Hey all, following the 2 year anniversary of the direct Russian attack on Ukraine, the impending attack on Rafah, and the hope of a ceasefire, I'd like to start another cycle of this Novena.
I'm going to begin the Novena on Friday 1 March in the morning, Aussie time, and I invite you to join the prayer with me.
Here's the list of intentions for our Ecumenical Novena.
Day 1: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of Domestic Violence.
Day 2: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in public, especially random gun violence.
Day 3: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of economic exploitation, whether lawfully or otherwise.
Day 4: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our caring institutions
Day 5: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our justice systems
Day 6: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence against refugees and asylum seekers, including internally displaced persons.
Day 7: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Day 8:Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia
Day 9: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in conflicts that rarely make the news
And here's the prayer:
Lord we come to you in our bare human need.
We accept our incapacity to control ourselves, and to control others.
We recognise our personal failures.
We recognise the failures of the systems and societies into which we were born.
All our plans have come to naught.
We come to you defeated.
[pray the intention of the day in your own words, or wordlessly]
Lord, let your peace radiate afresh from your inner being.
Let the purest love generated within you spill out over creation.
Refresh us, relieve us, revive us
So that everyone, victims, perpetrators, witnesses of violence, those stirred to angry action, those who crumple, those who turn away, those who excuse, all of us are soothed.
Change us!
Use us!
Dwell within us!
And let your Kingdom come.
In the name of Christ
Amen.
I'm starting Friday 1/3/24 Aussie time. It's great to be praying with each other around the world as our leaders struggle to find a way for peace to break through.
Prayed Day 1 this morning, sitting outside watching a bird hop across the back yard. It was timely, as I met a bloke yesterday who was consuming himself with guilt, self pity and alcohol, and facing court for breaching an IVO. So he formed the focus of my prayer.
I prayed Day 2 a little later than usual, sitting in the back yard under the big tree. There was a very loud magpie, and I ran through some perpetrators of gun violence in my head. I think I know why I always think of perpetrators, and I'm comfortable with that.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. That's been in my head for a few days.
This strikes particularly hard today for some reason:
Lord we come to you in our bare human need.
We accept our incapacity to control ourselves, and to control others.
We recognise our personal failures.
We recognise the failures of the systems and societies into which we were born.
All our plans have come to naught.
We come to you defeated.
Being able both to identify and accept my personal failures/inadequacy is the key to me maintaining a functional level of mental health. Accepting our collective failures helps me deal with burnout and "world pain".
Today I prayed Day 3 in a bit of a rush, in my comfy loungeroom chair. I slept in, started watching Insiders (a political opinion fest) and was maybe feeling anxious about a conversation I needed to have at church.
One of the great insights I got from listening to people talk about Rahner is: Just pray! Don't worry about how it feels, whether you get a spiritual buzz or not. That feeling is great, but its presence is insignificant. The act of prayer itself, the turning of your mind to God, is the important bit. It allows the Spirit to tune you to its pitch.
The conversation was a delight. We got to know each other better, and deepened our relationship.
Day 4 and 5 were both a little rushed for me. I'm going to try to deliberately linger over the prayers tomorrow morning. I feel competent and I'm working hard. I should try to deliberately slow myself down to keep things at a sustainable and mindful pace, looking after myself.
But overall, I'm doing ok. I'm just noticing that I'm in danger of not looking after myself and correcting that.
Day 6 and 7 were rushed too. It takes discipline to be able to get up to spend time in prayer before work. I'm getting it done, but even that seems insufficient. I think that's the perfectionist in me. Todays lesson: just do it ST and stop judging yourself!!!!!!
@Forthview It strikes me that we are in sore need for peace. Why don't we start another round straight after we finish this one? I'm on Day 8 tomorrow morning.
Comments
I'm going to begin the Novena on Friday 1 March in the morning, Aussie time, and I invite you to join the prayer with me.
Could you repost the novena or link to it, please?
Ecumenical Novena for Peace
Here's the list of intentions for our Ecumenical Novena.
Day 1: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of Domestic Violence.
Day 2: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in public, especially random gun violence.
Day 3: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of economic exploitation, whether lawfully or otherwise.
Day 4: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our caring institutions
Day 5: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our justice systems
Day 6: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence against refugees and asylum seekers, including internally displaced persons.
Day 7: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Day 8:Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia
Day 9: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in conflicts that rarely make the news
And here's the prayer:
Lord we come to you in our bare human need.
We accept our incapacity to control ourselves, and to control others.
We recognise our personal failures.
We recognise the failures of the systems and societies into which we were born.
All our plans have come to naught.
We come to you defeated.
[pray the intention of the day in your own words, or wordlessly]
Lord, let your peace radiate afresh from your inner being.
Let the purest love generated within you spill out over creation.
Refresh us, relieve us, revive us
So that everyone, victims, perpetrators, witnesses of violence, those stirred to angry action, those who crumple, those who turn away, those who excuse, all of us are soothed.
Change us!
Use us!
Dwell within us!
And let your Kingdom come.
In the name of Christ
Amen.
I'm starting Friday 1/3/24 Aussie time. It's great to be praying with each other around the world as our leaders struggle to find a way for peace to break through.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. That's been in my head for a few days.
Thank you for that reminder.
Thanks for leading, @Simon Toad
Today I prayed Day 3 in a bit of a rush, in my comfy loungeroom chair. I slept in, started watching Insiders (a political opinion fest) and was maybe feeling anxious about a conversation I needed to have at church.
One of the great insights I got from listening to people talk about Rahner is: Just pray! Don't worry about how it feels, whether you get a spiritual buzz or not. That feeling is great, but its presence is insignificant. The act of prayer itself, the turning of your mind to God, is the important bit. It allows the Spirit to tune you to its pitch.
The conversation was a delight. We got to know each other better, and deepened our relationship.
But overall, I'm doing ok. I'm just noticing that I'm in danger of not looking after myself and correcting that.
🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