“For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace”. With this quotation from the New Testament (1 Corinthians 14:33), Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, begins his message, wishing his dear brothers and sisters: “May the Lord truly give us his peace”. And he adds:
“The pain and dismay at what is happening are great. Once again we find ourselves in the midst of a political and military crisis. We were suddenly catapulted into an unprecedented sea of violence. The hatred, which unfortunately we have already experienced for far too long, will increase even more, and the spiral of violence that follows will create more destruction.
Turning our hearts to God the Father
But in this time of grief and dismay,” he continues, “we do not want to remain powerless. And we cannot allow death and its stings to be the only word that is heard”.
That is why – he adds – we feel the need to pray, to turn our hearts to God the Father. Only in this way can we draw the strength and serenity to live this time, turning to Him in prayer of intercession, of supplication, and also of cry.
“In the name of all the ordinaries of the Holy Land, I invite all parishes and religious communities to a day of fasting and prayer for peace and reconciliation”.
“We ask that on Tuesday, October 17, all make a day of fasting and abstinence, and of prayer. The moments of prayer – he explains – should be organised with Eucharistic adoration and the rosary to the Blessed Virgin. Probably in many parts of our dioceses the circumstances do not allow for large assemblies. In parishes, in religious communities, in families, it will still be possible to organise simple and sober moments of common prayer”.
“This is how we all come together, in spite of everything, and we gather in choral prayer – he adds – to give to God the Father our thirst for peace, justice and reconciliation. With prayers”, concludes Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
