The Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) invites the Bishops’ Conferences, ecclesial organizations, religious communities, apostolic movements and the entire people of God to join the «Continental Day of Prayer for Peace» of December 12, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, entrusting to her maternal intercession the pains and joys of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.
«The goal is to unite in prayer with a common intention for all the countries of the continent: to obtain peace,» explained Celam in a statement sent to Fides News Agency, suggesting the prayer of the Holy Rosary, participation in a liturgy of the Word or a Eucharist, or dedicate a period of time in the day to pray for this intention.
Celam also invites to «share a photo or video of this moment of the meeting through prayer and share it on social networks using the hashtag # AméricaLatinaRezaPorLaPaz». It also invites to share «from where you join to pray for peace on the continent and how you celebrated the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe in your country». Finally, the CELAM statement recalls that «the message of the Virgin of Guadalupe is that of the harmony of all peoples in a single civilization of love and dedication to God, and in the event of Guadalupe, Mary makes the inculturation of the Gospel perfect, she is our model of disciple and missionary to whom we entrust the destiny of our peoples».
The Episcopal Conference of Paraguay joins the prayer day on December 12th. In a message to the people of God, inviting them to prayer, it recalls: «Together, as brothers, let us ask the Lord Jesus, who said: «I leave with you; my peace I give to you» (Jn 14:27), which makes us «instrument of his peace» for this intention, we also ask the Lord, through this community gesture, that the brothers who live in anguish can find, through dialogue, the harmony that the population needs to rebuild bonds of love and of unity among the various sectors of society, in which peace, justice, and social equity are first and foremost».
The Episcopal Conference of Colombia also joins the Continental Day of Prayer for Peace, confirmed the director of communications of the Colombian Episcopate, Father Jaime Marenco, explaining that the goal of the «Pray for Colombia» initiative is to strengthen people in the necessity and importance of imploring the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the construction of peace and justice for the country.
On December 12, on the occasion of the liturgical feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, at 6 pm, the Holy Father will celebrate Mass in the Vatican Basilica in which representatives of the different Latin American countries will take part.
