Prayer for Peace in 2021
Taken from Pope Francis's "A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace1"
As we embark together toward what we hope is a more serene and calm horizon, let us reflect together on the words of Pope Francis:
At a time like this, when the barque of humanity, tossed by the storm of the current crisis, struggles to advance towards a calmer and more serene horizon, the "rudder" of human dignity and the "compass" of fundamental social principles can enable us together to steer a sure course. As Christians, we should always look to Our Lady, Star of the Sea and Mother of Hope. May we work together to advance towards a new horizon of love and peace, of fraternity and solidarity, of mutual support and acceptance. May we never yield to the temptation to disregard others, especially those in greatest need, and to look the other way;[26] instead, may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, "to form a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another".[27]
O God of the expanse, whose love stretches beyond even the farthest distance we can imagine:
Amid a season of darkness, we can catch now—out of the corner of our eye—the light of your hope on the horizon.
Grant us, we pray, the courage and humility to serve as mirrors of that light: diverting and reflecting it into the darkest corners of our humanity. May our light shine a path of compassion for our brothers and sisters in need, that we might serve them concretely and practically.
O God, may the light of your hope on the horizon lead us to your peace, and may we never yield to the temptation of the darkness of disregard.
Through Christ, our Lord, we pray: Amen.