# Praying for Israel and the Hostages: The Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy
*2023-10-17*

> Bill Young leads a special Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the victims of the war in Israel, especially the hostages, and offers prayers for peace, healing, and mercy.

## Opening Intentions

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young. Today, October 16, we pray for the lives lost in Israel and for the more than 150 hostages taken there. We ask for their safe release, for the protection of innocent civilians, and for peace in Israel and Gaza. May those offered safety find refuge, and may God’s mercy be upon all who suffer.

## The Joyful Rosary

We begin with the Holy Rosary in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. After the Apostles’ Creed, we pray the Our Father and the first ten Hail Marys, each offered for a specific intention:
• Peace in the world, especially in Israel and Gaza.
• Love of neighbor, even for our enemies.
• Charity toward the poor and suffering.
We then meditate on the five Joyful Mysteries—Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation, and Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple—reciting the Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and the Glory.
Each mystery is linked to a fruit: humility, love, poverty, obedience, and joy in finding Christ.

## Chaplet of Divine Mercy

We continue with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. After the opening prayer, we offer the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed. Then, for each decade we pray:
“Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood of your Son, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of the world.”
We repeat the Divine Mercy prayer three times: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” This is said continuously throughout the chaplet.

## Closing Prayers and Intentions

We conclude with a prayer to the Holy Mother:
“O Holy Mother of God, pray for us that we may be made worthy of Christ’s promises.”
Then we lift specific petitions:
• All victims of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, especially women and children who have suffered.
• The hostages still held captive, that they may be released safely.
• Those who have lost loved ones, including Judas Marie, who passed away last Friday, and Elena’s husband, Roy.
• All souls in purgatory.
We ask the Lord to pour out His endless mercy on the whole world and to keep us steadfast in hope.

## Final Blessing

May the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit guide us, may the Holy Trinity be praised now and forever, and may God’s mercy sustain us in every trial. Amen.

*In the midst of conflict, prayer unites us with Christ’s mercy and brings hope for peace and liberation.*