For World Peace

10/30/23 - offered by Kathy Markarian

A Prayer for World Peace (a prayer poem for peace on earth and world unity)

Dear Father of all, 

Help us to see the world through your eyes, without dividing lines, 

To see just land and water, mountains, trees and skies. 

Help us to lay aside our class and skin, our background and race, 

To know our shared humanity, to see a brother or sister in every face. 

Help us to wear forgiveness, to lay down our pride and pain, 

To seek first to understand, Lord may peace and reconciliation reign. 

Help us to feel your compassion so we can freely forgive. 

May we weave new threads of grace and cause seeds of hope to live. 

Help us to play our own small part, with acts of kindness and of care. 

May we arise as your children and seek out what is just and fair. 

Cause us to make new bonds of trust with neighbours near and far, 

And so to fashion a world where peace comes to Earth in this hour.

Amen

For Artsakh and Armenia

10/23/23 - Offered by Suzie Shatarevyan

The Armenian Law Students Association organized a vigil at the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles to honor the lives lost during the Artsakh Genocide. An open invitation was sent to the student body as well as the entire community. They assembled, with candles they prayed. They offered the following prayer and it was shared with the gathering by one of the priests at Loyola Law School:

Blessed are you, O Lord we come to you in a supremely difficult time for the Armenian people. With broken hearts and tears filling our eyes, we are united in grief over the loss of the ancestral holy lands of Artsakh. The Armenian people are forced to leave behind their sacred temples of worship and silence their joyful prayers within their glorious churches. In this state of unbearable pain, we appeal to you, O Lord, to hasten to their aid in your divine mercy and love. 

Dispel their deep sorrow; heal their wounded spirits; pull them back from the error of hopelessness and despair. Help them to find strength and refuge in your loving arms, and to unite the Armenian nation under the warm and caring wings of your Holy Church. Grant us the humility and wisdom to accept the things we can no longer change; and give us courage to effect needful change where we still can.

 In a time of unrest and turmoil in Armenia, give the people the peace you granted to all your followers: breathe into them, too, your life-giving Holy Spirit, so that they too may find peace from worldly commotion, worry, and fear. Help them to work together in love, directing their sincere efforts toward the recovery of our society. Guide them in rebuilding their broken homes, and heal their wounded families who lost loved ones during these bitter days of war.  

Remember with love, Lord, as our Creator, the souls of the heroic soldiers and brave civilians who sacrificed their lives in your name. For those who have now lost their lifelong homes and must flee to safety. Remember them, bless them, and receive them into your Kingdom. Comfort their loved ones by the grace of your Holy Spirit. 

Lord, today we are overwhelmed by the sense of loss and tragedy that has come upon the Armenian people. But we know that you are always near to the brokenhearted, and you rescue those who are crushed in spirit [cf. Psl. 34:18 2]. We trust that all things are possible through you [cf. Philip. 4:13 3]. Help us realize that even when matters lie beyond our understanding, you still know the plans you have for us—plans to help us prosper and not come to harm; plans to give us hope for the future [cf. Jer. 29:11]. We cast our anxiety to you, lean not on our mortal understanding, and trust in you with all our heart [cf. Prov. 3:5]. For we have faith that in all things, you work for the good of all who love and honor you [cf. Rom. 8:28].  

We are humble, Lord, and you are our glory; your very name is wondrous, triumphant, and holy. Surrounded by the great cloud of our newly martyred witnesses to you, we praise you along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages and ages. Amen.

Adapted from a prayer written for Armenia and Artsakh in the Eastern Diocese, November 13, 2020,

Protect & Strengthen

10/9/23 - offered by Seza Ouzounian

Protect & Strengthen

Our Father, protect us all with Your Holy Cross. Protect all of Armenia’s borders. Protect our brave brothers, sisters and children of Artsakh who left their homes and abode abruptly. Help us to keep our faith in You and shield us against the enemy’s attacks. Protect the men and women who have been captured and guide the enemy to release them.

Allow Your Grace to strengthen us as a nation. Let us be together, one Church and one nation, a united and strong Armenia. Let there be peace in the world. Please guide leaders and nations to demonstrate love and helping hands. Protect the Middle East in turmoil. Allow compassion and empathy to infiltrate all sides, to come together in peaceful dialog.

Tonight dear Lord, forgive us for the ways we have strayed away from Your Path. Help us grow in faith and love for one another. Through the night Your glory shines over all the earth. Grant us restful sleep and a morning full of praise in Your presence. Amen

Post Artsakh

10/2/23 - offered by Lynn Bedrosian

O merciful Lord, we come before you with a humble but resolute spirit, seeking your grace and mercy for our Armenian brothers and sisters in Artsakh.

Our hearts are heavy with concern for their suffering and hardship. We beseech you, Lord, to strengthen them in their struggles and to provide them with courage and resilience amidst this next trial of leaving their homes in Artsakh and finding refuge in Armenia.

We humbly ask for the intercession of St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Mary the Holy Mother of God, and all the saints. May their prayers and examples inspire us to be agents of healing. Grant us the compassion to extend a helping hand to our Artsakh families and grant them comfort in their pain and solace in their grief.

Inspire leaders and nations to work together in the pursuit of justice and peace for our people. May the light of your truth shine brightly, dispelling the darkness of hatred and division so that one day justice and
righteousness may prevail in our ancestral lands.

In your boundless mercy, hear our prayer, O Lord. We offer these petitions with trusting hearts, knowing that you are a compassionate and loving God. May your will be done, and may you guide the people of Artsakh safely to Armenia and the next chapter of their lives. And to you we offer glory and honor, now and forever. Amen.