Amid series of killings, the CBCP issues 'prayer for healing'

Archbishop Socrates Villegas has issued a prayer for healing that would be recited in churches amid the spate of killings in different parts of the country, according to a report posted on the Catholic Church's news website.

Villegas, the incumbent Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president, said that through the prayer would heal "wounds and divisions," promote unity, seeks resolution of crimes including corruption, and extends compassion to victims of killings.

“Our first armor is prayer. So let us pray even more,” the report quoted Villegas, who is also Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop.

“The killings continue to rise. The divisions seem to widen even more. The indifference to the violations of the Commandments of God is spreading. We must not give up,” he added.

The prayer, entitled "Lord, Heal Our Land," will be recited in parishes and Catholic schools nationwide starting on Sunday, Aug. 30 up to Sept. 7.

Villegas said: “We trust in the mercy of God to answer our prayers for healing when we celebrate the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary."

“Believe in miracles and the power of a praying people. When we pray together, we are strong with the strength of God,” he added.

Father of endless mercy, we come to you,

a people wounded and torn by issues that have divided us

into opposing, bickering, quarreling and even hating factions.

We beg you for unity; we ask for healing;

we beseech you to forgive our sins and restore to our land

the joy and the peace that you alone can give.

Teach us once more the wisdom of the Scriptures:

that the help of man is vain

and that our strength is not in princes, but in You.

We pray for the leaders of our nation.

Let them acknowledge your sovereignty,

so that they may render due homage to your image that is in all.

Send your Spirit so that the miracle of Pentecost

by which all understood each other

may prevail over the Babel

by which our leaders slur and embarrass one another.

Let tongues of Divine fire settle on them as they did on the apostles

so that their words may be words of peace, joy, truth and love.

There is so much hatred, Father, and hatred always kills!

We pray that you purge our country of crime,

particularly the heinous crimes of drug-dealing

and the endemic corruption that impoverishes our nation.

But grant us too the wisdom to recognize

that these evils have their roots in all our hearts:

in our envy, greed, avarice and implacable desire for even more.

But have pity too on those who have lost their lives in the present purge.

We pray for them, because all life is precious in your sight,

and no man or woman is ever so unworthy of the redemption

that your Son brought us all!

Console their families and show their children the paths of righteousness –

as you alone can judge and teach what is righteous!

Finally, we pray for your Church

that it may be true to its prophetic vocation,

for it is when times our difficult and trying that you ask your Church

to be the servant of the nation by speaking Your Word.

Let not our fear and trepidation overcome the zeal for your house

and your truth that should consume us.

We know our sins.

We our humbled by our failings.

But we are also aware that when the prophets of old

pleaded to you their sinfulness,

you commanded them anyway to proclaim what you wanted proclaimed reminding them that it was not their word

that they were to announce but yours.

Forgive our sins in the Church and make us strong in your service

so that we may continue to be salt of the earth and light of the world.

Long ago, the woman of Galilee whom you chose to be the Mother of Your Son asked Juan Diego: “Am I not your mother?”

To our Mother’s prayers then, in this hour of need, we entrust ourselves.

From her we draw inspiration

to be the faithful bearers of the image of Your Son

that you called us and set us apart to be.  AMEN

— BAP, GMA News