Prayers for Peace and to Avert War in Ukraine

As it appears events may be approaching a crisis, of your charity pray that Russia will not invade Ukraine, that the scourge of war even now be averted: 

Prayers for Peace and to Avert War in Ukraine

Cf. Ecclus 50, 24. 25

Pray ye to the God of all, that he may grant us peace in our days for ever.

Prayer for Peace.

Lord Jesus Christ, who didst say unto thine Apostles: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, do I give unto you,” regard not our sins but thy merits, and grant unto all thy servants, that they whom the Almighty Father hath created and governeth, and whom thou hast redeemed with thy Precious Blood and hast ordained unto everlasting life, may love one another with all their hearts for thy sake, and may be made one in spirit and rejoice in thy perpetual peace. Lord Jesus Christ, concerning whom the Prophet hath said: “And all kings of the earth shall adore him, all nations shall serve him,” extend thy reign over the whole human race. Send upon all men the light of thy faith, deliver them from all the snares and bonds of passion, and direct them to heavenly things; and graciously grant, that the states and nations may be united by means of thine immaculate Bride, Holy Church, and, through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, may serve thee in all humility; and that all tongues and peoples may form one great choir, to praise thee both day and night, to bless thee, to exalt thee, O King of the nations and the Ruler thereof, O Prince of Peace, immortal King of ages. Amen.

Prayers for Peace.

Let us pray the Lord, that he may crush wars, and give peace in all the earth.

1. God of peace, our peace, peaceable King, R. Crush wars, grant peace!

2. Peace we ask, peace grant unto us: R. Crush wars, grant peace!

3. Remove war and deliver us: R. Crush wars, grant peace!

4. With humble prayer we ask, O Lord: R. Crush wars, grant peace!

5. O pious [Lord], repress wars, grant peace. R. Crush wars, grant peace!

1. From threatening wars, R. Deliver us, Lord.

2. From the scourge of war, R. Deliver us, Lord.

3. From enemies open and hidden, R. Deliver us, Lord.

4. From disturbers of peace, R. Deliver us, Lord.

5. From every hostile assault, R. Deliver us, Lord.

1. That thou wouldst deign to humble the enemies of holy Church, R. We pray thee, hear us.

2. That thou wouldst deign to repress the attempt of the Russians and reduce it to nothing, R. We pray thee, hear us.

3. That thou wouldst deign to avert war and every hostile onslaught from Ukraine, R. We pray thee, hear us.

4. That thou wouldst deign to give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, R. We pray thee, hear us.

5. That thou wouldst deign to grant peace and unity to the whole Christian people, R. We pray thee, hear us.

V. Scatter thou the nations that delight in wars. (Ps. 67, 31)

R. Take away wars even to the end of the earth. (Cf. Ps. 45, 10)

Let us pray.

Collect. 2nd Sunday after Epiphany.

Almighty everlasting God, who governest at once things heavenly and earthly: clemently hear the supplications of thy people, and grant thy peace to our times. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.

Queen of peace, R. Pray for us.

******

Cf. Eccli. 50, 24. 25

Orate Deum omnium, ut det nobis pacem in diebus nostris per dies sempiternos.

Oratio pro pace. (Cf. “Dñe... do vobis: ne respicias peccata mea, sed fidem Ecclesiæ tuæ”)

Domine Jesu Christe, qui dixisti Apostolis tuis: « Pacem relinquo vobis, pacem meam do vobis, non quomodo mundus dat ego do vobis » (Joan. 14, 27), ne respicias peccata nostra sed merita tua, et concede omnibus famulis tuis, ut quos creavit Pater omnipotens atque gubernat, quosque tu pretioso Sanguine redemisti et ad vitam æternam destinasti, omnes alterutrum toto corde propter te diligentes, cor unum fiant et perenni tua pace lætentur. Domine Jesu Christe, de quo cecinit Propheta: « Et adorabunt eum omnes reges terræ, omnes gentes servient ei » (Ps. 71, 11), regnum tuum ad genus humanum universum extende. Super omnes homines fidei tuæ lumen immitte, a passionum illecebris vinculisque eos libera, atque ad cælestia dirige: et concede propitius, ut civitates nationesque per immaculatam Sponsam tuam Ecclesiam sanctam conjunctæ, beatissima Virgine Maria Regina Pacis intercedente, tibi humillime famulentur; et ex omnibus linguis et populis unus existat chorus, qui, die ac nocte, te laudet, te benedicat, te exaltet, o Rex gentium (Jer. 10, 7) et dominator earum, o Princeps pacis (Is. 9, 6), o sæculorum Rex immortalis (cf. 1 Tim. 1, 17). Amen.

Preces pro pace.

Oremus Dominum, ut conterat bella, et donet pacem in universa terra.

