A Novena for Peace

A shipmate and I are almost finished praying the Our Lady of Peace Novena, using a broad set of intentions from personal and domestic violence to the suffering in Israel and Palestine.

A novena is a ritual where a group of people agree to say a prayer each day for nine days with a specific intention.

Is anyone interested in an ecumenical version? I'd like to draft a set of prayers with shipmates, as the heart of the Novena, each of the nine prayers including a general prayer for peace and then a focus for the day, like domestic violence one day, economic violence the next, gun violence, and then a focus on particular conflicts. The themes can be discussed and agreed on in the drafting process.

If people are interested please respond below. There are plenty of prayers around, but I like the idea of creating the themes and the central prayers together. The process itself promotes prayerful reflection I reckon.
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Comments

  • I like the idea @Simon Toad - count me in.
  • Yes, I'd like to do that, too.
  • Me too.
  • I don't think I'm up for the composition of the novena. However, if you are willing to share what you compose, I would love to be part of the praying of the novena.
  • I would like to be part of the praying too.
  • I’m in.
  • I'm willing to try to do the whole thing.
  • MaryLouiseMaryLouise Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    Great idea @Simon Toad, I'm up for it.
  • Wonderful stuff!!!!

    Nine themes for prayer intentions:

    violence in the home
    violence in care settimgs
    economic violence
    gun violence
    victims of war in Israel and Palestine
    victims of war in Ukraine
    violence in justice systems
    violence in conflicts that we don't hear about on the news

    Astute shipmates will note that there are eight themes above. We could add specific conflicts, like in Cameroon, or state violence (against women in Iran for instance).

    We could also fold the concept of economic violence into different categories like elder abuse, in care settings, domestic violence etc.

    What do people think?
  • KendelKendel Shipmate
    edited November 2023
    This is unfamiliar territory for me. Mostly I am reading the thread like a tourist reading signs in a historic church.
    For the last category what about people of all ages who are forced to depend on institutions that may be dehumanizing and / or inadequately protective, such as foster children.
  • I'm in!
  • SarasaSarasa All Saints Host
    I'm in too.
  • Kendel wrote: »
    This is unfamiliar territory for me. Mostly I am reading the thread like a tourist reading signs in a historic church.
    For the last category what about people of all ages who are forced to depend on institutions that may be dehumanizing and / or inadequately protective, such as foster children.

    welcome!!! I like your suggestion. Novenas are a new thing for me too.

    I'll leave the suggestions open for a few days and see what folk come up with.

  • Another suggestion: violence in modern-day slavery.
  • I have a draft prayer for us to pray daily:

    Lord we come to you in our bare human need.
    We accept our incapacity to control ourselves, and to control others.
    We recognise our personal failures.
    We recognise the failures of the systems and societies into which we were born.
    All our plans have come to naught.
    We come to you defeated.

    [Today we mourn violence in the household.
    Violence against partners, violence against children, violence against all who live with us.
    Where can our children feel safe, Lord, if they don't feel safe with those who are supposed to shield them? How can our children create safe places for themselves and their households when their childhood experiences leap out at them from the corners of their minds?
    Only by your grace, Lord.]


    Lord, let your peace radiate afresh from your inner being.
    Let the purest love generated within you spill out over creation.
    Refresh us, relieve us, revive us
    So that everyone, victims, perpetrators, witnesses of violence, those stirred to angry action, those who crumple, those who turn away, those who excuse, all of us are soothed.

    Change us!
    Use us!
    Dwell within us!
    And let your Kingdom come.

    In the name of Christ

    Amen.

    The italicised portion is for the daily prayer intention.

    I had hoped to finalise the set of intentions and start working on the nine daily prayers over the weekend, but my wife has just tested positive for covid. It will be our first trip down this road. Please be patient, and if you have the time, please feel free to work on this project yourselves.

  • @Simon Toad this is lovely. Thank you for your work gathering ideas and writing the prayer.
    Praying for you and Mrs. S.T.
  • Thanks Kendel. I appreciate it. I was drafting the post as Mandy told me, and I have put in a prayer request on the Prayers of the Faithful thread.

    Here is a second go at the list of intentions:

    Day 1: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of Domestic Violence.
    Day 2: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in public, especially random gun violence.
    Day 3: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of economic exploitation, whether lawfully or otherwise.
    Day 4: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our caring institutions
    Day 5: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our justice systems
    Day 6: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence against refugees and asylum seekers, including internally displaced persons.
    Day 7: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
    Day 8:Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia
    Day 9: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in conflicts that rarely make the news

    I mean to include people who see or hear about violence through the media by using "witnesses", recognising that we are all impacted by the indirect experience of violence.

