Sunday, July 23, 2006

A Prayer for Compassion

Pope Benedict XVI has called for Sunday, July 23 to be a “day of prayer and penance” with regards the situation in the Middle East.

Specifically, the pope is asking the Church to pray for a cease-fire in the recent hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, and Israel and the Palestinians.

A Vatican press release notes that “the Lebanese have the right to see the integrity and sovereignty of their country respected, the Israelis, the right to live in peace in their state, and the Palestinians have the right to have their own free and sovereign homeland.”

In recognition of the pope’s call for prayers for the “worsening situation in the Middle East”, I offer the following prayer – one that I wrote in 2003.


A PRAYER FOR COMPASSION

Let us pray for the fearful, broken world of humanity,
pray that each one of us may seek and find deep within
the flame-like seed of compassion.

May this compassion be lovingly cultivated by all
so that it blooms in desires and actions for justice,
community, and a sustainable world
for all living things.

And may the fragrance of such blossoming
be recognized and celebrated
as peace in our lives
and in our world.

Amen.



Image: Michael J. Bayly

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