Pope Francis' Prayer for Peace (With Music)

Prayer for Peace

Prayer of the Holy Father Francis at the conclusion of the Pacem in Terris Holy Hour, Friday, 27 October 2023.

A peaceful, prayerful reading by Michael and Bella. This version features soft instrumental music

This podcast is created and published by A Little Pilgrim.

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May this Lent draw you closer to His Sacred Heart! 🔥

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Prayer for Peace

Holy Mary, we stand before you.

You are our Mother and you know our hurts and our struggles.

Queen of Peace, you suffer with us and for us,

as you see so many of your children suffering

from the conflicts and wars that are tearing our world apart.

Blessed Mother, in this dark hour, we look to you,

and in the light of your countenance,

we entrust ourselves and our problems to your maternal heart,

which knows our fears and anxieties.

How great was your concern

when there was no place for Jesus at the inn!

How great was your fear

when you fled in haste to Egypt because Herod sought to kill him.

How great was your anguish before you found him in the temple.

Yet, in the midst of these trials,

you showed us your strength, you acted boldly;

you trusted in God and responded to concern with tender care,

to fear with love, to anguish with acceptance.

Blessed Mother, you did not step back.

At decisive moments, you always took initiative:

with haste you visited Elizabeth;

at the wedding feast of Cana, you prompted our Lord’s first miracle;

in the Upper Room, you kept the disciples united.

And when, on Calvary, a sword pierced your heart,

by your humility and strength,

you kept alive the hope of Easter through the night of sorrow.

Blessed Mother, once more take the initiative for us,

in these times torn by conflict and laid waste by the fire of arms.

Turn your eyes of mercy toward our human family,

which has strayed from the path of peace,

has preferred Cain to Abel,

and has lost the ability to see each other

as brothers and sisters dwelling in a common home.

Intercede for our world, in turmoil and great danger.

Teach us to cherish and care for life,

each and every human life,

and to repudiate the folly of war,

which sows death and threatens our future.

Holy Mary, how many times have you come,

urging prayer and repentance.

But caught up in our own needs

and distracted by the things of this world,

we have turned a deaf ear to your appeals.

Blessed Mother, in your love for us, you never abandon us.

Lead us by the hand and bring us to conversion.

Help us once again to put God first.

Help us to preserve unity in the Church

and to be artisans of communion in our world.

Make us realize once more the importance of the role we play.

Strengthen our sense of responsibility for the cause of peace

as men and women called to pray, worship,

intercede, and make reparation for the whole human race.

By ourselves, we cannot succeed.

Without your Son, we can do nothing.

But you bring us back to Jesus, who is our peace.

Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother,

we come before you and we seek refuge in your Immaculate Heart.