Holy Hour for Peace

The following Holy Hour is a model and is based on the ritual book Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery outside Mass, which should be followed in all respects. A resource of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship entitled, Thirty-One Questions on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, may also be helpful.

 

Procession

After all have assembled, a priest or deacon, wearing cope and humeral veil, brings the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar in a monstrance, a song may be sung. He may be accompanied by altar servers with candles.

The Blessed Sacrament is placed on the altar. The presiding minister then kneels before the altar and incenses the Blessed Sacrament. The opening song is concluded and a period of silent prayer follows.

Opening Prayer

The presiding minister then goes to the chair, where he prays one of the following opening prayers:

A:

Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, the spirit of charity, 
so that, sustained by the Body and Blood of your Only Begotten Son, 
we may be effective in nurturing among all 
the peace that he has left us. 
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

B:

Grant to us, O Lord,
that, nourished with the delights of the one Bread
that fortifies the human heart,
we may successfully overcome the fury of war
and resolutely keep your law of love and justice.
Through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

After a period of silent prayer, the Liturgy of the Word begins.

 

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading

A reading from the Letter of James 3:13-18, LFM 888.3

The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace

Beloved:
Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show his works by a good life
in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast and be false to the truth.
Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.

The word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 122 1-2, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, LFM 889.3

R. Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the Lord."
And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you.

To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

R. Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

R. Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you.

Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the Lord, our God,
I will pray for your good.

R. Give peace, O Lord, to those who wait for you.

After a period of silent prayer:

Gospel Acclamation

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Peace I leave with you, says the Lord, my peace I give to you. Jn 14:27, LFM 890.2

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 14:23-29, LFM 891.3

My peace I give to you.

Jesus said to his disciple, Jude:
"Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.

"I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit—
that the Father will send in my name—
he will teach you everything
and remind you all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
'I am going away and I will come back to you.'
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe."

The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Homily

At the conclusion of the last reading a priest or a deacon preaches the homily, followed by a period of silent prayer.

Intercessions

Standing at the chair, the presiding minister invites the people to pray:

Presiding Minister: God is the Father of all peoples and wills all to be gathered into one family free from division and strife. Trusting in His providence, we place our petition for peace before him as we pray:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Deacon or other Minister: For Christians and all people of good will, may they never lose hope in the possibility of peace, we pray to the Lord:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Deacon or other Minister: For government leaders, may they hear and respond to their peoples' plea for peace and justice, we pray to the Lord:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Deacon or other Minister: For the young everywhere: may they grow in courage to seek the peace God offers the world, we pray to the Lord:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Deacon or other Minister: For those serving in the military, may the Lord guide them and protect them, we pray to the Lord:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Deacon or other Minister: For those who have died, especially those who have died in war, may the Lord accept them into his loving presence, we pray to the Lord:

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

After a period of silent prayer:

Reading

The following reading may be read by a minister:

Sollicitudo Rei Socialis 1

The Church well knows that no temporal achievement is to be identified with the Kingdom of God, but that all such achievements simply reflect and in a sense anticipate the glory of the Kingdom, the Kingdom which we await at the end of history, when the Lord will come again. But that expectation can never be an excuse for lack of concern for people in their concrete personal situations and in their social, national and international life, since the former is conditioned by the latter, especially today.

However imperfect and temporary are all the things that can and ought to be done through the combined efforts of everyone and through divine grace, at a given moment of history, in order to make people's lives "more human," nothing will be lost or will have been in vain. This is the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, in an enlightening passage of the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes: "When we have spread on earth the fruits of our nature and our enterprise - human dignity, fraternal communion, and freedom - according to the command of the Lord and in his Spirit, we will find them once again, cleansed this time from the stain of sin, illumined and transfigured, when Christ presents to his Father an eternal and universal kingdom...here on earth that kingdom is already present in mystery."

