The following excerpts were taken from Pope Francis's 56th World Day of Peace message. This year's papal message addresses community healing and relationship building in a post-disaster (post-COVID) world.
After each passage is prayerfully recited, please respond, "That we may prepare the way for peace, O Lord." Alternatively, groups may be divided into two subgroups with one group reading the passages and the other offering the response.
Leader: "When tragic events seem to overwhelm our lives, and we feel plunged into a dark and difficult maelstrom of injustice and suffering, we are likewise called to keep our hearts open to hope and to trust in God, who makes himself present, accompanies us with tenderness, sustains us in our weariness and, above all, guides our path."
Let us pray:
ALL: "That we may prepare the way for peace, O Lord."
Leader: "[…] Our greatest and yet most fragile treasure is our shared humanity as brothers and sisters, children of God. And that none of us can be saved alone. Consequently, we urgently need to join together in seeking and promoting the universal values that can guide the growth of this human fraternity."
Let us pray:
ALL: "That we may prepare the way for peace, O Lord."
Leader: "For it is together, in fraternity and solidarity, that we build peace, ensure justice and emerge from the greatest disasters. […] Only the peace that comes from a fraternal and disinterested love can help us overcome personal, societal and global crises."
Let us pray:
ALL: "That we may prepare the way for peace, O Lord."
Leader: January 1st, the World Day for Peace, is also the feast of the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Therefore, we call on Mary who is our mother and Queen of Peace to intercede for us in prayer—
Holy Mary, who is mother of God and our Mother;
Queen of Peace, who with her Son, Jesus, accompanies us in all we do:
On this World Day of Peace, we pray that you would walk with us on our own paths to peace. May our peace-building lead us ever closer to you, to God, and to the fraternal love which overcomes all.
Mary, mother of God: pray for us.
ALL: AMEN.
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/peace/documents/20231208-messaggio-57giornatamondiale-pace2024.html