Greetings and blessings, beloved family and friends.
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day (USA)!
Today, as we celebrate and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we humbly pray for peace, love, justice, and unity in our families, our marriages, and the world. We pray for an end to violence, injustice, racism, war, and religious and political unrest in our world today as we face these incredibly challenging times.
On this day, we pray for world leaders, past, current, and future leaders of nations, especially those elected to serve in public service at all levels. We pray that world leaders would seek after peace, justice, mercy, truth, and freedom for all people and serve with wisdom, compassion, and integrity to see beyond differences and to work together peacefully. May the good Lord use our world leaders to bring about positive change in the world and that they would be a source of hope and encouragement to those around them. We trust in the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness, as we pray for the safety and well-being of all world leaders and particularly pray for the outgoing president of the United States, Joe Biden and for the incoming president elect of the United States, Donald Trump, particularly pray for the president elect of the United States, we pray for a safe and successful presidential inauguration and leadership. Amen🙏🏽
Reflecting on the message of Pope Francis for World Peace Day this year with the theme, ‘Forgive us our trespasses: Grant us your peace’. The message speaks of how we must listen to the ‘pleas of an endangered humanity’, how the year of Jubilee inspires us to seek the liberating justice of God in our world and how by ‘opening our hearts to our brothers and sisters, we will restore God’s justice on earth’ and ‘move forward to achieve the goal of peace’.
This Year of Hope, or Jubilee Year of Hope, is a time of spiritual renewal, reconciliation, and pilgrimage. It is a time for us to deepen our faith with hopeful anticipation and renew our relationship with Christ, and live our lives with hope, faith, and love. We are all made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). May God keep us all united in peace, love, and faith, and may the good Lord help us to be instruments of peace and reconciliation in our families and our divided and conflicted world. Amen 🙏🏽
“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
A PRAYER FOR PEACE: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the true King of peace. In You alone is found freedom. Please free our world from conflict. Bring unity to troubled nations. Let Your glorious peace reign in every heart. Dispel all darkness and evil. Protect the dignity of every human life. Replace hatred with Your love. Give wisdom to world leaders. Free them from selfish ambition. Eliminate all violence and war. Glorious Virgin Mary, Saint Michael the Archangel, Every Angel and Saint: Please pray for peace. Pray for unity amongst nations. Pray for unity amongst all people. Pray for the most vulnerable. Pray for those suffering. Pray for the fearful. Pray for those most in need. Pray for us all. Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on us. Jesus, hear our prayers. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen 🙏
Prayers for Peace | https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/prayers-for-peace/
Blessings and love always, Philomena 💖
[January 20, 2025]