Pope Francis has designated this Ash Wednesday as a Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace in Ukraine. On Twitter, he offered this prayer in various languages, including Russian and Ukrainian:
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
Open our eyes and our hearts,
and give us the courage to say:
“Never again war!”;
“With war everything is lost.”
Instill in our hearts the courage
to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope,
so that with patience and perseverance
we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation.
In this way may peace triumph at last.
Amen.
