God, you come to us with the words: PEACE BE WITH YOU!
You want peace to live through forgiveness.

Through forgiveness, you give us peace with God and peace with ourselves. If we pass it on, we become peacemakers among the people.

Make us able to live your words: "Peace be with you".
You who live and reign forever and ever.

Amen.

Come to us, God of peace.
Come with your healing, reconciling power.
Cast fear out by love
and prompt us to turn violence into
reconciliation.

Come to us, God of peace.
That we may hear the cries of the victims
in our world, calling us to stand firm in our
peacemaking.

Come to us, God of peace.
That we may see you in the poor, the tortured,
the despairing.  Come to us, that we may see you
in people of every race.

Come to us, God of hope.
That we may risk ourselves in the tasks
you set before us.

Come to us, God of hope and peace.

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Peace and Non-Violence

Jesus, guide us to search and build peace through the practice of justice, compassion and by defending life, given that justice, life and peace are inseparable.
You have inspired us with your beatitudes to a spirituality of peace and non violence and you invite us to say no to injustice, revenge, abuse of power and to weapons.

Holy Spirit, help us to say yes to the efforts put forth for an alternative society, to an option for life.  May we be witnesses of peace and non violence, may we go through the world loving with the tenderness and compassion of Jesus who proclaims the truth at the cost of His own life, who bravely denounces human exploitation, who never has any rancor but forgives and calls for reconciliation and calls us to build a just society where everyone has a place. Amen.

(Fragments from the book of, Espiritualidad desde América Latina, written by Fernando Bermúdez)

"Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances. Peace is its own reward."  Mahatma Gandhi – The father of India

Lord Jesus Christ, who is called the Prince of Peace, who is yourself our peace and reconciliation and who so often said, "Peace to you," grant us your peace. Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love.

Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace. Enlighten the hearts of all people and their political and religious rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace.

Renew for us the wonders of your mercy; send forth your Spirit to work in the intimacy of hearts so that enemies may begin to dialogue, adversaries may shake hands and people may encounter one another in harmony.

May all commit themselves to the sincere search for true peace which will extinguish all arguments, for charity which overcomes hatred and for pardon which disarms revenge.

May all people of the earth become as brothers and sisters. And may longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all.