For the month of September, our parish will treat each Thursday as a “day of solidarity” with the war-weary population of Afghanistan. Prayer cards will be provided for everyone who joins us for Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays (8:30am to 8:30pm). The same prayer cards will be available at the entrances of the church.
This month-long effort comes from listening to the voice of Pope Francis, who has called on all people of goodwill to “pray to the God of peace, so that the clash of arms may fall silent, and solutions may be found at the table of dialogue.” So, this is our parish-wide appeal: let us extend ourselves by providing both prayers and material assistance for the suffering people of Afghanistan!
With regard to material support, one consistently reliable ally has always been Catholic Relief Services: https://www.crs.org/our-work-overseas/where-we-work/afghanistan
Let us pray. “O God, author and giver of peace, in whose image and likeness each of us has been created with a human dignity worthy of respect on earth and destined for eternal glory, listen to the cry that rises from every corner of this fragile earth, from our human family torn by violent conflict. Give peace in our time, O gracious God; the peace which, as your son Jesus Christ told us, is a peace which the world cannot give. To the innocent who live in the shadow of war and terror, especially the frightened children, be a shelter and strength, their haven and hope. Bring your healing love to the hearts of our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. Grant this through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord. Amen.” Mary, Mother of all and Queen of peace, pray for us.
