EVERYDAY PRAYER

Prayer for peace
Word of god every day

Prayer for peace

The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Memorial of Saint Romuald (†1027), anchorite and father of Camaldolensis monks.
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Libretto DEL GIORNO
Prayer for peace
Monday, June 19

The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Memorial of Saint Romuald (†1027), anchorite and father of Camaldolensis monks.


Reading of the Word of God

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Psalm 98, 1-4

1 O sing to the Lord a new song,
  for he has done marvellous things.
  His right hand and his holy arm
  have gained him victory.

2 The Lord has made known his victory;
  he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.

3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
  to the house of Israel.
  All the ends of the earth have seen
  the victory of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
  break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

The liturgy once again has us pray with psalm 98. It is one of the most frequent psalms to appear in the daily liturgy this year. In response to God’s definitive victory over evil, the psalmist invites believers to sing a “new” song. The words of the past are no longer enough. Now God’s reign has been established on earth. Isaiah seems to echo these words: “The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (52:10). We are well aware of the fact that evil still causes violence in human affairs. But with an understanding that comes from the Gospel, we could say that the “kingdom of God” has already been established. The Lord has defeated with his right hand. With the death and resurrection of Jesus, Evil no longer has its power. Consequently, even if it is still present in human life, it has been defeated once and for all. So we can join in the psalmist’s driving exhortations: sing, cry out, make a joyful noise, sound the horn, clap hands. If the psalmist was probably inspired by a great victory won by Israel, we sing because of Jesus’ ultimate victory. We are reminded of the song for the Lord’s victory contained in Revelation: “And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who have been redeemed from the earth” (Rev 14:2-3). In the typical language of the Bible, we can recognize the song of the assembly of believers celebrating the holy liturgy. In the liturgy, heaven and earth join together to praise the Lord, who has defeated Evil and made us all a part of his city, his people. The psalmist invites us to remember what God has done for us and for all: he has revealed his justice to all people and the ends of the earth have been able to see the salvation that he came to give. Truly the Lord has won a great victory, made known his salvation, revealed his justice, and remembered his love, and now he judges the earth with justice. But God’s justice is called mercy and salvation. It is a love that saves without setting any limit whatsoever. So we can join the psalmist in singing, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises” (v. 4).

Prayer is the heart of the life of the Community of Sant'Egidio and is its absolute priority. At the end of the day, every the Community of Sant'Egidio, large or small, gathers around the Lord to listen to his Word. The Word of God and the prayer are, in fact, the very basis of the whole life of the Community. The disciples cannot do other than remain at the feet of Jesus, as did Mary of Bethany, to receive his love and learn his ways (Phil. 2:5).
So every evening, when the Community returns to the feet of the Lord, it repeats the words of the anonymous disciple: " Lord, teach us how to pray". Jesus, Master of prayer, continues to answer: "When you pray, say: Abba, Father". It is not a simple exhortation, it is much more. With these words Jesus lets the disciples participate in his own relationship with the Father. Therefore in prayer, the fact of being children of the Father who is in heaven, comes before the words we may say. So praying is above all a way of being! That is to say we are children who turn with faith to the Father, certain that they will be heard.
Jesus teaches us to call God "Our Father". And not simply "Father" or "My Father". Disciples, even when they pray on their own, are never isolated nor they are orphans; they are always members of the Lord's family.
In praying together, beside the mystery of being children of God, there is also the mystery of brotherhood, as the Father of the Church said: "You cannot have God as father without having the church as mother". When praying together, the Holy Spirit assembles the disciples in the upper room together with Mary, the Lord's mother, so that they may direct their gaze towards the Lord's face and learn from Him the secret of his Heart.
 The Communities of Sant'Egidio all over the world gather in the various places of prayer and lay before the Lord the hopes and the sufferings of the tired, exhausted crowds of which the Gospel speaks ( Mat. 9: 3-7 ), In these ancient crowds we can see the huge masses of the modern cities, the millions of refugees who continue to flee their countries, the poor, relegated to the very fringe of life and all those who are waiting for someone to take care of them. Praying together includes the cry, the invocation, the aspiration, the desire for peace, the healing and salvation of the men and women of this world. Prayer is never in vain; it rises ceaselessly to the Lord so that anguish is turned into hope, tears into joy, despair into happiness, and solitude into communion. May the Kingdom of God come soon among people!