Prayer for Peace in the Holy Land

Give us ears to hear, O Lord,
to hear the cries of a people living under occupation,
of farmers whose land has been taken,
of parents whose children have been killed or wounded,
of faithful Muslims and Christians barred from worshiping in the Holy City.
Hear our prayers for justice and peace for the Palestinians.

Give us ears to hear, O Lord,
to hear the voices of those who bear the scars of the Holocaust,
Of mourners grieving the deaths of those killed in recent conflicts,
of those who seek new ways of bringing reconciliation,
Of those whose bright hopes for a "promised land" have ended in despair.
Hear us as we pray for security and peace for the people of Israel.

Eternal God, merciful and compassionate,
we pray for the people of Israel and Palestine.
Surround them with the prayers of their sisters and brothers around the world,
strengthen them to witness fearlessly for justice and peace.
We pray for the Jews of Israel and the Jewish settlers
We pray for the Muslims of Israel and Palestine,
We pray for all the children of Abraham-Christian, Jewish, and Muslim-
that justice and peace shall clasp hands and the "Holy Land" become truly holy.

Adapted from "A Service of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East," from a service at Hunter Presbyterian Church, December 19, 2000   http://www.pepm.org/Prayer

For Pope Benedict XVI's statements on the violence in the Holy Land, and a news update, click here.