A Prayer for Those Who Inflict Torture

I OPT NOT TO ATTACH AN IMAGE TO THIS POST, DUE TO THE DISTURBING NATURE OF ANY POTENTIAL PICTURE.

Prayer Source = Elizabeth Goudge, A Diary of Prayer:  A Treasury of the World’s Most Inspiring Prayers (New York, NY:  Coward-McCann, 1966), page 144, quoting The True Prayers of St. Gertrude and St. Mechtilde

I have reformatted the prayer yet not changed any word or punctuation mark.

This prayer goes along with this one:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/a-prayer-for-those-who-are-tortured/

and this one:

https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/god-be-in-my-head/.

There are certain immoral acts, which, in times of distress and national emergency, one might think justifiable.  Nevertheless, I ask one question:  “Whom would Jesus torture?”  The answer, of course, is “nobody,” and is implicit in the question.  If we dare to call ourselves Christians, those who follow Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, we cannot support or inflict torture without committing hypocrisy.–KRT

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O Lord Christ, who prayed for those who crucified you,

“Father, forgive them,”

look in compassion upon those who do these things,

open their eyes to what they do and their hearts to your mercy.

May your courage in endurance be to them the courage of refusal.

And for those who command these men,

those who are bound by the greater evil,

we would ask that the redeeming power of your pity set them free.

And grant, Lord, that we who pray for them,

who have been nurtured in your love,

may not forget the sharp words and harsh thoughts

that have wounded your heart as cruelly as any action of theirs.

Upon us all have mercy

and grant us the cleansing of penitence

and the renewal of forgiveness and love.

Amen.