NCMB: Prayers

Where can I go from your spirit? from your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light" --
For you darkness itself is not dark, and night shines as the day.

~ Psalm 139:7-12

Prayers for the Times

A Prayer for the World

Let the rain come and wash away
the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds
held and nurtured over generations.
Let the rain wash away the memory
of the hurt, the neglect.
Then let the sun come out and
fill the sky with rainbows.
Let the warmth of the sun heal us
wherever we are broken.
Let it burn away the fog so that
we can see each other clearly.
So that we can see beyond labels,
beyond accents, gender or skin color.
Let the warmth and brightness
of the sun melt our selfishness.
So that we can share the joys and
feel the sorrows of our neighbors.
And let the light of the sun
be so strong that we will see all
people as our neighbors.
Let the earth, nourished by rain,
bring forth flowers
to surround us with beauty.
And let the mountains teach our hearts
to reach upward to heaven.
Amen.

~ Rabbi Harold S. Kushner

In the Face of War

Peace Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned, and in dying that we receive eternal life.

Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Strengthen them with courage and endurance.
Guide them in their quest for freedom.
Watch over their families as they await their return.
Dear Lord, bless them all.
Amen

September 11, 2001 - A Tragic Day

Let Us Pray...

Dear Friends,

During this awful hour, we pray for those who lost their lives and the lives of their loved ones in today's tragic attacks. May God's love and wisdom prevail. Please, dear God, protect the people of the world.

May the pain and sorrow that we feel today, and witness in others, be the spiritual springboard for powerful prayers for peace. In each of us, there lies a divine connection to a power more powerful than hate or violence. Today is the day to attune to that power, and use it on behalf of peace on earth.

Join with others in your own family or community to allow the power of "two or more gathered" to call down the miraculous elixir of a loving God. May we not succumb to thoughts of violence and revenge today, but rather to thoughts of mercy and compassion. Our God is a God of justice, and His justice is rooted in love. "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord" means that God has His own way of righting wrongs, and they are not our ways. We are to love our enemies that they might be returned to their right minds.

Dear God,
Please bring your Light
Into the darkened corners
Of our world today.
May Divine Love
Cast out all fear,
And peace prevail on earth.
Forgive us,
Oh God,
For our errors.
Forgive others for theirs,
As well.
Please help us, God.
Amen

Lord, we know you are a God of Mercy; have mercy on the souls of those victims of the horrendous act of terror visited upon innocent people in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. Be with the families of the deceased. Give them the strength and courage to travel their grief journey knowing that you are with them. Help us to be of service to the families, living out your promise that those who mourn shall be consoled.

~ Doris B. Hudak

Help us, God. Help us to make sense out of this senseless act of destruction.
Fill our minds - our numbed souls, our torn hearts - with your love.
Guide us in chasing any hateful ideas of revenge from our thoughts.
Keep us focused on the ways of Jesus, who preached compassion, who said that love heals every hurt.
May we not fall into the eye-for-an-eye mentality, for then we all will be blind.
Open our eyes to your greater plan.
Keep us steadfast in our faith, so that we do not fear the future.
And no matter what trials we walk through,
touch us with your reassuring presence. Amen.

~ Jessie Flynn

In memory of all those who perished: the passengers and crew on the United Air and AA flights, the employees in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Rescue personnel, and all the innocent bystanders. Our prayers go out to the friends and families of the deceased.

~ Bernadette Zimmermann

Prayer for the Country

Dear Heavenly Father,
We are moved by the alarming news and crisis that our country is facing. This, the greatest nation, founded in the belief that "In God We Trust" & the "Land of the Free". Please have mercy on those suffering, hurting and in fear, and give wisdom & strength to those who are assisting. May the forces of evil be broken by your power and may we humble before thee, our strength and refuge. Give wisdom to all our President & our leaders and bring your comforting peace through the power of your Holy Spirit. Help us here to reach to those that have been affected by this tragedy.
In the name of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. AMEN

~ Author Unknown

Our soul waits for the Lord,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.

