Novena of Prayer & Fasting for Peace

Thank you for praying and fasting with us these 40 days. Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Prince of Peace.You said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”Yet the world You came to save is wounded by violence, hatred, and war.We turn to You now with hearts open and humbled,seeking the peace that only You can give. Through the guidance of Pope Leo XIV,our Holy Father in this time of global uncertainty,inspire the Church to be a beacon of unity and healing.May his voice continue to call us to justice rooted in love,to dialogue over destruction,to reconciliation over revenge. We echo the words and witness of Pope Francis,who reminded us that peace is not built in speeches alone,but in the daily choices we make to listen, to forgive, and to walk with the poor and forgotten.May we reject a throwaway culture,and instead embrace the dignity of every person. Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Peace,who in Medjugorje calls us with motherly urgency to pray, fast, and return to God,intercede for our broken world.Help us respond to Your call with open hearts and steady trust,and teach us to live in the peace of Your Son. With the spirit of Saint Pope John Paul II,we declare: “Be not afraid.”Even as violence rages,even as nations crumble,we stand firm in hope.Let his cry still echo in the hearts of all believers:“Never again war!” Prince of Peace, we beg for an end to the war in Gaza—that a just peace may rise from the rubble,and both Israeli and Palestinian lives be honored and protected.Bring peace to Ukraine, that her children and all her people may live free from fear, and that justice may replace devastation.Bring healing to Sudan, where too many have suffered—where the cries of the innocent demand mercy and restoration. Lord of Life, protect us from all bitterness and discouragement, transform our sorrow into hope, our helplessness into action,our fear into faith. Unite all peoples in Your peace.And let Your Church, under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV,be a living sign of unity in a world that yearns for wholeness. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.