Holy God, holy Strong One, holy Deathless One,
Have mercy on us!

O great and worshipful Lord, Who hast opened the heavens and come down therefrom for the saving of the human race,
Look on us with mercy and grace.

Bless Thy people and save Thine inheritance.
Convict us not in Thine anger, O Lord.

We beseech Thee through the supplication of Thy Mother to put far from this land and its people all evils and afflictions.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Let adversities and uprisings cease; let there be an end to war and exile and famine and disease.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Have compassion on our weaknesses; help us in our distress; save us from injustice.
Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy.

Grant that we may leave the world in peace, to glorify Thee for ever and ever.
Hear us, O Prince of Peace.

In Thy goodness fill our hearts with peace.
Hear us, O Prince of Peace.

Wash us from all impurity and cunning and hypocrisy and malice, and from the memory of injuries, which leadeth to death.
Hear us, O Prince of Peace.

Bring us all together to greet one another with an holy kiss, that we share in Thy peace.
Hear us, O Prince of Peace.

Grant, O Lord, that we who are Thy soldiers here may enjoy Thy peace hereafter.
Hear us, O Prince of Peace.

Be mindful, O Lord, of prisoners; of those in exile or in bitter distress; of those who love us and of those who hate us.
Be merciful, O God of mercy.

Likewise of our enemies, we beseech Thee, that Thou wouldst turn them into peace, and cause them to attain to true penitence.
Be merciful, O God of mercy.

To all those also who have received hurt through my malice,
Stretch forth the hand of Thy compassion.

Defend, O Lord, with Thy protection those whom Thou satisfiest with heavenly Gifts; that being set free from all things hurtful, we may press onward with our whole heart to the salvation which cometh from Thee.
Stretch forth the hand of Thy compassion.

And thou, O Mother of God, since thou hast invincible power, deliver us, we beseech thee, from all ill, that we may cry to thee:
Hail, Immaculate!

We humble sinners run to Thee and in repentance prostrate ourselves, crying: If thou wert to cease to pray for us, who would deliver us? who would have preserved us until now?
Hail, Immaculate!

We shall never depart from thee, O Queen, for thou, who art alone blessed, ever savest thy children from all calamities.
Hail, Immaculate!

May Christ, our true God, Who is the gracious Lover of men, by the prayers of His spotless and all-pure Mother, have mercy on us and save us from the perils of war.

O Lord, hear our prayer; let our cry come unto Thee.


Holy God,
R. Have mercy on us.
Holy Strong One,
R. Have mercy on us.
Holy Deathless One,
R. Have mercy on us.


Let us pray to the Lord:

O Lord Christ, the Peace of all things above and the Hope of those that are here below, establish in Thy peace and rest Thine holy Catholic Church and the four corners of the world. Put away war and dissension from the ends of the earth and scatter those whose delight is in battle. In Thy divine mercy give peace to our hierarchy and to our country, that we may live in safety, in sobriety and in righteousness. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Thy Name be glory. Amen.

Give peace, O Lord, in our days; for there is none other that fighteth for us, but only Thou, our God.

V. Let there be peace in Thy strength, O Lord.
R. And plenty in Thy strong places.

O God, from whom proceed all holy desires, all right counsels and just works; grant unto us Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be devoted to Thy service, and that, being delivered from the fear of our enemies, we may pass our time in peace under Thy protection.

Thou seest, Lord, how on every side the storms have broken loose and the seas rage with wildly tossing waves; O do thou, we beseech Thee, who alone canst command the winds and the sea, give back to mankind the true peace which the world cannot give--the tranquillity of order. Let all men, by Thy gift and guidance, return to that just order, subjecting their passions to reason, establishing the reign of piety towards God, of justice and charity towards their neighbor, of temperance within themselves. May Thy kingdom come! May those also, who, far away from Thee, vainly seek for truth and salvation, learn to understand the need of serving and obeying Thee. For Thy laws are wholly just and full of fatherly mildness; and to observe them Thou freely givest us power in Thy own strength. Man's life on earth is a warfare; but Thou dost look upon the conflict and help each one to overcome; Thou dost raise him up when he falls and crown him when he conquers.

O God, who bringest wars to naught, and shieldest by Thy power all those who hope in Thee, overthrowing those that assail them, help Thy servants who implore Thy mercy, that the fierce might of their enemies may be brought low, and that we may never cease from praising Thee.

O God, we implore Thee, watch over those exposed to the horrors of war and to the spiritual dangers of a soldier's, a sailor's or airman's life. Give them such a strong faith that no human respect may ever lead them to deny it, or fear to practice it. Do Thou by Thy grace, fortify them against the contagion of bad example, that, being preserved from vice, and serving Thee faithfully, they may be ready to meet death whenever it may happen, through Christ our Lord. O Sacred Heart, inspire them with sorrow for sin, and grant them pardon. Mother of God, be with them in battle, and, if they should be called to make the supreme sacrifice, obtain for them that they may die in the grace of thy Divine Son. May their guardian angels protect them. Amen.

Consider first, the words of the seventh beatitude: "blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God." God's own abode is in eternal peace; and the heavenly Jerusalem is the vision and enjoyment of an undisturbed everlasting peace. They therefore that truly love peace, and as much as lies in them both keep it in themselves and with all others, and contribute all they can to make peace among such as are at variance with one another, and to bring all their neighbours to be at peace with God, are entitled to this beatitude, and to the glorious character of children of God. O how amiable is this spirit of peace! How blessed are its fruits! It is a paradise of the soul: it makes a kind of a heaven upon earth. O may this "peace of God which surpasseth all understanding, keep both our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord!" Philip. iv. 7.

Consider 2ndly, the different ways there are of being peace-makers, with relation to our neighbours, with relation to ourselves, and with relation to God. 'Tis a blessed thing to bring our neighbours to peace and mutual charity; as "it is an abomination in the sight of God, to sow discord among brethren." Prov. vi. 19. 'Tis a more blessed thing to make peace at home in our own souls, by suppressing the rebellious disorders of our passions, by bringing the flesh under subjection to the spirit, the inferior art of the soul to the superior, and the superior to God. 'Tis the most blessed thing of all to bring both ourselves and as many others as we can to a constant and perfect peace with God, that He may reign without control in all our souls; that His kingdom may be perfectly established within us; that His holy will, His holy law, His grace, and His peace may live in us and with us for ever. O happy peace indeed, that unites us here to God by grace, and hereafter in eternal glory!

Consider 3rdly, the reward promised in this beatitude to the peace-makers: "they shall be called the children of God." O reflect, my soul, what a dignity here is to be the children of so great a King, even the King that made heaven and earth. "Behold, what manner of charity," said St. John, (1 John iii. 1.) "the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called and should be the sons of God." Sons of God, even now by His grace, bearing a resemblance with His true Son, (who is styled in Scripture the Prince of Peace,) and as such in a particular manner loved, cherished, and protected by Him here as a parent; and hereafter to be admitted to a more perfect likeness, union, and as it were, transformation into Him, according to that of the same apostle, v.2: "Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God, and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when He shall appear, we shall be like unto Him; because we shall see Him as He is." O Christians, what blessings both for time and eternity are prepared for the lovers and promoters of peace!

Conclude, my soul, to endeavour to be always a friend and a child of peace, and the peace of God shall always rest upon thee, Luke x. 6, and never leave thee, till it bring thee to the region of everlasting peace.


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