September 11, 2001
Prayers and Readings for Times of Crisis

Prayers

1. God our Father,
creator of the world,
you establish the order which governs all the ages.
Hear our prayer and give us peace in our time
that we may rejoice in your mercy
and praise you without end.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

2. God of perfect peace,
violence and cruelty can have no part with you.
May those who are at peace with one another
hold fast to the good will that unites them;
may those who are enemies forget their hatred
and be healed.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

3. God of power and mercy,
you destroy war and put down earthly pride.
Banish violence from our midst and wipe away our tears
that we may all deserve to be called your sons and daughters.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

4. Lord our God,
you are always faithful and quick to show mercy.
Our brothers and sisters
were suddenly and violently taken from us.
Come swiftly to their aid,
have mercy on them,
and comfort their family and friends
by the power and protection of the cross.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

5. Father of mercies and God of all consolation,
you pursue us with untiring love
and dispel the shadow of death
with the bright dawn of life.

Comfort you family in their loss and sorrow.
Be our refuge and our strength, O Lord,
and lift us from the depths of grief
into the peace and light of your presence.

Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
by dying has destroyed our death,
and by rising, restored our life.
Enable us therefore to press on toward him,
so that, after our earthly course is run,
he may reunite us with those we love,
when every tear will be wiped away.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

6. Lord God,
you are attentive to the voice of our pleading.
Let us find in your Son
comfort in our sadness,
certainty in our doubt,
and courage to live through this hour.
Make our faith strong
through Christ our Lord.


Excerpts from the English translation of the Order of Christian Funerals © 1985 International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Readings

1. Micah 4:1-4

In days to come
the mount of the Lord's house
Shall be established higher than the mountains;
it shall rise high above the hills,
And peoples shall stream to it:
many nations shall come, and say,
"Come, let us climb the mount of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
that we may walk in his paths."
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples
and impose terms on strong and distant nations;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
Every man shall sit under his own vine
or under his own fig tree, undisturbed;
for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

2. Ephesians 4:30–5:2

Brothers and sisters:
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
with which you were sealed for the day of redemption.
All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling
must be removed from you, along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

Be imitators of God, as beloved children,
and live in love, as Christ loved us
and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God
for a fragrant aroma.

3. James 4:1-10

Beloved:
Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from?
Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?
You covet but do not possess.
You kill and envy but you cannot obtain;
you fight and wage war.
You do not possess because you do not ask.
You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly,
to spend it on your passions.
Adulterers!
Do you not know that to be a lover of the world
means enmity with God?
Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.
Or do you suppose that the Scripture speaks without meaning when it says,
The spirit that he has made to dwell in us tends toward jealousy?
But he bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says:

God resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.

So submit yourselves to God.
Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep.
Let your laughter be turned into mourning
and your joy into dejection.
Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.

4. John 15:9-12

Jesus said to his disciples:
"As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father's commandments
and remain in his love.

"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you."

5. Colossians 3:12-15

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.

6. James 3:13-18

Beloved:
Who among you is wise and understanding?
Let him show his works by a good life
in the humility that comes from wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,
do not boast and be false to the truth.
Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above
but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
there is disorder and every foul practice.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure,
then peaceable, gentle, compliant,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without inconstancy or insincerity.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
for those who cultivate peace.

7. Isaiah 32:15-18

In those days:
The spirit from on high
will be poured out on us.
Then will the desert become an orchard
and the orchard be regarded as a forest.

Right will dwell in the desert
and justice abide in the orchard.
Justice will bring about peace;
right will produce calm and security.
My people will live in peaceful country,
in secure dwellings and quiet resting places.

8. Isaiah 57:15-19

Thus says he who is high and exalted,
living eternally, whose name is the Holy One:
On high I dwell, and in holiness,
and with the crushed and dejected in spirit,
To revive the spirits of the dejected,
to revive the hearts of the crushed.
I will not accuse forever,
nor always be angry;
For their spirits would faint before me,
the souls that I have made.
Because of their wicked avarice I was angry,
and struck them, hiding myself in wrath,
as they went their own rebellious way.
I saw their ways,
but I will heal them and lead them;
I will give full comfort
to them and to those who mourn for them,
I, the Creator, who gave them life.

9.
Luke 6:27-36

Jesus said to his disciples:
"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.

10.
Matthew 10:28-33

Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father."

11.
Wisdom 1:13-15

Because God did not make death,
nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.
For he fashioned all things that they might have being;
and the creatures of the world are wholesome,
And there is not a destructive drug among them
nor any domain of the nether world on earth,
For justice is undying.

12.
Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

13.
Lamentations 3:17-26

My soul is deprived of peace,
I have forgotten what happiness is;
I tell myself my future is lost,
all that I hoped for from the Lord.
The thought of my homeless poverty
is wormwood and gall;
Remembering it over and over
leaves my soul downcast within me.
But I will call this to mind,
as my reason to have hope:

The favors of the Lord are not exhausted,
his mercies are not spent;
They are renewed each morning,
so great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord, says my soul;
therefore will I hope in him.

Good is the Lord to one who waits for him,
to the soul that seeks him;
It is good to hope in silence
for the saving help of the Lord.

