Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Prayer and Fasting for Peace








Today I joined a group of Imam, Pastors and Priests for the Prayer and Fasting for Peace. There were also some Sisters and lay people who joined us. This was the closing ritual for the Mindanao Week of Peace celebration here in Davao.
An Imam read the Qur'an. Then a Protestant Pastor read the Bible. I was one of those who was asked to share my reflections, besides another Imam and a Pastor.
This is the Petition Prayer:
Leader: We offer, O God/Allah, our most sincere prayer for the integrity of heart and mind as a way to attain peace and reconciliation:
Unison: Lord God/Allah, hear our prayer for peace and reconciliation.
1. O God/Allah, we renew our prayer for the cessation of all hostilities and for the creation of a culture of peace where diverse voices can be confidently expressed and sincerely heard.
unison:
2. O God/Allah, we pray that the leaders of the GRP and the MILF be so guided that peace talks in whatever means or levels be reopened for the sake our present world and the future children. unison:
3. O God/Allah, we pray that kidnapping and any form of violence against families, against recourses and against the environment be stopped because these endanger the attainment of peace and development. unison:
4. O God/Allah, we pray that the struggle for self-determination, especially of the Bangsamoro and the Lumads be protected and assisted so that all peoples - Muslims, Lumads, Roman Catholic Christians , Protestant Christians may attain peace and reconciliation. unison:
5. We join the initiatives of many groups in holding community consultation, study groups and healing sessions, knowing that peace and unity are fundamental in the Qur'an teaching. unison:
6. We commit ourselves to take an active role in promoting community and sectoral dialogues to expand the constituency of peace, calling upon the resources of our social, religious and academic institutions to pray and work for peace. unison:
7. We commit ourselves to pursue authentic interfaith dialogues among our communities in order that we may find ways to face and overcome our own hurts, biases and prejudices on the way in order to overcome barriers and impasse in the peace process. unison:
8. We commit ourselves to open our eyes to the many religious, cultural, economic and political concerns and join the many who are working to make available roads, books and classrooms for our children and our families.
Unison: May God/Allah help us in our endeavors so that we may attain peace and reconciliation for our world and the world of our children. Amen.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

padre,
may nabuo po ang barkadahan naming mga bloggers na isang blog prayer brigade. ito po ay naglalayong ipanalangin ang darating na 2010 National elections. Bagamat di naman po kami nga politically driven na bloggers o isang formal na organisasyon (minsan nga po eh puro lang po kami kalokohan sa blog namin), naniniwala po kami na tunay na makapangyarihan ang panalangin upang maghatid pagbabago para sa ating bansa. Medyo may mga nahikayat na kami sa mga kaibigan namin at unti unti na pong dumarami kami na nananalangin para sa ating mga susunod na pinuno. Pakidalaw na lang po, padre ang mga links na ito at tingnan nyo rin po sana ang mga naglinks na sa amin. Nakakatuwa po kasi halu-halong katoliko at protestante na po ang mga sumali at nagdasal. Maraming salamat po!

http://bluepanjeet.net/1588/blog-prayer-brigade-for-the-future-president-of-the-philippines/

http://utoysaves.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/magdasal-dasal-ka-na/

http://ifoundme.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/blog-prayer-brigade-for-the-future-president-of-the-philippines/