A Prayer For the Anniversary of 9/11 During a Pandemic

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A Prayer for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 ---
During a pandemic


Dear God,

On the anniversary of 9/11, we are tempted to give it a mere passing glance. Yes, we promised we would never forget, but we didn’t know what was coming. After the past year and a half, we are all stocked up on misery and can’t hold anymore. With a pandemic STILL raging out of control; political divisions, racism and sexism tearing our country apart; climate change setting fires and flooding the earth, and Afghanistan falling to the Taliban after 20 years of US occupation, we are tired. We are weary. We need Your help.

Teach us how to embrace this anniversary as a chance to reflect on Your hope and peace. Remind us that each breath is a precious gift not to be wasted — a gift snatched away from those who died because of the 9/11 attacks. Help us to keep our hearts open to the final words so many victims spoke from smoldering stairwells, conference rooms, and falling airplanes. People died telling their friends and relatives one last time, “I love you.” Inspire us to embrace this day as a new chance to love and be loved.

Turn our attention to those who experience this 20th anniversary not only as a national tragedy, but a personal one. Be with all New Yorkers. Many have battled Covid-19 with co-morbidities contracted from Ground Zero. Comfort those whose loved ones were among the 2,977 people killed on 9/11, and the workers who later died from inhaling toxic fumes. Be also with those who intimately grieve the casualties of our wars against Iraq and Afghanistan, including the innocent civilians.

We pray this in the name of the one who faced the worst of human evil and still proclaimed divine peace, hope, forgiveness and love.

Amen

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