By Catholic News Service • Posted April 10, 2013

MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — Following is a “Prayer for Peace” by Bishop Peter Kang U-il of Cheju, South Korea, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea. He sent the English-language prayer to Catholic News Service April 9.

Lord, please have mercy on this silly people.

Forgive this silly flock who scatter enormous money in empty sky, launching deadly missiles and blowing up nuclear warheads whereas they’re not even capable of feeding their own people with one bowl of rice and with nice warm soup when they find themselves so hungry, hungry to death.

Lord, please have mercy on this heartless people.

Their blood brothers, their compatriots are so hungry that they dare cross the border, breaking through wire entanglements.

Their brothers wander around in remote countries, not welcomed by anybody, being obliged to sell everything to aliens, even their body. And their hearts are broken into pieces. But this apathy people turn away from them.

Please, Lord, have mercy on us.

Please forgive us as you forgave Cain, who killed his brother, and as you did to Jacob, who deceived his father and his brother.

Please have pity on us as you did on Israel, who forgot your continuous grace and kept complaining and betraying for centuries. Have pity on us as you ignored the iniquity of Israel and persevered to the end.

This silly people have already lost their memory of the cruel war which happened only 60 years ago. Millions of their compatriots were killed and buried in this land, which still resonates their cry and groaning.

They display their arrogance and threat to their own people shining their guns, building fortresses of missiles and blowing up nuclear bombs for the purpose of murdering their own brothers, sisters and friends who were created to your image.

Living in luxurious skyscrapers, they accumulated 40 times more of wealth than their poor brothers, only worrying about their fancy diet. Yet they despise their poor brothers and turned away, closing their door to their sisters who ask a favor.

However, Lord, you have mercifully cared and brought up this people for thousands of years. You have protected us from so many foreign invasions and guarded us in desperate tribulations. Lord, please have mercy on us, this silly people, remembering your old love and affection.

Please be our judge between the nations and impose your terms on many nations. And we shall beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks. Then one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.

Please send out your Spirit, a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord.

There shall be no harm or ruin on your holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea.

Amen.