How to participate NOW in Pope Leo’s global day of prayer & fasting for peace

Pope Leo this week issued a dramatic worldwide call for all Catholics to dedicate Friday, Aug. 22 to prayer and fasting for peace. On the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, he said, every Catholic should implore “the Lord to grant us peace and justice, and to dry the tears of those who suffer as a result of the ongoing armed conflicts.”

Many Catholics around the world will likely want to participate but find themselves unsure exactly how. So here is a quick explainer of some ways to pray and fast – and to help Pope Leo and the Universal Church change the course of history.

Fasting

Fasting doesn’t always have to be simply eating nothing. There are many ways to fast, and not all of them even involve fasting from food.

A simple way to fast that’s often prescribed by bishops in the US for days like Good Friday in Lent is this: Eat a smaller-than-usual breakfast and lunch, then a dinner that does not exceed twice the size of those two smaller meals.

Another option is to “fast” from some other pleasure that you can do without. Fasting from screentime, from your favorite seasonings and sauces, or from scrolling on your smartphone are all good choices that will help you remember throughout the day that you have set it aside as a day of prayer for peace.

For those who want to go harder? The sky’s the limit! You can go completely without food, uniting the difficulty of that to the intentions of the Holy Father as he leads the Church in prayer for peace. If you go this route, just make sure you stay hydrated: plenty of water, and perhaps salt your tongue once or twice throughout the day to avoid the sickening effects of mineral deficiency.

Prayer

If you’re not praying a daily Rosary, today is a perfect day to start! If the daily Rosary is already part of your routine, consider praying an additional Rosary. (Hint: The Glorious Mysteries would be a good option for the Feast of Mary’s Queenship.)

Another good way to answer Pope Leo’s call would be to say a prayer to Our Lady, Queen of Peace.

There are many prayers to Our Lady under this title. Here’s one that can be found on the website of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception:

“God our Father, Creator of the world, you establish the order which governs all ages. Hear our prayer and give us peace in our time that we may rejoice in your glory and praise you without end. Mary, Queen of Peace, look upon us kindly. Through your prayers obtain for us the gift of peace which Your Son promised. We ask this through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, Son of God, Son of Mary who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.”

Reflection

To honor Our Lady today, it would be fitting to simply reflect on these words of Pope Pius XII from his 1954 encyclical Ad Coeli Reginam, in which he established Aug. 22 as the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“We commend that on the festival there be renewed the consecration of the human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Upon this there is founded a great hope that there may arise an era of happiness that will rejoice in the triumph of religion and in Christian peace,” wrote Pope Pius.

“Therefore, let all approach with greater confidence more than before, to the throne of mercy and grace of our Queen and Mother to beg help in difficulty, light in darkness and solace in trouble and sorrow,” he continued.

“Whoever, therefore,” he wrote, “honors the lady ruler of the Angels and of men—and let no one think themselves exempt from the payment of that tribute of a grateful and loving soul—let them call upon her as most truly Queen and as the Queen who brings the blessings of peace, that She may show us all, after this exile, Jesus, who will be our enduring peace and joy.”

The post How to participate NOW in Pope Leo’s global day of prayer & fasting for peace appeared first on CatholicVote org.