    @Kendel I hope to capture your suggestion in the prayers for days 4 and 5 above. I think the two ideas of insufficiently protective and dehumanising fit into both categories. Those two categories could also be merged into one to allow room for other suggestions too.

    @Raptor Eye I've tried to capture your suggestion in day 3, and hope to specify modern slavery in the prayer for the day.

    Everyone, please feel free to compose suggested prayers to go with the list of prayers above. I'm planning to go and hang out some washing, and might come back with a couple later in the day.
  • @Simon Toad I noticed 4 and 5. Those are perfect, or could be combined and be perfect.
  • All the Abrahamic religions have a regular seven day cycle of prayer with Muslims on a Friday, Jews on a Saturday and Christians on a Sunday.

    Pre -Christian Romans had a nine day cycle of prayer, in particular after a death. This is a cycle of prayer tradition which is still maintained in the Novendiale or nine day cycle of prayer after the death of a pope.

    Although early Christians were often wary of maintaining pre-Christian customs they soon saw the period of nine days between the Ascension of Christ and the Descent of the Holy Spirit as a special 'novena' of prayer, again a custom which is maintained to this day by many Christians.

    Novenas were, however, a popular form of Catholic piety between the Council of Trent and the Second Vatican Council, so between roughly 1570 and 1970. Since they were extra-liturgical they would be conducted in the vernacular, while the formal liturgy of Church worship would be in Latin. Before 1970 most RC churches ,in the UK at least, would have had a weekly novena service which people could join in with at any time.

    Since then novenas have been a more private form of devotion. We know that our Lord has said 'Ask and it will be given, knock and it will be opened'. He wants us to pray, though it is not a magic formula. We may not get what we want, but we can be assured that God will hear our prayers and answer them in his way

    In order to maintain a certain feeling of community, it is best for those taking part in the novena to use the same prayers and to say them on the same day, either in a nine consecutive day novena or once a week for nine weeks. Obviously once again this is not a magic formula but it helps to keep everyone focussed at the same time.
  • Thanks @Forthview It's good to know the history of the tradition. It makes me feel like we are united in prayer with the generations who have gone before us.
  • Simon Toad wrote: »
    Thanks Kendel. I appreciate it. I was drafting the post as Mandy told me, and I have put in a prayer request on the Prayers of the Faithful thread.

    Here is a second go at the list of intentions:

    Day 1: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of Domestic Violence.
    Day 2: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in public, especially random gun violence.
    Day 3: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of economic exploitation, whether lawfully or otherwise.
    Day 4: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our caring institutions
    Day 5: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our justice systems
    Day 6: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence against refugees and asylum seekers, including internally displaced persons.
    Day 7: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
    Day 8:Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia
    Day 9: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in conflicts that rarely make the news

    I mean to include people who see or hear about violence through the media by using "witnesses", recognising that we are all impacted by the indirect experience of violence.

    @Kendel I hope to capture your suggestion in the prayers for days 4 and 5 above. I think the two ideas of insufficiently protective and dehumanising fit into both categories. Those two categories could also be merged into one to allow room for other suggestions too.

    @Raptor Eye I've tried to capture your suggestion in day 3, and hope to specify modern slavery in the prayer for the day.

    Everyone, please feel free to compose suggested prayers to go with the list of prayers above. I'm planning to go and hang out some washing, and might come back with a couple later in the day.

    Thank you @Simon Toad

    The daily prayer is lovely, and thank you for including modern day slavery.

    Is it enough for all of us to incorporate the themes within the daily prayer using our own words and thoughts on the day, or must we all use the same words as each other?

    When shall we start the novena?

    🙏 Prayers for healing.
  • You know that is an excellent suggestion. I propose we do just that.

    I believe next Sunday is the last day of the liturgical year, for Roman Catholics at least. Shall we start then on Monday next week (27 November)?

    That gives people a week to make any more brilliant and time-saving suggestions.

    I plan to pray the novena in the morning. There's no requirement for us all to pray then, thank God. Imagine the logistics! So if everyone prays the first intention on their Monday, that will work well.

    I'll tag everyone in this post, and then post a reminder for Day 1 on Sunday 26th November.

