Dear Family of Love.
Where were you 15 years ago? I know that I was here at home with both parents living and being the chief caregiver for my mother who was bedridden at the time. Little did we know that our whole entire world was going to change radically and things we normally would have taken for granted we actually did and in many ways still do. Besides this being the eve of 9/11 this is also World Suicide Prevention Day! Tonight and throughout the weekend and the days and weeks to come let us reach out and make this a time to pray and begin to remember in hopes to be reunited as the family of God where compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy are the rules of the road and a new way of being.
A good place to start is to light a candle in unity and love for one another!
God we light this single candle in loving memory for all who died on 9/11 and those who have taken their own lives. Let light perpetual continue to shine upon them and give them peace.
God we light this single candle as a reminder of the need to become the compassionate, accepting, loving, and merciful family you have made us to be. We pray that we all may be one!
God, we light this single candle as we remember how important it is to shine light into the dark places of this world. Give us courage to be the light and shine with God's loving goodness to all.
God we light this single candle as we remember to respect the diversity of all God's children.
God we light this single candle in love for our worldwide family members that we may be united in diversity without fear.
God we light this single candle in thanksgiving for all who respond to emergencies and especially this night we remember those who lost their lives coming to the aid of those in the Twin Towers and Pentagon.
God we light this single candle in thanksgiving for all those who provided shelter to all who were stranded.
God we light this single candle for the families of the victims and yes even those who caused these terrible terrorist acts. We pray for all who have been grieving and those who tomorrow and those who remember their loved ones who have died at their own hands on this Suicide Prevention Day. May we show them love and comfort.
God we light this sing candle and pray and give thanks for_____________
God we light this single candle and pray the words of the prayers for the dead of the three Abrahmic faiths:
Prayers for the dead (Christian)
N , go forth upon your journey from this world,
in the name of God the Father almighty who created you;
in the name of Jesus Christ who suffered death for you;
in the name of the Holy Spirit who strengthens you;
in communion with the blessed saints,
and aided by angels and archangels,
and all the armies of the heavenly host.
May your portion this day be in peace,
and your dwelling the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen
The Mourner's Kaddish (Judaism)
Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world
which He has created according to His will.
which He has created according to His will.
May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days,
and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon;
and say, Amen.
and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon;
and say, Amen.
May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.
Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored,
adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,
beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that
are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.
adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,
beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that
are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.
May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.
He who creates peace in His celestial heights,
may He create peace for us and for all Israel;
and say, Amen
may He create peace for us and for all Israel;
and say, Amen
Salat al-Janazah - Islam
"O God, forgive our living and our dead, those who are present among us and those who are absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O God, whoever You keep alive, keep him alive in Islam, and whoever You cause to die, cause him to die with faith. O God, do not deprive us of the reward and do not cause us to go astray after this. O God, forgive him and have mercy on him, keep him safe and sound and forgive him, honour his rest and ease his entrance; wash him with water and snow and hail, and cleanse him of sin as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. O God, give him a home better than his home and a family better than his family. O God, admit him to Paradise and protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of Hell-fire; make his grave spacious and fill it with light."
God as we have prayed the prayers above for the dead help us to remember that we all are formed in your image and likeness and that in the words spoken at Ash Wednesday "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return" Help us to not fear death but celebrate life. Amen.
We close this night's vigil with the following classic prayers:
Holy God, G_D, Allah, Creator of the world and God of Many names who made us in you image and likeness we pray this night and light our candles in memory and witness to all who have died in any genocide and terrorist act our world has ever known. We light our candles and remember 9/11 ( the Women's holocaust in the Middle Ages, The Native Americans who walked the Trail of Tears and were killed by viruses brought to the New World, We pray for the Armenians who perished and The Great Holocaust that took the lives of 6,000,000 million Jews and others). We pray for the victims of modern day genocides in this era of terrorism and ethnic cleansing. We pray that we may look upon these our brothers and sisters who perished as a reminder of how easy it is to go down the slippery slope of hate, terror, fear, vengeance, and bigotry. We pray for peace in this fragile and broken world that we may be peace makers and truth tellers to our family members who do not know the history of these atrocities. We pray this night that we may stop the hate and new apartheid systems that infect the world. We pray that we may be compassionate, accepting, loving, and merciful. Let us always remember and never forget. Amen.
Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we 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. Amen.
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we 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. Amen.
The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3–12
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (5:3)
Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)
Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
Psalm 23- Bobby McFerrin
The Light and Love of Christ I hold out to you is my promise that we are family one to another this day and always. The Light of Christ in Me , Recognizes the Light of Christ in you. We lift up these our prayers in Jesus most holy name. Amen.
The Light and Love of Christ I hold out to you is my promise that we are family one to another this day and always. The Light of Christ in Me , Recognizes the Light of Christ in you. We lift up these our prayers in Jesus most holy name. Amen.
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Good Night ! I love you ! May we rest gentle in God's arms !
Love and prayers united in compassion, acceptance, love and mercy,
Sara
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