Prayer for Persecuted Christendom





O my Lord, Thou who alone art our King, come to the aid of Thine abandoned children, for we have no protector but for Thee. Our danger is imminent. We have heard from our ancestors that Thou, O Lord, hadst chosen Christendom among all the nations, and our fathers among all men, so that Thou couldst make them Thy heirs, and that Thou didst act toward them as Thou hadst promised. We, however, have sinned in Thy presence, and for this reason Thou hast delivered ourselves into the hands of our enemies. Thou art just, O Lord.
 
But now they are no longer content to oppress us with a harsh slavery, but attributing their strength to the power of their idols, they pretend to deny Thy promises and destroy Thine inheritance. They want to silence the lips of those who praise Thee and extinguish the glory of Thy temple and Thine altar. They aim to abolish all Thy laws and destroy the whole hierarchy and install the reign of Lucifer.
 
Do not deliver, O Lord, Thy scepter to the servants of Thine Enemy, those who are nothing, so that they may not mock our destruction. But instead turn their plots against themselves. Remember us, O Lord, and show us Thy face in the time of our tribulation and give me strength, O Lord, King of all Kings and all Powers. Place on my lips the fitting words in face of the iniquitous, and change their heart so that they may raise up against Thine Enemy and confound their plots. Free us with Thy hand, and come to my assistance, for I have no other Lord except Thee, who knowest all things and knowest that I abhor the glory of the evil.
 
God, strong above all others, hear the voice of those whose only hope resides in Thee, and free us from the hand of the iniquitous, and free me from my fear. Amen.



Adapted from the prayer of Esther (14:3). Esther was the Jewish Queen of the Persian King Ahasuerus. She raised this prayer to God when she was preparing to implore the King to spare the Chosen People after an evil minister had plotted its massacre. Esther fasted and prayed three days in fear before appearing before the King to make her plea, which was heard in her favor.