Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Jan. 9, 2023

Next Tuesday Kumi Now will consider Israel’s policy of denying building permits to Palestinians living in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. As a result Palestinians have to build homes and businesses that are under constant threat of demolition or confiscation.

 •    Lord, we pray that international organizations and governments will challenge Israel over its policy of denying building permits to Palestinians, dispossessing them and encouraging illegal Israeli settlers to take their land and resources. Lord in your mercy…

 Pope Francis paid tribute to his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, the 5th of January, in a funeral attended by about fifty thousand mourners in St Peter’s Square. Pope Emeritus Benedict had resigned from the papacy due to ill health in 2013. After the funeral he was buried in the crypt under St Peter’s Basilica.

 •    Lord, we give thanks for the life and devoted service of Pope Benedict XVI. We join with those who mourn his passing and say together, ‘Father, into your hands we commend his spirit.’ Lord, in your mercy…

 The United Nations’ Security Council held an emergency meeting on Thursday, the 5th of January, to discuss Ben-Gvir’s recent provocative walk around the al-Aqsa Compound, flanked by Israeli security guards. The UN stated that his first public act since taking office, ‘reflected a lack of commitment to existing historical and legal status of the holy sites in Jerusalem and could further destabilize the fragile situation in the occupied Palestinian Territories.’

• Lord, we pray that the new Israeli government will take heed of the international condemnation of its first days in office. We pray that the government will not deliberately heighten tensions and spark violence through further provocative actions. Lord, in your mercy…

B’Tselem reported that the Israeli authorities have just given notice that a thousand residents of Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills will soon receive orders of forcible eviction from their homes. Their land has been designated as ‘Firing Zone 918’ and is a closed military zone. B’Tselem has written to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague to protest that this forcible transfer of protected persons in occupied territory constitutes a war crime.

 •    Lord, we cry out to you for the residents of Masafer Yatta who face constant threats and ongoing violence from  the Israeli authorities. We pray for urgent intervention from international organisations to allow them to remain living peaceably on their land. Lord, in your mercy…

 The Israeli army shot Adam Ayyad, a 15-year old Palestinian teenager in the chest and killed him on Tuesday, the 3rd of January. The pre-dawn raid, involving dozens of armoured vehicles and many fully-armed Israeli soldiers led to confrontations with young Palestinians at Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem. Since the start of the year three Palestinians have already been killed as a result of the continuing campaign of intensified Israeli raids that have lasted almost a year.

 •    Lord, we pray for Adam’s family and friends as they now grieve over the loss of his young life. We pray for an end to the extrajudicial killings and the targeting of Palestinian children by Israeli forces. Lord in your mercy..

The vicar for migrants and asylum seekers in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Fr Nikodemus Schnakel, held a special early morning Christmas service for the Indian community in St Catherine’s Chapel at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Although the community had to gather at 4:30am and worshipped in the dark, due to a power cut, there were no complaints as they were so happy to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem.

 •    Lord Jesus, our good shepherd, lead us and guide us to welcome all who leave their homeland whether on pilgrimage or fleeing from persecution or poverty. We pray especially for the many migrants and asylum seekers who face so much fear and uncertainty in their lives. Lord, in your mercy..

 Security camera footage caught two young men wearing religious Jewish clothing desecrating more than thirty graves at the Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion during the afternoon of Sunday, the 1st of January. This act of vandalism has shocked church leaders around the world and they have called on Israel to crack down on extremist Israeli groups.

 •    Lord, we pray for an end to the frequent attacks against the Arab Christian community and their property by extremist groups. We pray that the Israeli police will thoroughly investigate the vandalism at the Protestant Cemetery and hold to account those responsible for the criminal acts. Lord, in your mercy..

 •    We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Iran, Iraq and Syria. Lord, in your mercy…