Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Prayers for the campus community in Blacksburg, Virginia

At times like these it is difficult to know what to say, or how to pray, except "Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy."Blacksburg, Virginia may seem a long way from the Rocky Mountain Conference, but in this week in April many are remembering the Columbine shootings here in Colorado eight years ago. Violence and grief of this kind affects us all in some way.

Let us pray for the family and friends of those who were injured or killed, and for the whole community of Virginia Tech and Blacksburg. I would also ask your prayers for young people across our country and around the world who have lost hope, those who feel alienated from the human community or from God, those who see no solution to their pain and anger except inflicting pain on others and ending their own lives.

Let us pray, and work, for a society where pain and anger are met with compassion and find expression in a nonviolent struggle for justice. Let us be instruments of God's peace in our broken world.

1 comment:

redtown said...

In some ways this reminds me of 9/11 again. Here's a beautiful prayer I found:

"Prayer for Virginia Tech":

Mercy of God deliver us.
Love of Christ heal us.
Spirit of God strengthen us.

Lord, have mercy on all those hurt by the horrific massacre in Virginia -- the victims, the injured, the traumatized, the grieving, the rescuers, and the healers.

Prince of Peace, grant that through your holy Cross where you suffer with all humanity, we may rise up to new life with you, to be instruments of your Peace.

Through Christ our Lord, and the intercession of Fr. Mychal Judge, "the Saint of 9/11". Amen.

(from http://www.SaintMychalJudge.blogspot.com )