~ Psalm 33: 20-22

I sought the Lord,
and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
When the afflicted man called out, the Lord heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him,
and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the Lord is;
happy is the man who takes refuge in him.

~ Psalm 34:5,7-9

Why, Lord?

Why, Lord, did this happen? Wasn't there something you could have done? Couldn't you have prevented it? Or, couldn't you have made it less severe? You know I want to blame you. You know I am angry. Why, Lord? You could have kept them from this. Why, Lord? Because you didn't want to limit our freedom? Because you wanted us to be free? Because you wanted us to have choices? Because you wanted us to be able to love?

Eternal Father,

Our hearts are filled with negative feelings resulting from the recent events in our world. We lift up to you our terror, rage, fear, anger, grief and despair.

We ask your blessing on all who are suffering at this moment and those who are working to relieve that suffering. We ask your blessing on those who are faced with monumental decisions and challenges.

Your words "Where two or three are gathered, I am with you" remind us that You are constantly present in our universe and we personally invite you to be present in our small corner of the world at this particular time.

In the midst of the world's pain, we are personally challenged with completing the day-to- day tasks and meeting the everyday challenges that come into each of our lives. We offer you our personal discomforts and pray that they might somehow contribute toward the healing of our world.

We have no idea where all of this is going, but we pray that we might always be a part of the healing process rather than the division of our world. We ask for gifts of Faith, Hope and Love. Give us hearts that listen compassionately to the hopes and dreams as well as the grief and fear of our brothers and sisters. Give us the patience and the wisdom to discern the movement of your Holy Spirit in our lives and in our decisions and the courage to forgive those who act in unloving ways. Let us remember the words of your son "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do". Grant us the desire and the energy to do your will.

Be with us Lord, for we are in trouble. May we be encouraged by this trouble to come before you on our knees. FOR YOU ARE OUR GOD!

Amen

~ Submitted by Marilyn Hess

"The human heart has depths form which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people."

"But faith comes to our aid when words seem to fail. Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say."

The pope assured his "spiritual closeness to the beloved people of the United States in this moment of distress and consternation, when the courage of so many men and women of good will is being sorely tested."

"Let us beg the Lord that the spiral of hatred and violence will not prevail."

"Shocked by the unspeakable horror of today's inhuman terroist attacks against innocent people in different parts of the United States, I hurry to express to you and your fellow citizens my profound sorrow and my closeness in prayer for the nation at this dark and tragic moment."

"Commending the victims to almighty God's eternal mercy, I implore His strength upon all involved in rescue efforts and in caring for the survivors. I beg God to sustain you and the American people in this hour of suffering and trial."

~ The words of Pope John Paul II

Bishops' Prayers

"I urge Americans not to give way to feelings of hate nor to think in terms of retaliation or 'an eye for an eye'."

~ Edward Cardinal Egan of New York

"Seek solace in God, to do what God would have us to do. That means turning to prayer and reflection. It means growing closer to God. We pray that justice comes to the world. We pray for our elected leaders and policy makers to begin to change the way the world operates. No longer can we ignore the cries of poor people and minority voices who plead for justice throughout the world. No longer can we 'go it alone' looking out only for what's best for U.S. interests. We pray for the perpetrators of violence in all its forms, especially for those who find the need to kill innocent people in order to strike back at the injustices they perceive. We pray that they turn their backs on evil and work constructively for their causes whatever they may be. And we pray for ourselves, that we may overcome our fears and anxieties. We pray for a sense of hopefulness and determination to seek what is just, that we seek out the way of Christ in the ever present face of evil."

~ Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland

"The Churchin the Holy Land prays with you and asks God to gie you all his divine comfort and hope in these difficult moments. The Christian communities in Jerusalem and the whole Palestinian people stand with you in these moments and share with you the sadness for the loss of innocent brothers and sisters in humanity and faith."

~ Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem

"Prayers that the incidents would not launch the world communityinto further conflict and bloodshed."

~ The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference

"When faced with events such as this atrocity, words cannot be found."

~ President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

"Distress and the need for prayer."

~ Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of Westminster

"Shock and the need for prayer."

~ Anglican Archbishop George Carey

"On such an occasion, humankind needs to pause and ask how to break this cycle of inhumanity and destructive violence and discover new ways of embodying Christ's peace and justice on earth."

~ Bishop Amedee Grab of Chur, Switzerland

"We condemn any form of terrorism, as we have been doing during the years of violence in Peru."

~ Peruvian Bishop Luis Bambaren Gastelumendi of Chimbote

To Father Mike's Memory

We bury his heart, but not his love;
We bury his hands, but not his good works,
We bury his mind, but not his dreams.

Words spoken at Fr. Mike's Funeral Mass -- September 15, 2001

Fr. Mike, Catholic Chaplain of the NYC Fire Department, died while giving rescue to victims in WTC.

After September 11, 2001 - For the Survivors

Gracious and loving God, please watch over all who mourn today. Help them to know they can lean on you, their Creator, on your Son who redeemed us, and on your Holy Spirit.

Show the sorrowful, dear Lord, that death is the door to eternity and that you are there, waiting to receive those who walk through it. Those whom they mourn are with you, safe, at home.

Grant your peace to the grieving so they will be able to see through their tears the celestial vision of eternal life with you. Help them to imagine the loved ones they can no longer see sharing that life.

Comfort the lonely, for those whom they miss are not far away. They are just around the corner waiting with you. Never gone, merely out of sight.

And as they heal from loss, grant them the courage to reach out to others who are hurting to draw them closer to you.

Source of all comfort, grant us peace.

Amen

~ Martha Burke Tressler

NCMB is a not for profit organization
For more information, e-mail ncmbereave@aol.com




