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Israeli media has reported last week that Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing for plans to implement “voluntary migration” of the Palestinians in Gaza to other countries. Netanyahu made the comment during a closed-door parliamentary session for his ruling Likud Party lawmakers. Danny Danon of the Likud Party said during the session that there are countries that raised this issue in return for payments.

• God of Mary and Martha, we are witnessing unspeakable evil and great fear of what is to come. The nightmare of 1948 is forever haunting us. Lord, help us resist and struggle the righteous fight for our people, for the oppressed, bearing true witness to our God, true witness to our native land.

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer

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On the 28th of December, masked men numbering around 30 stormed the Armenian Quarter in the old city of Jerusalem. These men attacked the Armenian community and clergy by throwing rocks and other objects. Unfortunately, the Israeli police was late to intervene. This attack is one of several against the Armenian community in the last two months. These attacks are believed by the local Armenian community to be connected to the cancellation of the deal to acquire a plot of land in the Armenian neighborhood by Jewish investors.

God of power, we thank you for the brave individuals of the Armenian community and the “Save the ArQ (Armenian Quarter) movement” which seeks to defend and preserve Armenian presence in Jerusalem. We hold on to our faith that all corruption whether through land deals or violent attacks will be held accountable through your justice. We pray that the recent statement by the Save the ArQ movement will be heard like trumpets all across the world.

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer

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On the 24th of December, Christmas Eve, Israeli forces targeted the historic Deir Mimas Monastery in Lebanon, a revered site dating back to 1404 A.D. On the 26th of December, an anti-tank missile was fired at Israeli soldiers who were stationed next to a church compound in Iqrit, a Christian Palestinian village in northern Israel. This resulted in the injury of an 80-year-old civilian, caused damage to the Church, and injured several Israeli soldiers. The antitank missiles were reportedly fired from Hezbollah.  

Holy God, churches and other sanctuaries do not only witness to your love, but carry histories, cultures and meanings which surpass our understanding. We pray for all people injured by any aggression against Churches, Mosques, monasteries, and any other sanctuaries. We also lift up the precious lives who are sheltering in the remaining churches and mosques in Gaza. Lord, protect the living and dead stones of this land. 

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer

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In the early hours of the morning on the 27th of December, at least six Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli drone strike during a raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp. The six victims were reportedly young men between the ages of 16 and 29, who were standing and watching while the raid took place. After the attack, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) claimed that the Israeli military blocked ambulances from reaching the injured in the attack.

• God of the oppressed, promise those who mourn and who are oppressed that they will be comforted and redeemed. As we mourn the deaths and constant suffering Palestinians in the West Bank are facing, help us stand with assurance that your Holy Spirit will lead us to liberation, from chaos to order, from injustice to justice, and from invisibility to wholeness. May we enact your will on earth by ending systems of oppression here in Palestine and all over the world.

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer

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It is now 87 days of massacres and death. Over 21,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 54,000 injured in Gaza which the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, has described the situation as “hell on earth”. Many more lives are likely to die due to being trapped under the rubble, infected with diseases, starvation, and more. Gaza is now The world’s most dangerous place to be a child according to UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder. 

• God of life, every soul that has been killed in Gaza you have breathed into their nostrils the breath of life. As the situation is described as “hell on earth” may we be witnesses to your heavenly kingdom through our actions. Lord, equip us with your love to be agents of liberation, justice, and peace. May every soul that has perished and every tear shed bear witness to the evil of oppression and create in us a fierce fire to overcome evil with healing justice.

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer      

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On the 1st of January, the Gregorian calendar marked the arrival of the new year. It is customary to celebrate the new year by having parties and festivities, singing songs of joy, and creating “New Year Resolutions”. For Palestinians, 2023 has been the deadliest year of our modern history; at least 21,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, 450 Palestinians in the West Bank, and thousands more injured. These numbers are expected to rise with every minute that passes. 2023 has been a year of death, displacement, famine, sickness, and trauma, adding another bloody chapter to Palestinian history.   

• Resurrected Christ, you know how terrible the year 2023 has been in Palestine-Israel. You have felt white phosphorus burn your skin and the immense grief of the wretched of the earth. As we enter the new year, help us rise from the ashes since “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Help us be more faithful servants for the year of 2024.

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer  

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The mass arrests and humiliation of Palestinians in Gaza by the Israeli military is continuing. Indeed, Israeli forces are forcibly arresting Palestinians under arbitrary allegations and taking them to unknown places. For the Palestinians who are reported to be in various prisons and military camps, it is reported that they endure harsh treatment, sexual violence, and at times, even death by torture. 

God of light, evildoers often wish to hide themselves, attempting to conceal their actions and the truth from the public. However, no darkness can overcome your light which illuminates the good and the evil in all people. Lord, let your light shine in the prisons and military camps so that all sin is accounted for and all unjust suffering is known. Lord, protect all those imprisoned or taken hostage unjustly. Liberate them and redeem their suffering. While the Palestinian prisoners are hidden from the public eye, they are not hidden from your love.

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer.  

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Week after week, amongst death and destruction, we are witnessing heroes in Gaza. This comes in the form of Gazan men running to sites just bombed to rescue people under the rubble, journalists documenting the atrocities in Gaza, medical workers working in extreme adverse conditions, and all those trying to cheer the children who are displaced. All are risking their lives to do God’s work, and many have lost loved ones and colleagues since the 7th of October.

God of Sumud, the journalists, medical workers, and those working to alleviate the suffering in Gaza are showing the world what compassion, goodness, and resilience looks like through their actions. Protect the many saints in Gaza, known and unknown, and bless them. Lord, help us follow their examples within our own contexts so that our actions may lead to love and solidarity. Let us “…be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). 

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer

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On the 22nd of December, Sabeel published a new issue of Cornerstone which contextualizes Advent and the Christmas message to our present reality in Palestine. The authors of the Cornerstone issue argue that the authentic message of the incarnation of Christ is one which demands repentance, revolution, courage, recognition to those unseen, and liberation to the oppressed. This interpretation rereads the Christmas story as an event which challenges colonialism in all its forms and empowers those who are the least of these in our societies. 

God who is and was and is to come, you are the true ruler of the earth and cosmos. Evil powers, structures, or individuals are an illusion in their own temporal might. We thank you for all the Palestinians who are witnessing to your Holy name this Christmas. Lord, help us as we attempt to carry our own crosses. Guide us in your wisdom and not in our own understanding. Let us remember your faithfulness to creation as you choose to be incarnated in the humblest of ways.     

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer

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Since the 7th of October, at least 300 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces and settler attacks, many of them under the age of 25. Refugee camps in the West Bank suffer from raids by the Israeli military, putting all Palestinians in the area at risk. Moreover, the number of Palestinians incarcerated without trial or charge has soared, essentially making them hostages. Due to the lack of movement, the increase of settler and army violence, amongst other factors, The West Bank has suffered immense economic damage.

God of the marginalized, we hold on to our faith that you see the suffering and the evil taking place in the West Bank. God, reveal yourself to our people and intervene in our lives both individually and collectively. Help us to have faith this Christmas as we meditate on the incarnation and utter Zechariah’s song, “rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:74-75). Lord, liberate us from the 75 years of settler colonialization.

Lord in your mercy… hear our prayer