Prayer For 911 Anniversary
Good and gracious God,
Today we come before you with heavy hearts
as we remember the events of 9/11.
For some of us today is a mixed bag of emotions.
We hurt deeply for those who lost their lives
and those who lost their loved ones.
We mourn the nearly 3,000 who died that day.
We are humbled by the bravery of the first responders.
We continue to grieve with our neighbors
in the loss of our national innocence
our false sense of constant safety.
As we think of the way
New York and D.C. responded,
as churches, synagogues, and temples
opened their doors to ALL people,
as strangers carried each other out of buildings,
as those who had shared with those who had lost
as we remember the bravery of the passengers and crew
of United Airlines Flight 93
our pride wells up in us.
Yet, we struggle today,
not wanting to get caught up in the macabre celebration,
this sometimes too-prideful remembrance of loss.
We still remember how the world responded,
supporting us and even declaring us one people.
Today We Are ALL Americans,
the headlines read.
And we remember the immediate call to war.
And the more than 100,000 deaths from it.
God of all people,
teach us to be patriotic, but humbly so.
Teach us to see the frailty, beauty, and value of life
in light of this tragedy
rather than using it to elevate
trivial difference to the heights of
divisive reasons for hatred.
Remind us of the response of the American people
and not the response of the government
and its war machine.
Remind us of
the way the true heart of this nation's people was revealed
in open doors, open arms, and open hearts.
May we never forget that on that day
we did not focus on nationality, wealth, education, sex, or sexuality.
We focused on need.
On humanity.
On love.
Call us back to that place in our hearts.
Instill in us the deepest sense of call
to be that people once again.
We lift up to you all those who, even today,
[17] years later, suffer from the loss.
From N.Y.C. to Iraq, the tragedy
has deeply and profoundly affected millions.
May we continue to heal
and help each other
just as we did
that
day.
Amen.
God of all people, teach us to be patriotic, but humbly so. Teach us to see
the frailty, beauty, and value of life in light of this tragedy rather than using
it to elevate trivial difference to the heights of divisive reasons for hatred.
Remind us of the way the true heart of our nation's people was revealed in
open doors, open arms and open hearts. May we never forget that on that
day we did not focus on nationality, wealth, race, or education. We focused
on humanity and love for our fellow AMERICANS.
Lord, Call us back to that place in our hearts. Instill in us the deepest
sense to be that people once again. We lift up to you all those who, even
today, 12 years later, suffer from the loss. May we continue to heal and
help each other just as we did that day.
Amen.
Our Father, On this day, we remember the innocent who lost their lives
and we pay tribute to those who gave their lives so that others might live.
For many of our citizens, the wounds of that morning remain fresh.
Firefighters and police officers still choke up at the memory of fallen
comrades. Young children and teenagers still long for the parents who will
never share the joys of their youth nor guide them to adulthood. Fellow
Americans take bittersweet pride in loved ones who refused to be victims
and gave America our first victory in the war on terror.
We also remember the sacrifices made by our nation's armed forces to
keep us safe. Every one of our troops is a volunteer, and since the attacks
of September 11th, more than two million Americans have stepped forward
to put on our nation's uniform. Over 50,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, and
guardsmen have suffered terrible injuriesand over 6,000 have given the
ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom! America cherishes their
memory and we pray for their families. We will never forget!
Lord, Out of this suffering, we resolve to honor every man and woman
lost. And we seek their lasting memorial in a safer and more hopeful world.
In your name we pray.AMEN.
Holy God,
Creator of all people and all nations,
It is with sorrow and apprehension we remember the tragic events
That occurred on this day.
We lift to You in prayer all those who died
In the Twin Towers, at the Pentagon, and on United Airlines Flight 93
In Shankesville, Pennsylvania.
We entrust them to Your loving care.
Console their families, friends, and all who mourn this loss
In the hope that all who trust in You find peace and rest in Your Kingdom.
We pray for those who courageously responded to provide aid and comfort to the afflicted.
May their painful memories of that day
Be healed and transformed into strength and positive resolution.
We also pray for ourselves as we seek Your strength and guidance.
We live in the aftermath of this tragedy and under the shadow of future acts of aggression;
We stand in need of Your assistance.
Enable us, Dear God, to put an end to fear:
By resolving to live lives that are based on respect for one another;
By resolving to abide in a peaceful manner
and never settle disagreements in our lives in a violent way;
By resolving not to fall into the trap of blaming entire ethnic groups, races, or religions
in response to acts of hostility;
By resolving that justice, not revenge, prevail in our world.
Let us resolve that in the face of hatred, we will show love;
That in times of despair, we will be voices of hope
And creators of new dreams;
That in times of darkness, we will be sources of light.
Let us resolve that we never regard forgiveness as weakness,
But rather as a source of strength in our lives and in our world.
And, let us honor the memory of nearly 3,000 individuals who died on September 11, 2001
By resolving, with Your help Almighty God,
To truly live this way so You may be glorified and Your love made known to others through us.
Amen.
O God of love, compassion, and healing,
Bring peace to this violent world,
Peace in the hearts of all men and women,
And peace among the nations of this earth.
Strengthen us in Hope,
And give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world
Where people of all races are treated with dignity and respect.
We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
Ametur Cor Jesu, Ametur Cor Mariae
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.
We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.
We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.
God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.
God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.
We gather on this beautiful morning,
the anniversary of a day painful to remember
but impossible to forget ...
We remember all the heroes and heroines of that day,
the firefighters and emergency responders
who demonstrated such courage in the midst of crisis.
We remember the innocents who perished,
Our friends and neighbors and the thousands of strangers
Who were victims of random violence
We remember knowing for a moment
That we were connected to each precious life,
To the survivors and to those who died,
With a bond of shared humanity
That the forces of hate could never break.
We remember the voices that counseled peace
Even as our nation prepared for war,
And we raise our voices still against fanaticism
In all its forms,
Against jihad, against militarism, against racism and religious intolerance,
Praying that the conflagration of that day
Might even now cast a more gentle light,
Leading to a future where all people can live in freedom
And without fear.
Dear Loving Father,
We pause to remember the great losses and courageous acts of September 11th. We lift up those who are still affected -- Families of the victims, police officers, firemen, first responders and all who were involved. We pray for the light of Christ to flood the hearts of people everywhere. We believe you desire to redeem all your creation, and we trust that beauty will continue to come from the ashes of our darkest days. Surround us with your mighty angels of protection, give us compassion for one another in all life's circumstances, and the courage to answer your call.
Amen.