Psalms
1. Psalm 71

I
In you, LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue and deliver me;
listen to me and save me!
Be my rock and refuge,
my secure stronghold;
for you are my rock and fortress.
My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,
from the clutches of the violent.
You are my hope, Lord;
my trust, GOD, from my youth.
On you I depend since birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength;
my hope in you never wavers.
I have become a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge!
My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
shall sing your glory every day.

II
Do not cast me aside in my old age;
as my strength fails, do not forsake me.
For my enemies speak against me;
they watch and plot against me.
They say, "God has abandoned that one
Pursue, seize the wretch!
No one will come to the rescue!"
God, do not stand far from me;
my God, hasten to help me.
Bring to a shameful end
those who attack me;
Cover with contempt and scorn
those who seek my ruin.
I will always hope in you
and add to all your praise.
My mouth shall proclaim your just deeds,
day after day your acts of deliverance,
though I cannot number them all.
I will speak of the mighty works of the Lord;
O GOD, I will tell of your singular justice.

III
God, you have taught me from my youth;
to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds.
Now that I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, God,
That I may proclaim your might
to all generations yet to come,
Your power and justice, God,
to the highest heaven.
You have done great things;
O God, who is your equal?
You have sent me many bitter afflictions,
but once more revive me.
From the watery depths of the earth
once more raise me up.
Restore my honor;
turn and comfort me,
That I may praise you with the lyre
for your faithfulness, my God,
And sing to you with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel!
My lips will shout for joy as I sing your praise;
my soul, too, which you have redeemed.
Yes, my tongue shall recount
your justice day by day.
For those who sought my ruin
will have been shamed and disgraced.

Peace, peace to the far and the near,
says the Lord; and I will heal them.

The word of the Lord.

2. Psalm 85

For the leader. A psalm of the Korahites.

I
You once favored, LORD, your land,
restored the good fortune of Jacob.
You forgave the guilt of your people,
pardoned all their sins. Selah
You withdrew all your wrath,
turned back your burning anger.

II
Restore us once more, God our savior;
abandon your wrath against us.
Will you be angry with us forever,
drag out your anger for all generations?
Please give us life again,
that your people may rejoice in you.
Show us, LORD, your love;
grant us your salvation.

III
I will listen for the word of God;
surely the LORD will proclaim peace
To his people, to the faithful,
to those who trust in him.
Near indeed is salvation for the loyal;
prosperity will fill our land.
Love and truth will meet;
justice and peace will kiss.
Truth will spring from the earth;
justice will look down from heaven.
The LORD will surely grant abundance;
our land will yield its increase.
Prosperity will march before the Lord,
and good fortune will follow behind.

3. Psalm 140

For the leader. A psalm of David.

I
Deliver me, LORD, from the wicked;
preserve me from the violent,
From those who plan evil in their hearts,
who stir up conflicts every day,
Who sharpen their tongues like serpents,
venom of asps upon their lips. Selah

II
Keep me, LORD, from the clutches of the wicked;
preserve me from the violent,
who plot to trip me up.
The arrogant have set a trap for me;
villains have spread a net,
laid snares for me by the wayside. Selah
I say to the LORD: You are my God;
listen, LORD, to the words of my prayer.
My revered LORD, my strong helper,
my helmet on the day of battle.
LORD, do not grant the desires of the wicked;
do not let their plots succeed. Selah
Around me they raise their proud heads;
may the mischief they threaten overwhelm them.
May God rain burning coals upon them,
cast them into the grave never more to rise.

III
Slanderers will not survive on earth;
evil will quickly entrap the violent.
For I know the LORD will secure
justice for the needy, their rights for the poor.
Then the just will give thanks to your name;
the upright will dwell in your presence.

4.
Psalm 23

I
The LORD is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures you let me graze;
to safe waters you lead me;
you restore my strength.
You guide me along the right path
for the sake of your name.
Even when I walk through a dark valley,
I fear no harm for you are at my side;
your rod and staff give me courage.

II
You set a table before me
as my enemies watch;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and love will pursue me
all the days of my life;
I will dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

5.
Psalm 77

I
I cry aloud to God,
cry to God to hear me.
On the day of my distress I seek the Lord;
by night my hands are raised unceasingly;
I refuse to be consoled.
When I think of God, I groan;
as I ponder, my spirit grows faint.
My eyes cannot close in sleep;
I am troubled and cannot speak.
I consider the days of old;
the years long past I remember.
In the night I meditate in my heart;
I ponder and my spirit broods:
"Will the Lord reject us forever,
never again show favor?
Has God's love ceased forever?
Has the promise failed for all ages?
Has God forgotten mercy,
in anger withheld compassion?"
I conclude: "My sorrow is this,
the right hand of the Most High has left us."

II
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, your wonders of old I will remember.
I will recite all your works;
your exploits I will tell.
Your way, O God, is holy;
what god is as great as our God?
You alone are the God who did wonders;
among the peoples you revealed your might.
With your arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
The waters saw you, God;
the waters saw you and lashed about,
trembled even to their depths.

The clouds poured down their rains;
the thunderheads rumbled;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
The thunder of your chariot wheels resounded;
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
Through the sea was your path;
your way, through the mighty waters,
though your footsteps were unseen.
You led your people like a flock
under the care of Moses and Aaron.



Scripture excerpts are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Psalms Copyright © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Excerpts from the Sacramentary © International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No part of the Sacramentary may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Excerpts from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Psalms © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.





__________________________________

New American Bible
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000