NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 11/26

At sundown today we entered he season of Advent: 

    a season of joyful expectation of Christmas;

    a season for renewing our hearts as Christ's dwelling place today; 

    and a season for meeting Christ again 

        at the end of our lives, at the end of all time...

Each Saturday night in this season, Night Prayer will focus 

    on lighting one or more candles on the Advent wreath...

 

If you have an Advent Wreath at home, pray for peace this week

   as you light the first candle each day.

If you don't have an Advent Wreath

   - light any candle and pray for peace.

If you have no candle,

   use the virtual candle above and pray for peace

        each time you light the candle on your wreath this week...

Let us pray for peace... 

 

Let us pray for an end to war,

    terrorism, violence and bloodshed...

 

Let us pray for the safe return of those who are in harm's way

    especially those far from home, family and friends...

 

Let us pray for peace at our nation's borders 

   and at the borders of nations around the world...

 

Let us pray for racial peace and harmony in our nation...

 

Let us pray for peace to  end to the violence of mass shootings...

 

Let us pray for political peace and unity in America... 

Let us pray for those who have died in war 

   and for their loved ones who grieve their loss... 

 

Let us pray for our enemies...  

 

Let us pray for the poor who suffer war's hardships... 

 

Let us pray for peace in the Church... 

 

Let us pray for healing peace in the hearts and minds and souls

   of those who have been abused by the Church and her ministers...

 

Let us pray for the peace

   of truth, honesty and transparency in the Church...

 

Let us pray for peace among those divided

   by theological and liturgical differences...

 

Let us pray for the unity of all who believe in Christ...

Let us pray for peace among the people of God...

 

And let us pray for an end to the wars we wage

    in our own families and neighborhoods, 

        at work, at school and in our parishes... 

 

Let us pray for peace and safety

   of all who live with domestic violence...

 

Let us pray for those we make our personal enemies... 

   and those who make enemies of us...

 

Let us pray for an end to the wars we fight 

    with ourselves, within ourselves... 

 

Let us pray for healing peace in the minds and hearts

   of all who live with anxiety, fear and depression... 

 

Let us pray for peace in those secret places in our hearts

    where only God knows how great is our need for peace...

 

Let us pray for the peace we cannot give or make for ourselves,

    the peace the world cannot give,

        the peace that comes from God alone... 

 

Protect us, Lord, while we're awake

and watch over us while we sleep

that awake, we might keep watch with you

and asleep, rest in your peace...

Amen. 

You might find the mood and tone of tonight's song unsettling:

    it's the plaintive chant of those who long for peace.

I offer it here with the thought that we find the peace we truly need

    only when we acknowledge the depths of our need for God... 

 

During Advent, I'll include a sung Advent Blessing each night

just after the Night Prayer musical selection... 

If two widgets don't appear below, click here!

Peace by Dan Loewen

   

The waters are raging, the storm clouds are near 

How long till this chaos will cease 

Come silence the waves of our worry and fear 

Will you come, will you come, bring us peace 

 

Come O Come Emmanuel 

Come O Come Emmanuel 

 

The waves would obey you 

If you just speak the word 

So we wait in the silence 

For your peace here on earth

 

Advent Blessing  

    composed by Michael Joncas and Alan Hommerding

 

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