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May 11, 2026

Dear Friends,

This coming Sunday is set aside in the Anglican Church of Canada as Jerusalem Sunday. The Seventh Sunday of Easter (and for some the Ascension is also transferred to this day) is linked to our prayers for Jerusalem and the Land of the Holy One.

A few years ago, Archbishop Fred Hiltz wrote this prayer for this time and this occasion:

O God,

We give thanks that your dear Son has gathered us in the embrace of his redeeming love and sent us to make that love known to the ends of the earth.

We pray your continued blessings on the steadfast witness of the Church in Jerusalem and throughout the Middle East. Give your deep joy to those who welcome the pilgrims seeking to know this land and its many peoples.

Grace those who proclaim the Gospel. Guide all who teach a new generation of young people. Draw near to those who are sick and bless those who tend them. Sustain the hope in all who long and labour for a just and lasting peace in the land of The Holy One. And may the companions of Jerusalem be many and faithful. We pray in the name of our merciful Saviour, Friend and Brother, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jerusalem and the surrounding regions desperately need our prayers. And so I encourage, invite and remind you to pray for Palestine, Israel and the whole of the Middle East that peace may come, that respect of the dignity of every human being may be known, that hope might flourish in regions where it is currently hard to find.

The Anglican Church of Canada offers a number of resources for this Jerusalem Sunday and they can be found here: Jerusalem and the Holy Land Sunday - Anglican Church of Canada

In addition to these resources, Archdeacon Richard Leggett recommended to me this litany used at St. George’s College in Jerusalem, and published by Saint Thomas Fifth Avenue in New York City: https://www.saintthomaschurch.org/a-litany-for-peace-in-the-holy-land-2/.

Many Anglicans in our Diocese and across the country and around the world have spent time at St. George’s College in Jerusalem. In their time there, they have experienced a depth of spiritual growth as they walked in the footsteps of Jesus in the place in particular where the Word of God was seen among us. This is a place that is a holy site for many and continues to influence the spiritual journeys of so many people of faith.

But we persistently witness on our news feeds the ongoing violence, war, destruction, killing, and disregard for human lives in that region. We join with countless voices who

pray and speak out for peace. As we continue to be shocked and horrified by the scenes of war and intentional destruction, may we add our voices calling for an end to war and terrorism and that a vision of new life be kindled.

Our faith in Jesus Christ reminds us of his words to us (from Luke 6:27-28, 31): “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you… do to others as you would have them do to you.” These are more than words on a page for us, they are words that guide and shape how we walk in this world. We pray for hope and reconciliation and a new vision for people of many faiths in this region that we may indeed recognize the image of God in all people in this world.

On May 17, I encourage you to pray for Jerusalem and the Holy Land. I encourage you to learn more about the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem. I encourage you to consider Jesus’ words of “Blessed are the Peacemakers” in your own life as we all seek an end to the  violence.

 

Blessings and Peace,

+John Stephens
Archbishop of the Diocese of New Westminster