a prayer for Ukraine, a prayer for us all

Dear friend,

I was on the bus heading towards Petrosani when one of my coworkers who happened to be on the same bus told me. “Did you hear the war started?” I was in shock. When? How? We didn’t have much to say after that. The bus radio wasn’t turned up loud enough for me to follow what was being reported, but the words “Ucraina” and “Rusia” kept filtering through, and suddenly they held a different kind of weight. 

When I switched buses in Petrosani to get on the one towards Deva, I looked up “rugaciune pentru pace” on my phone. Prayer for peace. I felt it was the only thing I could do. The first one that I found was beautiful and I prayed through it several times, and I’ll include it (along with my own English translation) at the end of this letter. 

In Deva, on my way to resolve some paperwork that was lacking in my visa application, I stopped in the first Orthodox Church that I passed. I needed to be in that space, surrounded by visual reminders of the presence of God, and of His Saints and Angels. I needed to light a candle—a physical representation of my prayer for those who woke up in war, and as I did so the bells of the church were ringing and ringing, and as the sound echoed out into the city it likewise echoed deep into my heart.

I was sitting in the health insurance office when I saw the first footage of the bombings, the apartment blocs with gaping holes in their sides, the scrolling text at the bottom of the screen announcing the first deaths. The apartment blocs looked hauntingly like our own blocs here in Romania. 

I spoke with my monk friend the other night, told him of the deep sadness that I can’t shake off since that first morning. Our phone connection was interrupted for several moments, and when it finally came back he said, “okay. This is what I want to say to you.” And then he told me about how at one time Saint Sofronie, overwhelmed by the suffering evident in the world, had prayed in tears to God, asking how it was that He could allow—with what seemed a kind of inexcusable indifference—so much pain and violence. And he was offered a response—a quiet voice in his heart which asked: “are you the one that was crucified for them?”

It reminded me of something I read a while back, a quote from the Romanian Orthodox priest Fr. George Calciu, who in turn was quoting French writer Paul Claudel. Calciu spent twenty-one years in the brutal communist prisons, tortured and brainwashed for his faith. After being released from his second imprisonment, he came across these words that helped him make peace with the suffering he had experienced and witnessed: “Christ did not come to eliminate suffering, Christ has not even come into the world to explain it. Rather, He came to fill human suffering with His presence.” 

Of course we must still pray and hope for the eradication of all human suffering. Of course we must still pray and hope for the peace of the whole world. But in the meantime we must learn to see Christ here and now. Christ in the wounded body, Christ in the fear-flooded mind, Christ in the broken heart, Christ in the exhausted soul. We must learn to see Christ too in our enemies, for He created all men in goodness, He was crucified for all men in their sin, and He calls all to salvation and peace. 

And so, for this salvation of the world, and for this peace in the world, and in love for the world:

let us pray. 

Pentru pace în toata lumea si pentru bunastarea Sfintelor ale Lui Dumnezeu biserici, sa ne rugam. Sa fie pace si liniste-n ceruri, sa fie pace în adâncuri si pe pamânt, sa fie pace si dragoste între noi, oamenii! 

For peace in the entire world and for the welfare of the Holy Churches of God, let us pray. May there be peace and tranquility in the Heavens, may there be peace in the depths and on the earth, may there be peace and love between us people.

Doamne, Dumnezeul nostru, în fiecare zi ne tulbura crime si razboaie. Suntem martorii unor acte violente de neimaginat si a cruzimii duse la extrem. Sufletele noastre sângereaza si ne abat de la calea cea dreapta. Avem nevoie de pace si de liniste ca sa Te putem urma. Dar ochii nostri se îndreapta spre Tine si sufletele noastre te caută în întunericul noptii. Îndraznim sa speram acolo unde nu e nicio speranta, caci suntem ai Tai si stim ca dragostea Ta e mai tare decât moartea. 

Lord, our God, every day we are disturbed by crimes and by wars. We are witnesses of unimaginable acts of violence and of cruelties taken to their extreme. Our souls bleed and we are tempted to stray from the good and righteous path. We need peace and tranquility so that we may follow You. But we turn our eyes towards You and our souls search for You in the darkness of night. We dare to hope where there is no hope, for we are Yours and we know that Your love is stronger than death.

Doamne, daruieste-mi sa primesc cu liniste sufleteasca tot ce-mi va aduce ziua de azi! Învredniceste-ma sa ma dau întru totul tie, povatuieste-ma si în toate ma sprijineste! Oricare vor fi vestile pe care le voi primi, învata-ma sa le primesc cu sufletul linistit si întarit în credinta ca peste toate este Sfânta voia Ta! În toate faptele si cuvintele mele Tu calauzeste-mi gândurile si simtirile! Doamne, da-mi putere sa port osteneala zilei de astazi si toate întâmplarile din vremea ei si ajuta-ma sa gasesc si sa daruiesc pace în jurul meu! 

Lord, grant me to greet with peace of soul all that today will bring! Make me worthy to give myself fully unto You, guide me in everything, and support me! Whatever news I am to receive, teach me to receive it with peace of soul, and with firm conviction that Your holy will governs all! In all of my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings! Lord grant me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day and all of its happenings and help me to find and to offer peace around me!

La Tine venim, Doamne, si tie ne rugam sa aduci mângâiere unei lumi în ruine, sa vindeci ranile trupurilor frânte si sa alini suferinta sufletelor zdrobite. Sterge lacrimile de durere si adu lacrimile iertarii în ochii prea seci ca sa plânga. Da putere celor persecutati sa-i ierte pe cei care-i persecuta și arata-le acestora din urma calea iubirii, în care nu e nici teama, nici judecata, nici teroare. Arata-ne câta pace salasluieste în Tine si ajuta-ne sa oglindim iubirea Ta în toate gândurile, cuvintele si faptele noastre. Da-ne putere sa nu rasplatim raul cu rau, nici ura cu ură, ci sa-i iubim pe dusmanii nostri si sa cautam frumusetea ascunsa în orice fiinta umana. Ajuta-ne sa depasim barierele ce ne despart si sa întelegem ca suntem toti copiii Tai. Fa sa ne iubim unul pe altul în credinta si adevar cu o iubire trainica si rascumparatoare. Da-ne noua pace si lumina! Amin.”

To You we come, Lord, and to You we pray: bring comfort to this world in ruins, heal the wounds of broken bodies, and ease the pain of crushed souls. Wipe away the tears of pain and bring tears of forgiveness to the eyes that are too dry to cry. Grant strength to those who are persecuted that they may forgive those who persecute them, and show the latter the way of love in which there is neither fear, nor judgement, nor terror. Show us how much peace dwells in You and help us to mirror Your love in all of our thoughts, words, and deeds. Grant us strength to not repay evil with evil, nor hate with hate, but to love our enemies and to search for the beauty hidden within every human being. Help us to overcome the barriers that separate us and to understand that we are all Your children. Grant that we may love one another in faith and truth with an enduring and redeeming love. Grant us peace and light! Amin! 

(Original prayer found here.)

In love and in peace,

Jenna