    @Forthview @Raptor Eye @Kendel @MaryLouise @Sarasa @RockyRoger @North East Quine @questioning @Wanderer @Nick Tamen @NicoleMR
  • Thank you so much for composing such thoughtful prayers and for coordinating this, @Simon Toad. I shall be praying the novena in my usual time of morning prayer.
  • Simon Toad wrote: »
    I believe next Sunday is the last day of the liturgical year, for Roman Catholics at least. Shall we start then on Monday next week (27 November)?
    It’s the last Sunday of the liturgical year for Western Christians who observe the liturgical year. The last day of this liturgical year will be Saturday, December 2, with the new liturgical year starting on the First Sunday of Advent (December 3).

    If we start next Saturday, November 25 (one month before Christmas), then we’ll finish the novena on Advent I.

    Just a thought.

  • Ooh, another excellent suggestion. Thanks @Nick Tamen

    OK, New proposed start date will be Saturday Nov 25. Assuming no more excellent ideas this week (and please, if you have any thoughts, post them!) I'll blow the starter's whistle on my Friday, which will cover any shipmates between me and the international date line, heading east.
  • MaryLouiseMaryLouise Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    New date noted @Simon Toad.
  • Have noted new dates and wait for your starting signal.
  • This all sounds good. Thank you @Simon Toad
  • 👍 Thank you @Simon Toad
  • Thank you, @Simon Toad. I, too, will be ready to start as soon as you post the launch. I'm looking forward to participating in this with everyone.
  • I may not have internet access on the 25th as I'll be away at my cousin's in Vermont and I've had trouble with access there before, but if I can't do it the 25th I'll catch up the 26th when I'm home.
  • Here's the list of intentions for our Ecumenical Novena.

    Day 1: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of Domestic Violence.
    Day 2: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in public, especially random gun violence.
    Day 3: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of economic exploitation, whether lawfully or otherwise.
    Day 4: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our caring institutions
    Day 5: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in our justice systems
    Day 6: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence against refugees and asylum seekers, including internally displaced persons.
    Day 7: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
    Day 8:Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia
    Day 9: Victims, witnesses and perpetrators of violence in conflicts that rarely make the news


    And here's the prayer:

    Lord we come to you in our bare human need.
    We accept our incapacity to control ourselves, and to control others.
    We recognise our personal failures.
    We recognise the failures of the systems and societies into which we were born.
    All our plans have come to naught.
    We come to you defeated.

    [pray the intention of the day in your own words, or wordlessly]

    Lord, let your peace radiate afresh from your inner being.
    Let the purest love generated within you spill out over creation.
    Refresh us, relieve us, revive us
    So that everyone, victims, perpetrators, witnesses of violence, those stirred to angry action, those who crumple, those who turn away, those who excuse, all of us are soothed.

    Change us!
    Use us!
    Dwell within us!
    And let your Kingdom come.

    In the name of Christ

    Amen.


    I will pray tomorrow morning (Saturday 25/11/23 Aussie East Coast time)

    Thankyou all for participating.

    @Forthview @Raptor Eye @Kendel @MaryLouise @Sarasa @RockyRoger @North East Quine @questioning @Wanderer @Nick Tamen @NicoleMR
  • Thank you @Simon Toad. I will begin tomorrow morning too, in UK time.
  • Thank you @Simon Toad !
  • Kendel wrote: »
    Thank you @Simon Toad !

    Yes indeed!
  • thank you,Simon toad - will start tomorrow morning 25th in UK time
  • MaryLouiseMaryLouise Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    I'll also start early tomorrow morning and join prayers to all, of yours.
  • I will join in prayer tomorrow morning (Canadian west coast). I think we're going to have a wonderful relay of prayer!
  • Thank you. I will pray tomorrow morning, UK time.
  • I'll join in as well.
  • I will if I can get into the ship to read it, if I have internet access.
  • NicoleMR wrote: »
    I will if I can get into the ship to read it, if I have internet access.
    I’ve copied the intentions and the prayers into a doc that I can access offline. Just a thought.
  • Thank you @Simon Toad. I have prayed.
  • prayed day 1.
  • I too. Much moved. Much to think about.
  • Prayed, and grateful to be part of this circling of the globe with prayers for peace and healing.
  • I have internet access so I was able to join in.
  • Prayed, and grateful to be part of this circling of the globe with prayers for peace and healing.

    Me too.
  • Same here.
  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host
    Have prayed
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