A Prayer for the Holy Land

The following prayer was composed by a friend of mine. May it help us seek peace. Fr. DeLillio.

Dear God,

As we await the birth of your child, help us to remember that you chose to enter the world in the form of a defenseless Palestinian Jewish baby who was forced to seek refuge in Egypt.

You have called us to see your face in the least among us and to feed, clothe, and care for them.

We must see you

in the face of a Palestinian child, alone and scared, buried in the rubble of an apartment building,

in the face of a premature Palestinian baby deprived of medical care, and

in the face of a hungry and thirsty Palestinian child desperately searching for food and water.

Let their suffering pierce our hearts and move us to seek peace and justice. 

We may be angry and afraid, but help us to remember that every person is a child of God and that hate and fear only lead to more hate and fear and that only love can change hearts and minds and create peace.

We must also see you

in the face of an Israeli child held hostage, alone and scared, and

in the face of a mourning Israeli mother whose child was killed.

Help us find the wisdom and courage to persuade our leaders to seek an end to war.

And help us 

to find joy in the midst of so much sorrow,

to give thanks for all of our blessings, especially the love of family and friends, and

to recall that your birth into a world that is so often cruel and callous represents the triumph of love over hate and of life over death, and that your light always shines in the darkness, which will never overcome it. Amen.