A Mass was celebrated for Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Libya at the Our Lady of Nazareth Church in Sweifieh on Wednesday July 30, 2014 with the participation of all churches in Jordan.
Latin Patriarchal vicar for Jordan Archbishop Maroun Lahham delivered the following homily:

“If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. (1 Peter 3:10-11)

We came to pray this evening for Gaza, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Libya. Every day we pray, we have faith that Our Father who is in Heaven, hears our voice and sees everything happening. He is the Father of all, for all those who kill and those who get killed, for those who fight, and those who says that resistance fighters are terrorists. We pray for the man who gets killed as if he were not human.

We pray today and every day. God wanted our life every day to be a life of prayer and resistance to every evil, as well a reminder to all--the murderers, the victims and their relatives that God is love. This language is neither comprehended by murderers nor victims. We sometimes fail to understand his language, though it is the only language where humans can find salvation.

What is happening nowadays in Gaza in particular, and what is happening every day in Iraq, Syria and Libya happened in the past and now is being repeated. Every time this situation is absolutely repeated without any change.

Thousands were killed, thousands of homes were demolished and hundreds of thousands were driven out of their homes. It is the first time in 177 years that Sunday Mass was not celebrated in Iraq's second largest city, Mosul.

After reaching a ceasefire, after the genocides, and after the demolition of houses the status quo will be restored, namely hostility, siege, injustice and fear in the heart of the potential murderers; the fear with the belief that in the death of others is a means maintain security, or merely a deceptive way of reassuring people. They are terrified, that is why they kill. They tell their people: We are strong and we kill dozens, hundreds and never fear. Do not fear but increase your hatred and animosity. This is the meaning of this carnage for what is happening in Iraq, Gaza, Syria and Libya is not a war but rather a massacre.

But we believe in the good, almighty and just God. Therefore, based on our faith, our position is that we pray for the survival of Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Libya. The oppressors do not last. We ask God to remove the fear from the hearts of the oppressors so as to become a party that believes in peace and is capable of making peace.
People do not perish despite all the weapons and in spite of thousands of victims. The blood of thousands of victims cries to God. God tells the murderer: Where is your brother? Whatever the allegations the murderer makes, no matter how many he kills, stones and whiplashes, a day will come when he views himself as a murderer in the eyes of humans and God.

We pray. We believe in God. We believe in a just, good and omnipotent God. We believe that His goodness will prevail over evil that surrounds us from every side. God stands patient when viewing the goodness and evil of peoples. As we act to eliminate evil affecting us, we feel the mystery of God's patience on all of us.

The lethal weapons do kill but fail to attain justice or peace. Every human is born to be a guard to his brother and not his killer—Muslims, Christians, Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and Druze. The consideration must be changed. Hearts must be changed. Leaders must be changed. A new vision in which the voice of God is heard first where there is belief in the goodness of human being, every human being and that all peoples are equal in dignity and security, sovereignty and independence.

Apostle Paul says: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:14-17) These are the full arms: Righteousness, integrity and the gospel of peace.

Lord Jesus says:"So I say to you ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-12) In the most important prayer, Lord Jesus says: “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven…” We are waiting for the manifestation of God’s will in our Arab countries: to be peacemakers, pure in heart, thirsty to righteousness and justice, merciful, always see His image in every human being, deal with everyone the same way we deal with the Almighty so as to be able to recite the psalm: “Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. (Psalm 85: 11-13)

Our prayer for the peoples of Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Libya should continue under distress, death, and siege are eliminated so they consequently move in the direction of peace which motivates their lives and the lives of the murderers. “In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.” Amen. (Psalm 120:1)