The Kingdom of God becomes present above all in the celebration of the sacrament of the Eucharist, which is the Lord's Sacrifice. In that celebration the fruits of the earth and the work of human hands - the bread and wine - are transformed mysteriously, but really and substantially, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the words of the minister, into the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Mary, through whom the Kingdom of the Father has been made present in our midst.

The goods of this world and the work of our hands-the bread and wine-serve for the coming of the definitive Kingdom, since the Lord, through his Spirit, takes them up into himself in order to offer himself to the Father and to offer us with himself in the renewal of his one Sacrifice, which anticipates God's Kingdom and proclaims its final coming.

Thus the Lord unites us with himself through the Eucharist- Sacrament and Sacrifice-and he unites us with himself and with one another by a bond stronger than any natural union; and thus united, he sends us into the whole world to bear witness, through faith and works, to God's love, preparing the coming of his Kingdom and anticipating it, though in the obscurity of the present time.

All of us who take part in the Eucharist are called to discover, through this sacrament, the profound meaning of our actions in the world in favor of development and peace; and to receive from it the strength to commit ourselves ever more generously, following the example of Christ, who in this sacrament lays down his life for his friends (cf. Jn 15:13). Our personal commitment, like Christ's and in union with his, will-not be in vain but certainly fruitful.

After a period of silent prayer:

Litany of Peace

Lord, have mercy.
R. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
R. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
R. Lord, have mercy.

The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace. Nm 6:26

R. Lord, grant us peace.

May the Lord bless his people with peace. Ps 29:11

R.

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Ps 34:15

R.

I will listen for the word of God; surely the Lord will proclaim peace. Ps 85:9

R.

Love and truth will meet; justice and peace will kiss. Ps 85:11

R.

Too long did I live among those who hated peace. Ps 120:6

R.

When I spoke of peace, they were for war. Ps 120:7

R.

For family and friends I say, "May peace be yours." Ps 122:8

R.

There is a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Eccl 3:8

R.

O Lord, you mete out peace to us, for it is you who have accomplished all we have done. Is 26:12 R.

Justice will bring about peace; right will produce calm and security. Is 32:17

R. 

From Bethlehem will come one whose origins are from of old, he shall be peace. Cf. Mi 5:1,4

R.

Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth. Lk 2:14

R.

The Lord says, "Into whatever household you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.'" Lk 10:5

R.

The Lord says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." Jn 14:27

R.

The Lord says, "Not as the world gives it do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." Jn 14:27

R.

The Lord says, "I have told you these things that you might have peace in me." Jn 16:33

R.

And Jesus said to his disciples, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Jn 20:21

R.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal 5:22-23

R.

Let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were called in one body. Col 3:15

R.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.

R. Have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.

R. Have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.

R. Grant us peace.

The Lord's Prayer

The presiding minister then sings or says:

Now let us offer together the prayer our Lord Jesus Christ taught us:

All: Our Father . . . 

Benediction

At the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, the presiding minister goes to the altar, genuflects, and then kneels. As he kneels, Tantum ergo or another suitable Eucharistic song is sung and he incenses the Blessed Sacrament. After the hymn is finished, he rises and sings or says:

Let us pray.

After a brief period of silence, The presiding minister continues:

O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament
have left us a memorial of your Passion,
grant us, we pray,
so to revere the sacred mysteries of your Body and Blood
that we may always experience in ourselves
the fruits of your redemption.
Who live and reign for ever and ever. 

All: Amen.

After the prayer, the presiding minister puts on the humeral veil, genuflects, and takes the monstrance. He makes the sign of the cross with the monstrance over those gathered, in silence.

Reposition

After the blessing, the presiding minister may lead those assembled in the Divine Praises. Each acclamation is repeated by all together.

Blessed be God.
Blessed be his holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be his most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be his most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste Spouse.
Blessed be God in his Angels and in his Saints.

After the Divine Praises are finished, the Blessed Sacrament is removed from the monstrance and brought to the place of reservation. Meanwhile, the hymn is sung, and the presiding minister and the servers bow to the altar and leave.

1 John Paul II, Encyclical, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, no. 48.