Where can I go from your spirit? from your presence where can I flee? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I sink to the nether world, you are present there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea, Even there your hand shall guide me, and your right hand hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light" -- For you darkness itself is not dark, and night shines as the day. ~ Psalm 139:7-12
Prayers for the Times A Prayer for the World Let the rain come and wash away the ancient grudges, the bitter hatreds held and nurtured over generations. Let the rain wash away the memory of the hurt, the neglect. Then let the sun come out and fill the sky with rainbows. Let the warmth of the sun heal us wherever we are broken. Let it burn away the fog so that we can see each other clearly. So that we can see beyond labels, beyond accents, gender or skin color. Let the warmth and brightness of the sun melt our selfishness. So that we can share the joys and feel the sorrows of our neighbors. And let the light of the sun be so strong that we will see all people as our neighbors. Let the earth, nourished by rain, bring forth flowers to surround us with beauty. And let the mountains teach our hearts to reach upward to heaven. Amen. ~ Rabbi Harold S. Kushner In the Face of War Peace Prayer of St. Francis Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned, and in dying that we receive eternal life. Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Strengthen them with courage and endurance. Guide them in their quest for freedom. Watch over their families as they await their return. Dear Lord, bless them all. Amen September 11, 2001 - A Tragic Day Let Us Pray... Dear Friends, During this awful hour, we pray for those who lost their lives and the lives of their loved ones in today's tragic attacks. May God's love and wisdom prevail. Please, dear God, protect the people of the world. May the pain and sorrow that we feel today, and witness in others, be the spiritual springboard for powerful prayers for peace. In each of us, there lies a divine connection to a power more powerful than hate or violence. Today is the day to attune to that power, and use it on behalf of peace on earth. Join with others in your own family or community to allow the power of "two or more gathered" to call down the miraculous elixir of a loving God. May we not succumb to thoughts of violence and revenge today, but rather to thoughts of mercy and compassion. Our God is a God of justice, and His justice is rooted in love. "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord" means that God has His own way of righting wrongs, and they are not our ways. We are to love our enemies that they might be returned to their right minds. Dear God, Please bring your Light Into the darkened corners Of our world today. May Divine Love Cast out all fear, And peace prevail on earth. Forgive us, Oh God, For our errors. Forgive others for theirs, As well. Please help us, God. Amen Lord, we know you are a God of Mercy; have mercy on the souls of those victims of the horrendous act of terror visited upon innocent people in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC. Be with the families of the deceased. Give them the strength and courage to travel their grief journey knowing that you are with them. Help us to be of service to the families, living out your promise that those who mourn shall be consoled. ~ Doris B. Hudak Help us, God. Help us to make sense out of this senseless act of destruction. Fill our minds - our numbed souls, our torn hearts - with your love. Guide us in chasing any hateful ideas of revenge from our thoughts. Keep us focused on the ways of Jesus, who preached compassion, who said that love heals every hurt. May we not fall into the eye-for-an-eye mentality, for then we all will be blind. Open our eyes to your greater plan. Keep us steadfast in our faith, so that we do not fear the future. And no matter what trials we walk through, touch us with your reassuring presence. Amen. ~ Jessie Flynn In memory of all those who perished: the passengers and crew on the United Air and AA flights, the employees in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Rescue personnel, and all the innocent bystanders. Our prayers go out to the friends and families of the deceased. ~ Bernadette Zimmermann Prayer for the Country Dear Heavenly Father, We are moved by the alarming news and crisis that our country is facing. This, the greatest nation, founded in the belief that "In God We Trust" & the "Land of the Free". Please have mercy on those suffering, hurting and in fear, and give wisdom & strength to those who are assisting. May the forces of evil be broken by your power and may we humble before thee, our strength and refuge. Give wisdom to all our President & our leaders and bring your comforting peace through the power of your Holy Spirit. Help us here to reach to those that have been affected by this tragedy. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. AMEN ~ Author Unknown Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield, For in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust. May your kindness, O Lord, be upon us who have put our hope in you. ~ Psalm 33: 20-22 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. When the afflicted man called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. Taste and see how good the Lord is; happy is the man who takes refuge in him. ~ Psalm 34:5,7-9 Why, Lord? Why, Lord, did this happen? Wasn't there something you could have done? Couldn't you have prevented it? Or, couldn't you have made it less severe? You know I want to blame you. You know I am angry. Why, Lord? You could have kept them from this. Why, Lord? Because you didn't want to limit our freedom? Because you wanted us to be free? Because you wanted us to have choices? Because you wanted us to be able to love? Eternal Father, Our hearts are filled with negative feelings resulting from the recent events in our world. We lift up to you our terror, rage, fear, anger, grief and despair. We ask your blessing on all who are suffering at this moment and those who are working to relieve that suffering. We ask your blessing on those who are faced with monumental decisions