Prayers for Peace in a Time of National Catastrophe
Washington National Cathedral
A National House of Prayer for All People
Litany In Time Of Grief And Fear
In this time of grief and fear, let us not hesitate to approach the mercy-seat of God, who knows our needs and cares for us, saying, "Lord, hear our prayer."
O Lord, Creator of all, Reconciler of nations, Healer of our days,
For George, our president, and Richard, our vice-president, for the members of Congress and the Supreme Court, and for all others in authority, that they may have wisdom as they respond to this violence and calm courage as they guide the people of this land in the days to come, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the people of the world and for the representatives to the United Nations, that we may all be led to seek paths of justice and to race for the prize of peace, and that we may lay aside ancient bitternesses and present resentments for the sake of those who live and of those yet to be born, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For this city of Washington in its crisis; for Anthony, our mayor; for our City Council and Control Board; and for the city of New York and Rudoph, its mayor, that our recovery may be swift and that our confidence may return for the testing of the days ahead, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For those who think of themselves as our enemies, those we know and those we do not know, that those good things we defend for ourselves may richly be bestowed on them as well, and that their hearts and ours may be opened and pledged to peace, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For us, that the shaking of our complacency may increase our compassion and our commitment to justice in the commonwealth of our globe, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the Church, the Body of Christ, broken by hatreds, that all bishops, clergy and people may be effective signs of the grace you bestow, which preaches peace to those who are far off and to those who are near and which empowers us to be ministers of reconciliation, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the ministry of this cathedral church, that we may enlarge the ways in which we become a house of prayer for all people, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the healing of the wounds inflicted in these recent attacks, that those broken in body and those reduced by fear may find your grace present in comfort, restoration, and strength, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For the comfort of all those families who have suffered unanticipated and irrecoverable losses, that their grief may be true to the memory of their love, and that trust in life may be planted again in their souls, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all those who have died, that their death may not be in vain and that their rest may be in your arms, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
Finally, for ourselves, that we may place our lives in your hands, to be instruments of encouragement and reconciliation, channels of comfort, strength, and peace; use us as effective witnesses of the love we have known in your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray to you, O Lord:
Lord, hear our prayer.
All this we ask in the name of Christ, by whose power all this and more can be accomplished, and who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever. Amen.