Prayer for the World January 14, 2026

Christ Our Light

Introduction

As we draw to the close of the Christmas Season with the Feast of the Epiphany and the Baptism of Jesus, the following words of Jim Wallis are especially timely and meaningful:

As many have done before, it is time again to trust the light of Christ, join the light of Christ, and take the light of Jesus into the world—believing that the darkness, in the end, cannot overcome the light.

Christ in Crisis:  Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus

In the words of the following song, we ask God for peace, love and hope, with trust in God’s grace and then commit to serve and follow Christ Our Light.

Song:  God Give Us Peace That Lasts by Lori True

https://youtu.be/wK0eqMMQkck?si=xDMIaQGteMGZQdj7 

God, give us peace that lasts not through the fear of might,

But through the force of love and love of life and right.

Where costly wars and weapons lure, show us our Lord among the poor.

God give us love that lasts, which makes of strangers, guests;

Which startles hurt with hope and for the weak protests:

What hate or guiltiness emboss, confront with Jesus and the cross.

God, give us hope that lasts through passion and through pain,

Through danger, doubt, and death till life is raised again.

When dread and pessimism loom direct us to the empty tomb.

And all these things we ask in knowledge of your grace,

Which gave the earth its birth and bore a human face;

And with our prayer we give our word to serve and follow Christ our Lord.

Silent Prayer

Reading for Reflection

…the struggle between the light and the darkness is eternal and continues today.  Even while our faith tells us the light will prevail, it is an issue of faith, because we can’t know for certain that the light will prevail.  In our current situation, it tells us two things: First, we must always let our light shine and always remain vigilant for threats to that light, because the darkness will always seek to overcome it.  Second, we can take heart and take hope that the light of Christ is indeed the light of the world, and it is our best and ultimately only reliable tool to keep the darkness at bay. …

But it is vitally important to realize that our hope isn’t finally in politics, but always in the renewal of our faith and a revival of moral conscience in our personal and public lives.  This crisis is not just about politics but also shows how a political crisis could and should provoke a resurgence of faith….  In the end, everything comes down to hope, which is the most important contribution that faith communities make to their societies—to the common good.  And my ultimate conviction because of my faith is this:  Hope means believing in spite of the evidence, then watching the evidence change.  With that confidence, we can take our light into the darkness—and just maybe change history.    

Christ in Crisis:  Why We Need to Reclaim Jesus

Silent Prayer

“The work that our Society has been called to do is the work of Our Lord Jesus Christ…to do for them what Our Lord did when he was here on earth…”

Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on the world.

Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.

Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.

You are his hands,

You are his feet,

You are his eyes.

We are his body.

Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila

Silent Prayer

Song:  God, Give Us Peace That Lasts