and challenges. Your words "Where two or three are gathered, I am with you" remind us that You are constantly present in our universe and we personally invite you to be present in our small corner of the world at this particular time. In the midst of the world's pain, we are personally challenged with completing the day-to- day tasks and meeting the everyday challenges that come into each of our lives. We offer you our personal discomforts and pray that they might somehow contribute toward the healing of our world. We have no idea where all of this is going, but we pray that we might always be a part of the healing process rather than the division of our world. We ask for gifts of Faith, Hope and Love. Give us hearts that listen compassionately to the hopes and dreams as well as the grief and fear of our brothers and sisters. Give us the patience and the wisdom to discern the movement of your Holy Spirit in our lives and in our decisions and the courage to forgive those who act in unloving ways. Let us remember the words of your son "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do". Grant us the desire and the energy to do your will. Be with us Lord, for we are in trouble. May we be encouraged by this trouble to come before you on our knees. FOR YOU ARE OUR GOD! Amen ~ Submitted by Marilyn Hess "The human heart has depths form which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people." "But faith comes to our aid when words seem to fail. Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say." The pope assured his "spiritual closeness to the beloved people of the United States in this moment of distress and consternation, when the courage of so many men and women of good will is being sorely tested." "Let us beg the Lord that the spiral of hatred and violence will not prevail." "Shocked by the unspeakable horror of today's inhuman terroist attacks against innocent people in different parts of the United States, I hurry to express to you and your fellow citizens my profound sorrow and my closeness in prayer for the nation at this dark and tragic moment." "Commending the victims to almighty God's eternal mercy, I implore His strength upon all involved in rescue efforts and in caring for the survivors. I beg God to sustain you and the American people in this hour of suffering and trial." ~ The words of Pope John Paul II Bishops' Prayers "I urge Americans not to give way to feelings of hate nor to think in terms of retaliation or 'an eye for an eye'." ~ Edward Cardinal Egan of New York "Seek solace in God, to do what God would have us to do. That means turning to prayer and reflection. It means growing closer to God. We pray that justice comes to the world. We pray for our elected leaders and policy makers to begin to change the way the world operates. No longer can we ignore the cries of poor people and minority voices who plead for justice throughout the world. No longer can we 'go it alone' looking out only for what's best for U.S. interests. We pray for the perpetrators of violence in all its forms, especially for those who find the need to kill innocent people in order to strike back at the injustices they perceive. We pray that they turn their backs on evil and work constructively for their causes whatever they may be. And we pray for ourselves, that we may overcome our fears and anxieties. We pray for a sense of hopefulness and determination to seek what is just, that we seek out the way of Christ in the ever present face of evil." ~ Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland "The Churchin the Holy Land prays with you and asks God to gie you all his divine comfort and hope in these difficult moments. The Christian communities in Jerusalem and the whole Palestinian people stand with you in these moments and share with you the sadness for the loss of innocent brothers and sisters in humanity and faith." ~ Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem "Prayers that the incidents would not launch the world communityinto further conflict and bloodshed." ~ The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference "When faced with events such as this atrocity, words cannot be found." ~ President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops "Distress and the need for prayer." ~ Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of Westminster "Shock and the need for prayer." ~ Anglican Archbishop George Carey "On such an occasion, humankind needs to pause and ask how to break this cycle of inhumanity and destructive violence and discover new ways of embodying Christ's peace and justice on earth." ~ Bishop Amedee Grab of Chur, Switzerland "We condemn any form of terrorism, as we have been doing during the years of violence in Peru." ~ Peruvian Bishop Luis Bambaren Gastelumendi of Chimbote To Father Mike's Memory We bury his heart, but not his love; We bury his hands, but not his good works, We bury his mind, but not his dreams. Words spoken at Fr. Mike's Funeral Mass -- September 15, 2001 Fr. Mike, Catholic Chaplain of the NYC Fire Department, died while giving rescue to victims in WTC. After September 11, 2001 - For the Survivors Gracious and loving God, please watch over all who mourn today. Help them to know they can lean on you, their Creator, on your Son who redeemed us, and on your Holy Spirit. Show the sorrowful, dear Lord, that death is the door to eternity and that you are there, waiting to receive those who walk through it. Those whom they mourn are with you, safe, at home. Grant your peace to the grieving so they will be able to see through their tears the celestial vision of eternal life with you. Help them to imagine the loved ones they can no longer see sharing that life. Comfort the lonely, for those whom they miss are not far away. They are just around the corner waiting with you. Never gone, merely out of sight. And as they heal from loss, grant them the courage to reach out to others who are hurting to draw them closer to you. Source of all comfort, grant us peace. Amen ~ Martha Burke Tressler NCMB is a not for profit organization For more information, e-mail ncmbereave@aol.com Last Update: 26-July-2006 Web Builder: JPCarter Consulting Copyright © 2000-2006 National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved