Leaders Guide

Prayer Service for the 10

th
Anniversary of the
Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001
Background
As e mark ten years since the events of September 11th, e note that for most students, !"11 is
an historica# event$ They do not persona##y reca## it% they even may not have been born yet$ &#der
teens, hoever, do reca## it$ These to 'roups have very different needs, and to ref#ections are
inc#uded be#o$ (ou are encoura'ed to adapt this prayer service to meet the needs of your 'roup$
A bookmark ith ref#ection )uestions may be passed out before or after the service$ *t can
be found at the end of this document, or 'o to www.ncea.org$
The focus of this prayer service is to remember those ho died and to ref#ect on +esus
ca## to #ove others, especia##y our enemies$
Opening Song
,hoose a son' that is e## knon by the participants, such as A## Are -e#come, A## That -e
.ave, /or the .ea#in' of the 0ations, Lord of A## 0ations, The Servant Son', -or#d Peace
Prayer, or some other son'$
Welcome
*d #ike to e#come you to this prayer service rememberin' the events of September 11, 2001$ As
e 'ather here, e remember the many peop#e ho died in 0e (ork, Pennsy#vania and
1ir'inia$ -e ant to pray for them and their fami#ies$ -e reca## the po#ice, fire fi'hters, medics
and chap#ains ho ere the first responders, and e are 'ratefu# for their sacrifice$ 2any amon'
us kno someone ho as persona##y affected by the events on !"11 3 friends, re#atives, co4
orkers$ -e remember them, as e##$ Last#y, e think of the so#diers ho are fi'htin' in
Af'hanistan and *ra) as a resu#t of !"11, and their fami#ies$ Let us 'ather a## these peop#e into our
hearts, a#on' ith a## our #ove and concern, and #ift them up to God$
Opening Prayer
Lovin' God, e 'ather today to reca## the events of September 11$ -e #ift up to you a## those
peop#e affected by !"11 3 those ho died in the attacks, those ho responded, those ho no
fi'ht in ars as a resu#t of that dark day, those e kno ho ere persona##y impacted, and a##
those ho sti## mourn the #oss of #oved ones$
-e #ift up our prayers and our concerns and our desire to brin' your #ove to a broken
or#d$ Send your .o#y Spirit amon' us no, & God, to open our hearts and minds to your
presence$ -e kno you are a God of #ife, not death% you are a God of mercy, not ven'eance$
Lead us into ho#y actions that i## '#orify you and honor those ho died$
As e turn our attention to scripture, open our ears to hear your #ife4'ivin' -ord, and stir
our sou#s to respond to the 'race you so free#y besto$ -e make this prayer in the name of +esus,
our Lord$ Amen$
First Reading Galatians 5:!"#
A readin' from the #etter of St$ Pau# to the Ga#atians
You were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity
for the flesh; rather, serve one another in love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,
namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The ord of the Lord$ 5esponse6 Thanks be to God$
Psalm $! 7this may be recited or sun' 3 Shepherd 2e & God or some other son'8
The !"# is my shepherd;
there is nothing $ lac%.
$n green pastures he ma%es me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
&e guides me along right paths
for the sa%e of his name.
'ven though $ wal% through the valley of the shadow of death,
$ will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff comfort me.
You set a table before me
in front of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
$ndeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me
all the days of my life;
$ will dwell in the house of the !"#
for endless days.
Gospel %att&ew 5:#!"#'
A readin' from the ho#y Gospe# accordin' to 2atthe$ 5esponse6 G#ory to you, & Lord$
You have heard that it was said, (You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.) But $ say
to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of
your heavenly Father, for he ma%es his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall
on the *ust and the un*ust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have+
#o not the ta, collectors do the same+ -nd if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is
unusual about that+ #o not the pagans do the same+ .o be perfect, *ust as your heavenly Father
is perfect.
The Gospe# of the Lord$ 5esponse6 Praise to you, Lord +esus ,hrist$
Re(lection
For /hildren
-e 'ather today for a very specia# reason$ Ten years a'o, an event happened that e ca## !"## or
September 11th$ &n that day, many peop#e ere ki##ed in three areas 3 0e (ork, 1ir'inia and
Pennsy#vania$ Peop#e a## over the or#d ere saddened that day because of a## the death and
destruction that occurred$ *n this prayer service, e remember a## those ho died in the attacks,
a## those ho ere in9ured, and a## their fami#ies$ -e ho#d them in our hearts, and e pray for
them$
:ut on that sad day, somethin' e#se happened, somethin' 'ood$ -e human bein's opened our
hearts and #oved one another open#y and free#y that day$ Parents kissed their chi#dren and said ;*
#ove you$< Teena'ers ca##ed their 'randparents to say ;* #ove you$< /riends 'athered to reassure
one another and 'ive hu's$ Peop#e ho dont often 'o to church ent to church to pray for the
victims and their fami#ies$
Peop#e ere e=traordinari#y nice to each other, even to stran'ers$ *n 0e (ork, the oners of
