Prayer for the World September 20, 2023

Prayer for the World, Wednesday, September 20, 2023

International Day of Peace – Sept 21

Introduction:

The International Day of Peace (Peace Day) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture of peace.

This year is particularly significant because it is the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Resolution on the program of action on a culture of peace. The theme for the 2023 Global Peace Day is: Actions for Peace: Our ambition for the Global Goals. This theme is a call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility to foster peace. Fostering peace contributes to the realization of the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and achieving the SDGs will create a culture of peace for all. We are invited to join the United Nation’s call to take action for peace: fight inequality, drive action on climate change, and promote and protect human rights.

Mantra: All I Do Today by Jan Novotka, youtube.com

May all I do today, be for the healing of the whole. May all I do today, mend a broken world. May all I do today, bring blessing on the Earth. May all I do today, be for the good of all. All I do today.

Readings for Reflection:

“There is an “architecture” of peace, to which different institutions of society contribute, each according to its own area of expertise, but there is also an “art” of peace that involves us all. From the various peace processes that have taken place in different parts of the world, “we have learned that these ways of making peace, of placing reason above revenge, of the delicate harmony between politics and law, cannot ignore the involvement of ordinary people…..it is always helpful to incorporate into our peace processes the experience of those sectors that have often been overlooked……” (Encyclical by Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, #231)

“No one can cultivate a sober and satisfying life without being at peace with him or herself. An adequate understanding of spirituality consists in filling out what we mean by peace……Inner peace is closely related to care for ecology and for the common good because, lived out authentically, it is reflected in a balanced lifestyle together with a capacity for wonder which takes us to a deeper understanding of life. An integral ecology includes taking time to recover a serene harmony with creation, reflecting on our lifestyle and our ideals, and contemplating the Creator who lives among us and surrounds us, whose presence “must not be contrived but found, uncovered.” (Laudato Si’, # 225)

Reflection: 20 minutes

Creating a more personal, peaceful life:

1. Seek to love, not control others

2. Find your inner peace

3. Moderate your convictions

4. Be Tolerant

5. Be peace

6. Reflection on thought

7. Seek forgiveness, not revenge

8. Live in joy

Individuals are invited to formulate petitions during the reflection time, based on the above suggestions.

Reflection: 15 minutes

Mantra:All I Do Today