Daily prayer in opposition to DSEI Arms Fair

Pax Christi has sent the following message: Following our online prayer event on Wednesday and the 'No Faith in War Day' protests at the entrance to the ExCeL Centre in London yesterday, we are committing ourselves to praying this prayer daily from today to Saturday 16th September when the Fair has closed and all those exhibiting will be packing up.

We'd love you to join us.

Disarm our hearts, God of Peace;
Help us to renounce the fear that takes the form of weapons.
Help us to choose the fierce love that moves your human family to dialogue, not destruction.

Disarm our hearts, God of Peace
Our children are fragile, as is our Earth.
Give us the wisdom to cherish these gifts
By voicing our support for a world free of weapons.

Disarm our hearts God of Peace;
Help us to embrace your wisdom and your will
Challenge us to choose life, solidarity and hope.

Disarm our hearts, God of Peace
Give us a voice that is heard for those who have no voice and are not heard
For those who know there is no tomorrow in war
For those who know that the violence of weapons destroys the beauty of creation and the joy of life.

God of Peace
We pray for authentic and lasting peace
We pray for the will to bring this about so we may be called peacemakers, the children of God.
In your name we pray for an end to arms fairs, the arms trade and the weapons of war

Amen

"It's our responsibility to help eradicate hatred & violence from human hearts. Let's encourage arms to be set aside, that there be a reduction in military spending so that humanitarian needs can be provided for & so that instruments of death be turned into instruments of life."

Pope Francis, World Humanitarian Day 2023