Join us in praying for an end of violence in the Holy Land
The Belmont Abbey Monks and College community join the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and all the Ordinaries of the Holy Land in a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer on October 17th.
We are asking you to join in prayer and fasting today for the peace and safety of our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. You can add your own intentions below.
Cardinal Pizzaballa’s statement:
Dear brothers and sisters,
may the Lord indeed give us His peace!
The pain and dismay at what is happening is great. Once again we find ourselves in the midst of a political and military crisis. We have suddenly been catapulted into a sea of unprecedented violence. The hatred, which we have unfortunately already been experiencing for too long, will increase even more, and the ensuing spiral of violence will create more destruction. Everything seems to speak of death.
Yet, in this time of sorrow and dismay, we do not want to remain helpless. We cannot let death and its sting (1 Cor 15:55) be the only word we hear.
That is why we feel the need to pray, to turn our hearts to God the Father. Only in this way we can draw the strength and serenity needed to endure these hard times, by turning to Him, in prayer and intercession, to implore and cry out to God amidst this anguish.
On behalf of all the Ordinaries of the Holy Land, I invite all parishes and religious communities to a day of fasting and prayer for peace and reconciliation.
We ask that on Tuesday, October 17, everyone hold a day of fasting, abstinence, and prayer. Let us organize prayer times with Eucharistic adoration and with the recitation of the Rosary to Our Blessed Virgin Mary. Although most probably in many parts of our dioceses circumstances will not permit large gatherings, it is possible to organize simple and sober common moments of prayer in parishes, religious communities, and families.
This is the way we all come together despite everything, and unite collectively in prayer, to deliver to God the Father our thirst for peace, justice, and reconciliation.
With sincere prayers for all,
+Pierbattista Card. Pizzaballa
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
President of the ACOHL
We pray for:
- Peace, safety, and an end of suffering. (John 16:33)
- The Holy Spirit to strengthen believers. (Ephesians 3:16).
- Persecuted believers to know and feel the hope God gives. (Ephesians 1:18).
- Comfort for those afflicted. (Ephesians 3:17)
- God to bring others to himself through the example of those suffering. (Ephesians 6:20)
Sign the prayer chain and commit to praying for our brothers and sisters in directly affected by the Israel-Hamas War by filling out the form below: