March 20th, 2025
Last week, Father Ayman Batahish, the spiritual guide of the Catholic Arab Scout Group in Jerusalem, was heavily injured in a car accident. He is currently getting treatment.
We join the community in Jerusalem in their prayers for Father Ayman Batahish. Holy God, we ask for your healing touch upon his body and strength for his spirit. Guide the hands of those who care for him, and grant him patience and peace in his recovery. Restore him to health so he may continue his ministry ,and surround him and his family with love. May his suffering be met with your mercy, and may his healing be a testament to your grace.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
The recent complete blockade of Gaza by Israel has lasted for over 14 days. The lack of supplies has forced a closure of fuel supplies to all water wells. UNICEF warned that water shortages in the Gaza Strip have reached critical levels, with only one in 10 people currently able to access safe drinking water.
God of Justice, we cry out as Gaza thirsts. In our despair, transform our grief into creative, nonviolent resistance to put an end to this injustice. Stir within us the courage to act, to speak, and to stand with those who suffer with no prejudice. May justice flow like life-giving water, and may the people of Gaza be restored to life and dignity.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry of the United Nations released a report on Israel’s gender-based violence and genocidal acts in Gaza. It concluded that Israel has systematically used sexual, reproductive and other gender-based violence against Palestinians since October 2023 and carried out “genocidal acts” against Palestinians in Gaza by destroying women’s healthcare and reproductive health facilities and blocking access to reproductive healthcare.
Holy Creator, we come before you, burdened by the violence and suffering. We lift up all the women enduring such brutality, asking for their healing and justice. In their suffering, we remember Mary, who bore the pain of a woman and a refugee. Grant strength to those who are afflicted, and let their cries be heard by the world. We hold onto your promise that injustice and suffering will not have the final word.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Between October 7, 2023, and March 4, 2025, 896 Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. According to OCHA, since the start of 2025 alone, at least 90 Palestinians, among them 17 children, have been killed.
We mourn the lives lost in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, each one known to you, though we have failed to know their names. Forgive us for our ignorance and inaction, for allowing numbers to replace human lives. In our grief, help us resist the temptation of many to overcome evil with evil, and instead pursue justice with unwavering truth and inclusive love. May our repentance lead to remembrance, and our remembrance to action for all the peoples of your Land.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Over 3000 “Christian Zionist” leaders affiliated with American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI), a project of the extremist International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem (ICEJ), recently issued a statement calling on President Trump to declare Israeli sovereignty over the entirety of the Holy Land including occupied West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. In response, FOSNA, along with a diverse coalition of Christian voices committed to just peace in and beyond the Holy Land, have come together to proclaim the statement found here. Visit ww.fosna.org/sign to add your voice.
Holy God, we grieve the ways your name is invoked to justify dispossession. As some seek to sanctify injustice, we turn to you, the God of truth and liberation, and pray for the courage to stand against all theologies that uphold the violence of empire and occupation. Transform hearts blinded by power and embolden those who proclaim a vision of dignity and peace. Lead us away from the temptation of nationalism and towards the gospel of love, solidarity, and liberation for all.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
Last week, Sabeel participated as a panelist for an event titled “Jerusalemite Civil Society Speaks Out.” Given the shrinking space and increasing threats on civil society in Jerusalem, the panelists spoke on recent developments and their impact on the city’s residents. Other panelists and organizers included Palestinian Vision, Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling, Jerusalem Legal Aid Clinic, PASSIA, and EAPPI.
God of courage, we lift up those who speak truth and defend the rights of the people in Jerusalem. As civil society faces mounting threats, grant strength to those resisting injustice. May their voices be heard, and may the city be a place of justice and dignity for all its residents.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
We join the World Council of Churches in their prayers for Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer
