The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Memorial of Saint Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem (†387). Prayer for Jerusalem and for peace in the Holy Land.
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The prayer for peace is held in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
Memorial of Saint Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem (†387). Prayer for Jerusalem and for peace in the Holy Land.
Reading of the Word of God
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
This is the Gospel of the poor,
liberation for the imprisoned,
sight for the blind,
freedom for the oppressed.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
Daniel 9,4b-10
we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have betrayed your commandments and rulings and turned away from them. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our chief men, our ancestors and all people of the country. Saving justice, Lord, is yours; we have only the look of shame we wear today, we, the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the whole of Israel, near and far away, in every country to which you have dispersed us because of the treachery we have committed against you. To us, our kings, our chief men and our ancestors, belongs the look of shame, O Yahweh, since we have sinned against you. And it is for the Lord our God to have mercy and to pardon, since we have betrayed him, and have not listened to the voice of Yahweh our God nor followed the laws he has given us through his servants the prophets.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
The Son of Man came to serve,
whoever wants to be great
should become servant of all.
Praise to you, o Lord, King of eternal glory
As we move through the first steps of Lent, the Church's liturgy places on our lips the prayer of the prophet Daniel, who turns to the Lord for all the people. The words of the prophet begin with a sincere confession of infidelity of the entire people to God who, on the contrary, had observed the covenant they established together at Sinai. This betrayal had no excuses: the people and their rulers had been warned, from generation to generation, especially by the prophets sent by God to warn them of their infidelity. Hence the prophet can confess: "Righteousness is on your side, O Lord, but open shame, as at this day, falls on us" (v. 7). In his prayer the prophet recognizes that shame is now a sentiment shared by all Jews, both those who are at home and those who live in the lands of exile. All, without exception and without distinction of class, are aware of this grievous sin that is the root of every tragedy that befalls Israel. The prophet knows well that breaking the covenant would require God's condemnation. But here's the audacity of the prayer that the prophet speaks to the Lord: he wants to bend his heart so that he may be merciful to his people. The confession of sins certainly opens the way for the request for forgiveness, called for by the prophet on the city and the people, but it is exactly this faith in the mercy of God that allows them to hope in forgiveness. The Lord will hear Daniel's prayer and indicate to him a complete time "to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity" (see Dan 9:24), seventy weeks after which there will be the jubilee forgiveness. Trust in the mercy of God is the reason for the efficacy of Daniel's prayer. It is what Jesus repeated to his disciples many times. And even to us.
Het gebed is het hart van het leven van de Gemeenschap van Sant’Egidio. Het is haar eerste “werk”. Aan het einde van de dag komt elke Gemeenschap, of die nu klein of groot is, samen bij de Heer om het Woord te beluisteren en zich tot Hem te richten in het gebed. De leerlingen kunnen niet anders dan aan de voeten van Jezus zitten, zoals Maria van Bethanië, om het “betere deel” te kiezen (Lc 10, 42) en van Hem zijn gezindheid te leren (vgl. Fil 2, 5).
Elke keer dat de Gemeenschap zich tot de Heer richt, maakt ze zich die vraag eigen van de anonieme leerling: “Heer, leer ons bidden!” (Lc 11, 1). En Jezus, meester in het gebed, antwoordt: “Wanneer jullie bidden, zeg dan: Abba, Vader”.
Wanneer we bidden, ook in de geslotenheid van ons eigen hart, zijn we nooit alleen of verweesd. Integendeel, we zijn leden van de familie van de Heer. In het gemeenschappelijk gebed wordt naast het mysterie van het kindschap, ook dat van de broederschap en zusterschap duidelijk.
De Gemeenschappen van Sant’Egidio, verspreid over de wereld, verzamelen zich op de verschillende plaatsen die gekozen zijn voor het gebed en brengen de hoop en het verdriet van de “uitgeputte en hulpeloze mensenmenigte” waarover het Evangelie spreekt (Mt 9, 37) bij de Heer. Deze oude menigte omvat de inwoners van onze hedendaagse steden, de armen die zich bevinden in de marge van het leven, en iedereen die wacht om als dagloner te worden aangenomen (vgl. Mt 20).
Het gemeenschappelijk gebed verzamelt de schreeuw, de hoop, het verlangen naar vrede, genezing, zin en redding, die beleefd worden door de mannen en vrouwen van deze wereld. Het gebed is nooit leeg. Het stijgt onophoudelijk op naar de Heer opdat verdriet verandert in vreugde, wanhoop in blijheid, angst in hoop, eenzaamheid in gemeenschap. En het rijk Gods zal spoedig temidden van de mensen komen.
