From the ends of the earth I call;
my heart grows faint.
Raise me up, set me on a rock. (Psalms 61:3 NABRE)
The Psalmist calls on God to save him from death.
Today, on this thirteenth anniversary of the evil acts of murder and terror carried out on American soil, we pause to remember those we lost that day as well as those who survived but are still suffering and dying in the aftermath.
We should also pause and pray for our own hearts, that our lives may be expressions of God's Spirit in this world. It is a good day to pray in the spirit of Saint 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 error, truth;
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,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Holy Spirit of God, I ask that you remove all the unseen hurt imposed on us who witnessed the dark evil unleashed that terrible day. Release us especially from any rage planted in us that day. Replace lingering demons with angels led by your divine mercy and love. Fill us with the wisdom to live as people after your own heart. Light new flames of compassion and understanding in our hearts. Lord, heal us.
Today, I will meditate on the peace prayer of Saint Francis, seeking a change of heart.
Saint Jean-Gabriel Perboyre, missionary and martyr for Christians in China, pray for us.
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