are people fleeing, trapped, wounded, dying or dead.

Suddenly there were scientists, reporters, and medics who said “no”;

Suddenly the world is alive with countries on its lips and in its heart;

Suddenly there is the sending of money, blankets, medicine and all.

Lord, you can foresee the ultimate goal of destruction that bomb upon Bomb blast will bring about – Help turn human hearts from grievance And revenge, towards forgiveness and the good promise of the future.

Lord, you can see the pattern of political alliances that will become

Visible in the time to come – Help the common good of everyday Grandparents, mothers, fathers, children, youths, and peopled places.

Lord, you can foresee the hopelessness that will afflict the future of Our world in the wake of wars – Help the ground recover, purify the Water, the seed to fall and the crops to grow again, healthy and whole.

Suddenly our weakness shows itself as an opening for divine help;

Suddenly the scale of injustice swells, escalates and spreads our cry;

Suddenly the heart breaks, drained, cracked, letting loose our prayers:

Who am I to ask, beg, plead, turn to the Lord God Almighty?

I am a worm and no man – but worms till the soil and seeds sink in!

I am only one, like a raindrop – but millions of us water the earth!

I am merely a cell – but together we are a people-in-relationship:

All peoples, colours, races and faiths are in need of healing; and, as You know, the gates of heaven are reconciliation and forgiveness:

And so, while I am nothing and a nobody, your Son made us to be Adopted brothers and sisters of your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of all who are children of the Father in word and deed; and,

Out of love and mercy, hear our prayer – not for one only but for all.

Mary, Mother of the Lord, St. Joseph and all angels and saints, pray!

by Francis Etheredge author of 12 books – go through the portal to a world of writing or on Amazon.


A Prayer for the Schoolgirls Killed in Afghanistan

Oh Lord, we are anguished at the murder of young girls in Afghanistan.

Less than a week ago.

They lived in an impoverished area of Kabul,

members of the Hazara minority.

Even a local maternity hospital was attacked

just a year ago.


They are targeted both as a minority

and as young women seeking to become educated

and contribute to their society.

These murders are horrific and shameful.

And with U.S. and NATO troops scheduled to leave

by the historic date of September 11, 2021,

one can only suspect

that more killings of the young and innocent,

especially girls and women,

will take place.


We pray that the local authorities will be able to

stop these future killings before they take place.

And we pray for the innocent victims and their families

that they may find peach and solace

in an Afghanistan that can find its way out of the turmoils

of the present and future.


All humans are created in the image and likeness of God,

so we raise our hearts and souls in prayer, Oh Lord,

that a way to peace and prosperity for all

in Afghanistan can at long last be found.

by Dr. Eugene Fisher Profiles in Catholicism


Articles/Commentaries


Book Reviews and Commentaries

Videos


THE "JUST WAR" THEORY - Fr Bill on the Brett Winterble Show (Historical Perspectives)

by Fr. William Nicholas