Beloved in the Lord,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from His only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
In these days, our hearts are heavy as we witness civil unrest in the city of Minneapolis, and the deep distress that weighs upon many communities throughout our nation. When fear, anger, and suspicion take root, they wound not only those in the public square but also the inner life of the human person. As shepherds and faithful alike, we must not allow turmoil to harden our hearts or diminish our love for one another.
The Church has always responded to such moments not first with argument, but with prayer—prayer that lifts the burden of suffering to God, prayer that softens what has grown rigid, prayer that opens a path toward repentance, reconciliation, and peace. I therefore ask every parish, every household, and every believer to set aside time for earnest prayer in the days ahead.
Let us pray for those who are frightened, for those who are angry, for those who feel unheard, and for those whose trust has been broken. Let us pray for civic leaders and all entrusted with responsibility, that they may be guided by wisdom, restraint, and a sincere desire for the common good.
Let us pray especially that the Lord will quiet the passions that inflame division and will protect all who dwell in places marked by unrest.
Above all, let us pray for the healing of enmity, for hostility is a spiritual illness that cannot be cured by force or rhetoric, but only by the grace of God. In this spirit, I offer the following prayer, drawn from the mind of the Church and her Book of Needs, for use in our homes and parishes:
O Lord our God, who are rich in mercy and compassionate in Your love for mankind, look down with kindness upon Your servants. Remove from our hearts all bitterness, wrath, and remembrance of wrongs. Quench every spark of hatred, dissolve every bond of enmity, and plant within us the spirit of peace and mutual understanding. Grant that we may not seek our own will, but learn to bear one another’s burdens in humility and truth. Heal those divided from one another, reconcile those at odds, and make us instruments of Your peace, for You are the Giver of concord and the Savior of our souls, and to You we give glory, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Beloved, the work of peace begins in the heart. May our prayer become repentance, our repentance become love, and our love become a quiet witness to the kingdom of God in the midst of a troubled world.
