On Thursday, 9th April, the Uniservitate global network held its World Prayer, an initiative that brings the international university community together each month to share a prayer. On this occasion, it was led by a delegation from the Bethlehem University in Palestine, a region marked by conflict and violence.
The core meaning of the initiative was expressed from the outset by María Rosa Tapia, coordinator of Uniservitate: it was not just a matter of praying for those going through traumatic situations, but with them. This concept, central to the solidarity service-learning approach promoted by the network, shaped the entire gathering.
Professors and students from Bethlehem University led the reflections and prayers, even as the university continues to conduct its activities virtually. « We are in a land that is a symbol of peace, » they said, while emphasizing the shared responsibility to sustain and build peace day by day. Thus, the prayer focused on peace and included deeply meaningful gestures, for instance, the collective recitation of the prayer for peace attributed to St. Francis of Assisi; a reading of the Beatitudes by Jesus on that very land, found in the Gospel of Mathew; listening to a hymn by the Lebanese singer Feiruz; and a reflection on the meaning of peace and how each person feels called to build it.
For some participants, peace meant something as basic as « going to university and returning home safely » or being able to find a job. For others, it meant taking on the responsibility of being peacemakers in violent environments. In the midst of concrete risk, such as evacuating a church during a service for safety reasons, prayer emerges as a genuine source of inner peace and community strength. « We cannot bring peace if we do not pray, » they said, emphasizing that once you receive that peace, it is meant to be extended to others.
The initiative brought together participants from various countries—including Argentina, Spain, the United States, and Palestine—who shared intentions, reflections, and experiences. In this exchange, both the diverse contexts and the profound bonds that can be forged through prayer became evident.
In a world of multiple crises, Uniservitate’s World Prayer once again spotlighted a simple yet demanding insight: peace is not built in isolation or from a distance. It is built in community, by meeting others, by listening, and through concrete commitment to one another. Praying « together with » means recognizing others as active individuals, rather than just a passive audience; it means sharing their pain, their hope, and their struggle. And it is not merely a spiritual gesture but a way of recognizing ourselves as part of the same humankind and, through that recognition, accepting the responsibility to transform reality.
The next World Prayer will take place on 7th May as part of the Uniservitate Africa Regional Hub Meeting.
