A City Continues To Pray For Healing

"There is no peace without justice,
no peace without forgiveness."
-Pope John Paul II-

In March 2009, during the Lenten Season, Davao Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla directed all parish priests and parishioners to pray on bended knees the "oratio imperata" for healing. He recommended that the prayer be recited "personally and as a community" for a period of one year throughout the archdiocese. This was in response to the unabated summary killings in the city.

Whenever I say this prayer, alone or in church, the words linger on and resonate in the deepest recesses of my heart. For those who know my story, I'm sure you understand why.

The church may have been criticized for such harsh judgment in prayer and certain personalities have reacted violently for what they believe are malicious insinuations. But for me, this prayer hit the right note. These are words that my own heart has long uttered in silence. The motives, if there were any as alleged by some people, behind the drafting of the oratio imperata and the criticisms (there were too many) thrown at it do not matter to me. What is significant here is that the silent cries of many victims have been put to words although I sincerely respect the opinions of those who do not agree with the tenor of the prayer.

I am publishing here the entire text of the prayer and invite everyone interested to pray with us.


The Prayer for Healing :

“Heavenly Father, our city is wounded in its soul. Our people’s wounds are deep and wide. These wounds are the hatred and dislike of drug addicts and drug pushers, the senseless disregard of due process of law, the violent killing of mere suspects, the crash taking of the law into one’s hands, the lustful greed in the hooded killers on motor bike, the baseless claim that there are no witnesses, the inhuman disrespect for life of the unborn from womb to tomb, and the unjust socio-political system that tolerates all these to happen.

“Lord, on bended knees, we too confess that our souls and spirit are wounded by our anger and desire for revenge. Yes, we are angry because our loud protests and public outcry have fallen on deaf ears. Our souls are nourishing irresponsible suspicions and rash judgments on the real perpetrators of the crimes. We are wounded by our disunity and hopelessness which imprison our hearts and weaken our willpower. Most of all, Heavenly Father, our souls are wounded by our stark ignorance that we too are responsible for the existence and perpetuation of the systems that promote, condone and abet these social wounds in the soul and spirit of our people. For all these, Lord, we are deeply sorry and beg your mercy and forgiveness.

“God of power and mercy, since our collective efforts at peaceful protests have proven fruitless, we come to you for help. Yes, Lord, we come to ask for healing. Heal our souls and spirits of all the violent animosities that weaken our society and life. Give us light, give us strength, give us courage to believe and to trust in you. Make us realize that in each of us from every walk of life there is an inherent and inborn goodness. You planted this goodness and it is not and cannot be erased by our sin and crime. This is our reason for hope.

“For this reason, Heavenly Father, we beg you to give us your healing touch. Touch the hardened hearts of criminals, drug addicts, drug pushers, drug lords, law enforcers, and the hearts of us all. Open them to the healing power of your love and compassion. Give the grace of courage to the eyewitnesses of crimes. Awaken in us all a collective consciousness and support which are urgently needed by the witnesses and the grieving families of victims. Convert us to you and to one another. Reconcile us to you and to one another through sincere repentance and mutual forgiveness. For without forgiveness, there is no future for our city.

“In this penitential season of Lent – and even beyond – give us courage and strength to make reparation for all our sins and crimes by means of voluntary acts of penance and self-sacrifice symbolized by your cross. We believe that when these are offered together with your own sacrifice on the cross, they can save us, heal us, and restore us to your friendship (“by his wounds we have been healed” 1 Peter 2:24). Make us overcome the evil in the system by the power of goodness in us all who are within the system, the goodness that is rooted in you alone.

“We make this humble prayer together with the Blessed Virgin, our Mother, so that as one united family in the bond of love, we may all experience the soothing joy of your presence and the healing balm of your love, you who live and reign with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.“

Links:

Davao Prays Oratio Imperata For Healing
Capalla Admits 'Oratio Imperata' A Disturbing Prayer