<\/p>\n\n
For about four years<\/strong> now, before the outbreak of the large-scale war in Ukraine, we have been meeting online every Thursday evening to pray together for peace; we are from different cultures and nations in Eastern and Western Europe<\/strong>. And for the past few months, representatives from the Holy Land have also joined in.<\/p><\/p>\n\n There are only a hundred of us, but it is always a sacred moment<\/strong> that makes us feel like one family praying and asking God for peace together. For us here in Ukraine it is a great gift to pray together because it gives us the strength to go on, making us feel the closeness of so many people. And this gives us hope for the future.<\/p><\/p>\n\n Marjana and Pavel Snoj had this to say: That 22 February 2022 we were surprised and distressed with Russia’s aggression in Ukraine: – we just didn’t expect it! We in Slovenia know what a war is; we experienced it even after the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and we still bear the wounds. That is why we asked ourselves what we could do against this war, which is always a source of pain, destruction and death. One possibility was immediately obvious to us: prayer! Because we are certain that prayer can obtain everything from God.<\/p>\n\n We therefore decided to start praying online. We are approx. 60 people from various Movements and Communities, praying together every day for 30′ since February 2022, and we have never stopped doing so, for any reason<\/strong>. At the end of the prayer, we still remain briefly connected for about 5 – 10 minutes to exchange the latest news about the war, the sorrows and joys we experience. Indeed, a true family spirit is created between us, because we live for each other. We believe in peace and that it will soon be possible.<\/p><\/p>\n\n Judith Kaiser writes: \u2018Be joyful in hope, strong in tribulation, persevering in prayer\u2019 – thus the appeal from Romans 12:12. Perhaps it is this call that brings us together every Tuesday evening as Christians from different Movements and Communities <\/strong>– German-speaking area – for the ecumenical prayer for peace in Ukraine on Zoom.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n In our prayer for a just peace, we place our trust in the Lord’s help in all the needs we are aware of. We, about 10-20 people, have been constantly praying since November 2023<\/strong>. Thanks to the participation of Miroslav from Uzhhorod and sometimes Viktor from Lviv, Ukraine is always present in the prayer on Zoom<\/strong>. Their perceptions, stories, greetings and requests help us to pray in a concrete way and to recognise God’s action. Our connection in prayer often makes us feel a deep closeness that refreshes the heart. After a short lead-in, we pray aloud or silently, interceding, blessing, professing the Word of God… each in our own way. In the end, we also turn our prayer specifically to the situation in Israel. Once a month, Hans-Joachim Scholz leads us in prayer of reconciliation. We often experience that we ourselves are blessed and strengthened in faith through this appointment. And God always acts again – let us give thanks to Him for this!\u2019<\/p><\/p>\n\n We like to conclude with a thought by Pope Francis <\/strong>(1): \u2018Perhaps force of habit or a certain daily ritual has led us to think that prayer does not change individuals or history. Yet to pray is to change reality. Prayer is an active mission, a constant intercession. It is not distant from the world, but changes the world. To pray is to bring the beating heart of current affairs into God\u2019s presence, so that his gaze will shine out upon history. (…) If prayer is living … continually prompts us to allow ourselves to be troubled by the plea of all those who suffer in our world.’<\/p><\/p>\n\n Those interested in participating in one of these moments of prayer can contact us via the website.<\/p>\n\n The international secretariat of Together for Europe<\/em><\/p><\/p>\n\n (1) Homily in the Ges\u00f9 Church in Rome, 12 March 2022<\/em><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In various places, initiatives have been started for years now where people from different cultures and nations meet regularly online to pray for an end to wars and for a stable peace in Europe and in the world. These are moments of profoundness, togetherness and sharing. We present here the experiences of Ukraine, Slovenia and Germany. 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Esslingen: perception, closeness, prayer<\/strong><\/h4><\/p>\n\n
Bringing the beating heart of current affairs to God<\/strong><\/h4><\/p>\n\n