1. Deus pacis, pax nostra, Rex pacifice, R. Contere bella, tribue pacem!

2. Pacem rogamus, pacem nobis tribue: R. Contere bella, tribue pacem!

3. Amove bella et nos omnes erue: R. Contere bella, tribue pacem!

4. Humili prece postulamus, Domine. R. Contere bella, tribue pacem!

5. Pie, bella reprime, pacem concede. R. Contere bella, tribue pacem!

1. A bellis imminentibus, R. Libera nos, Domine.

2. A flagello belli, R. Libera nos, Domine.

3. Ab hostibus apertis et occultis, R. Libera nos, Domine.

4. A perturbatoribus pacis, R. Libera nos, Domine.

5. Ab omni hostili incursu, R. Libera nos, Domine.

1. Ut inimicos sanctæ Ecclesiæ humiliare digneris, R. Te rogamus, audi nos.

2. Ut russicorum conatus reprimere et ad nihilum redigere digneris, R. Te rogamus, audi nos.

3. Ut ab Ucraina bellum et omnem incursum hostilem avertere digneris, R. Te rogamus, audi nos.

4. Ut regibus et principibus christianis pacem et veram concordiam donare digneris, R. Te rogamus, audi nos.

5. Ut cuncto populo christiano pacem et unitatem largiri digneris, R. Te rogamus, audi nos.

V. Dissipa gentes quæ bella volunt. (Ps. 67, 31)

R. Aufer bella usque ad finem terræ. (Cf. Ps. 45, 10)

Oremus.

Oratio. Dñca II. post Epiphaniam.

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui cælestia simul et terrena moderaris: supplicationes populi tui clementer exaudi; et pacem tuam nostris concede temporibus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. R. Amen.

Regina pacis, R. Ora pro nobis.

War and Peace

Matters in the Ukraine have reached breaking point; Russia is acting just as the USSR did – I think of the cynical and lying manner in which Stalin proclaimed peace while bloodily occupying the Baltic States, for example. That said, I think Ukraine might be well advised to let the Crimea go, since Russia is in de facto control there already.

How upsetting, to think that the pro-Russian President of Ukraine would turn tail and run, and those pro-Europe scum came suddenly to power! How upsetting – to the Kremlin, not known for fondness toward would-be overthrowers of authoritarian regimes.

The real danger comes if Putin (think Stalin, think Lenin, think Ivan the Terrible – Russian autocrats are all the same, just like those Russian dolls all nested inside each other) decides to take more than the Crimea: perhaps the easternmost Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to begin with.

After all, to the detritus of the old Soviet Empire (I mean Kaliningrad Oblast, between Poland and Lithuania), several puppet states "protected" by the Russian military have been added since the breakup of the USSR:

• Transnistria, between Moldova and Ukraine: 4,163 sq km (protected since 1990)
• Abkhazia, formerly north-western Georgia: 8,660 sq km (protected since 1992-3 and especially since 2008)
• South Ossetia, formerly north-central Georgia: 3,900 sq km (also occupied since 2008)
• Crimea: 26,964 sq km (de facto occupied as of late February 2014)

It appears the bear is getting hungrier.

May we expect ethnic cleansing, or just bashings and like cruelty, once the Crimea "overwhelmingly votes to reunite joyfully with the Motherland"? If I were a Crimean Tatar I'd be afraid.

Russia's government of course assumes that the European Union, the US and NATO are all as gormless and spineless as they have so far appeared; which seems a fair assessment. But hand-wringing will not scare away the bear, only a bloodied nose will. At least the Lithuanians have realised what's at stake, and have invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

If NATO mobilised, and the US and UK declared they were willing to enforce, militarily if need be, the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, a "piece of paper" signed also by Russia (perfidy again), which guaranteed the borders and territorial integrity of Ukraine against the threat of force – then Putin might draw back.

Then again, NATO might prove itself the loser in such a conflict, should conflict come. Or Russia. Who knows what may happen? And didn't something very nasty transpire in similar circumstances in 1914?

Do pray for peace:

Aña. Da pacem, Dómine, in diébus nostris: quia non est álius qui pugnet pro nobis, nisi tu, Deus noster. 

V/. Fiat pax in virtúte tua. 

R/. Et abundántia in túrribus tuis.

Oremus. 

Oratio. Deus, a quo sancta desidéria, recta consília, et justa sunt óреrа: da servis tuis illam, quam mundus dare non potest, pacem; ut et corda nostra mandátis tuis dédita, et hóstium subláta formídine, témpora sint tua protectióne tranquílla. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. R/. Amen. 

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccáta mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Regína pacis, ora pro nobis.

****** 

Ant. Give peace in our time, O Lord: because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God. 

V/. Peace be in thy strength. 

R/. And plenteousness within thy towers. 

Let us pray. 

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through Christ our Lord. R/. Amen. 

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.

Queen of peace, pray for us.