Today, October 17, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of
Rochester join the Church of the Holy Land and people throughout the world
in a day of prayer and fasting for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.
As women of the Gospel, we grieve with those who
grieve and seek release of those held captive since the attacks
began in Israel and Gaza on October 7, 2023.
We stand with the Leadership Conference of Women
Religious (LCWR) in working toward a world where reverence for all living
beings finds expression in a life of nonviolence. We stand in solidarity with
the victims of brutality and with faith leaders as we heed the Gospel call to
follow Jesus’ way of nonviolence, reconciliation, and care for the most
vulnerable across lines of division.
We commit ourselves and the members of our religious
communities to choose the peaceful path of Jesus and exercise all of our rights
and duties as citizens to urge our leaders to act as responsible members of the
world community. We join our prayer with religious people of all faiths who
recognize that war is not the solution, and we commit ourselves to be those who
believe that peace is possible.
We
call upon world leaders and the United Nations to activate those mechanisms
necessary for an immediate ceasefire and the negotiation of peace, so that
justice may prevail. We are each
responsible to be aware, to be informed by factual information, to look at root
causes, and to reject rhetoric that fuels violence.
We, a member Congregation of LCWR, will continue to
speak on behalf of the truth of faith, the strength of prayer, the power of
nonviolence and the only pathway that will provide a future for our children:
peace.
A prayer resource you might consider for your personal
prayer.
Prayer from World Relief
Lord, You said “Peace, be still,” and the storm was
stilled.
We confess that at times, we feel overwhelmed by the
storm. But today, we lift our eyes to you — the Maker of heaven and earth. And
we ask for a miracle… let your peace fill Israel and Gaza.
We lift our prayer to you,
Lord, hear us.
God, let violence cease in the region. Let there be no
more bloodshed. We know your heart breaks for those killed and those left
behind — for the orphaned child, the injured elderly, those abducted and
families desperate for safety. Lord, speak into this crisis.
We lift our prayer to you,
Lord,
hear us.
We pray for those who have lost loved ones. Let your
peace and love wash over them. Please protect and provide for those who have
been abducted and bring them home safely. Let them be reunited with their loved
ones — let them feel the comfort of their embrace.
We lift our prayer to you,
Lord, hear us.
God, we pray that you open doors that allow food,
essentials and medical supplies to reach those in need. May first responders be
able to rescue the injured, comfort the grieving and help rebuild many lives.
We lift our prayer to you,
Lord, hear us.
God, we pray for your peace and reconciliation to
overcome conflict. We ask that you give wisdom and discernment to our global
leaders and those in positions of power who have the ability to impact the
course of this war. Help us to be bold advocates and agents of peace in our own
communities.
We lift our prayer to you,
Lord, hear us.
We pray for people scattered around the globe whose
friends and family members have been caught in the crisis. We know you are with
them. Help us to express your love to those affected in our communities,
churches and workplaces.
We lift our prayer to you,
Lord, hear us.
Lord, we raise Israel and Gaza to you, and pray for
those suffering. We ask that you provide peace in this crisis, and protection
and comfort for all those who have been impacted.
We lift our prayer to you,
Lord, hear us.
Amen.