O Lord, my God, I cried out to you and you healed me. (Ps. 30:3).

O life-giving God, the prophet Joel patiently endured unspeakable suffering.

- Give us patience to endure this trial and suffering.

O life-giving God, the Book of Wisdom assures us that "the souls of the just are in the hands of God."

- Give us more of that assurance as we commend loving souls to you.

O life-giving God, the Book of Lamentations teaches "your mercies are renewed each morning."

- Favor us with your mercy to begin each morning of this tragedy with you.

O life-giving God, you were with King David when he grieved over the death of his son, Absolam.

- Be with us in our grief over the death of so many citizens.

O life-giving God, Rachel cried rivers of tears of the slaughter of her children.

- Stir in us a new respect for life in the rivers of tears we shed for the innocent victims of this terrorism.

O life-giving God, you inspired the Psalmist to write, "Even though I walk in the dark valley...you are at my side."

- Be at our side leading and guiding us through this valley of darkness.

O life-giving God, in the Beatitudes you proclaimed, "blest are the sorrowing they shall be consoled."

- Bless and console us in our sorrows.

O life-giving God, you invited people to come to you when they are weary and burdened.

- Take this yoke of pain from our hearts and refresh us.

Jesus, Son of God, you cared enough to raise to life the only son of a widowed mother.

- Inspire us to be care-givers to the widows, parents, spouses, children, families and friends of the victims.

Jesus, Son of God, you wept over the death of Lazarus, your friend.

- Use our tears to create rivers of hope and consolation.

Jesus, Son of God, you evoked from Martha faith in you as the resurrection and the life.

- Give us a faith that eternal life will be the last word in the sad story of 9-11-01.

Jesus, Son of God, you entrusted your Mother to a disciple before you died.

- Teach us discipleship in the ways we care for the survivors you now entrust to us.

Spirit of God, you led Jesus into the desert to encounter the evil one.

- Lead and console us in this desert of loss and despair.

Spirit of God, on Good Friday, Jesus commended his broken life to you.

- Be there for us as we commend broken spirit to you.

Spirit of God, one of you many gifts is Courage.

- Pour out an abundance of courage on our fragile nation.

Mary, Mother of God, you were joyful at the news of bearing God's Son.

- Implore Him to help us be a joyful people again.

Mary, Mother of God, you were sorrowful when holding the dead body of your Son.

- Implore Him to hold us up on our sorrows.

Mary, Mother of God, in your Assumption into heaven you shared in the glory of your Son.

- Implore Him to use this tragedy for His glory.


Let us pray,
O God, you are the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end of all things. May this national tragedy, which began in the shadow of evil end in the light of hope, as you use it to renew creation in the love you have for us in your Son, Jesus Christ the gospel of life. Amen.