shoe stores 'ave aay sneakers to omen ho ere a#kin' home ho had on#y hi'h hee#ed
shoes$ Grocery store oners 'ave aay free bott#es of ater to peop#e ho 'ot thirsty$ 0es
reporters, ho usua##y 9ust report the story, started 'ivin' hu's to the peop#e they ere
interviein'$ A## over the country, peop#e rushed to the 5ed ,ross to donate b#ood, knoin' that
in9ured peop#e ou#d need it$ Peop#e from many countries around the or#d sent e=pressions of
concern and sympathy to >$S$ #eaders$ Some nations sent rescue orkers to ork side by side
ith >$S$ responders, and there are many more stories of ho peop#e acted ith compassion$ &n
that dark day, e turned to one another and shoed #ove, he#pin' out stran'ers and anyone in
need$
Today in our scripture readin's e hear Gods ca## to #ove$ +esus said to #ove our nei'hbors and
our enemies$ *t is easy to #ove our friends and fami#y, a #itt#e more difficu#t to #ove nei'hbors, and
it can be very hard to #ove enemies$ :ut +esus teaches us that in order to be chi#dren of God, e
must #earn to #ove everyone, even our enemies$ The 'ood nes is that e dont have to #ove our
enemies on our on stren'th$ /irst, +esus 'ives us Gods #ove, and Gods #ove 'ives us the poer
and stren'th to #ove our enemies$ -hen e 'ive #ove instead of vio#ence, e transform enemies
into friends$
*n your heart, * ask you to pray for the victims of !"11, and to pray for a## peop#e ho are
tempted to use vio#ence to 'et hat they ant$ Pray that God ou#d use us human bein's as
instruments of peace, to transform vio#ent peop#e into peacefu# peop#e$ 7Pause8 Pray that Gods
#ove i## make you a poerfu# person of peace ho chooses to bui#d a or#d of #ove and 9ustice,
here peop#e are friends instead of enemies$
For Teens
Love is at the heart of the ,hristian messa'e$ *t is the main thin' that +esus ta#ked about hen he
a#ked this earth$ *n the first readin', e hear St$ Pau# )uote +esus, ho said, ;Love your
nei'hbor as yourse#f$< *n the Gospe# readin', e hear +esus te## us to #ove our enemies and pray
for those ho persecute us$ -hoa 3 did he rea##y command us to #ove our enemies? -e hear the
;#ove your nei'hbor< command a## the time, and e can dea# ith that$ :ut #ove our enemies?
5ea##y? &n the anniversary of !"11, cou#d God rea##y be te##in' us to #ove our enemies?
*ndeed, it is hat God te##s us every day, and especia##y this day$ -e are ca##ed to #ove our
enemies, because that is the on#y ay e can come to understand the depth and poer of Gods
#ove$ &nce e kno and e=perience the poer of Gods #ove, then e are capab#e of 'ivin' that
#ove to a or#d that sore#y needs it$
As fo##oers of +esus, the first step is to kno and e=perience Gods #ove$ -e can do that by
ref#ectin' on +esus #ife and teachin's and hat e see and e=perience in him$ 5eca## that hen
e human bein's sin and turn aay from God, and do thin's e kno are ron' and a'ainst
Gods i## 3 e##, that is hen God shos us the most #ove$ .e sent +esus 2,000 years a'o to
suffer and die on a cross so that e cou#d be for'iven and hea#ed instead of trapped in sin and
vio#ence$
+esus did not 9ust ta#k about #ove% he put his #ove into action$ .e suffered and died, and took deep
into his heart a## the pain, sufferin' and death that e human bein's cou#d inf#ict on him, and
there he transformed them into mercifu# #ove and ever#astin' #ife$ That is hy e are ca##ed to
#ove our enemies$ *t is our 9ob to transform the or#d 3 to take a## the pain and sufferin' and sin
and death in this or#d and chan'e it into mercifu# #ove and ever#astin' #ife$
This kind of #ove is radica#% it is poerfu#$ *t makes us poerfu# 3 and it is possib#e$ *t is hat e
are ca##ed to do as ,hristians$ *t is our 9ob description$ *f ever e had any doubt, !"11 shoed us
that the path of hatred and vio#ence #eads on#y to death and destruction$ &ur destiny is to #ive
forever in the arms of a #ovin' God$ Love is the path to #ife ith God, and on that path e are
ca##ed to #ove everyone, even our enemies$
-e can #ove our enemies, but on#y hen e stay connected to God$ *t is on#y hen e are
receivin' Gods #ove on a dai#y basis, throu'h prayer and the sacraments, that e have the poer
to put our #ove into action and transform enemies into friends$
+ust a fe eeks a'o, the 2artin Luther @in', +r$, memoria# as dedicated in -ashin'ton, A$,$
2artin Luther @in' as someone ho used the poer of #ove to transform enemies into friends$
Throu'h the poer of Gods #ove and nonvio#ent direct action, he and his fo##oers in the ,ivi#
5i'hts 2ovement took the beatin's, the ater hoses, the do's, the bombin's and the murders 3
they took a## that hatred, sufferin' and vio#ence into their on bodies here they transformed
them into radiant, poerfu#, #ife4'ivin' L&1B$ 2artin Luther @in' chan'ed the or#d, and so
can e$
*n Aecember 1!CD, @in' said, ;-or#d peace throu'h nonvio#ent means is neither absurd nor
unattainab#e$ A## other methods have fai#ed$ Thus e must be'in ane$ 0onvio#ence is a 'ood
startin' point$ Those of us ho be#ieve in this method can be voices of reason, sanity, and
understandin' amid the voices of vio#ence, hatred, and emotion$ -e can very e## set a mood of
peace out of hich a system of peace can be bui#t$<
&n this tenth anniversary of !"11, our God does indeed ca## us to #ove our enemies$ Love is our
method, our path and our fina# destination$ Lovin' our enemies is the ay e can best honor the
2!00 peop#e ho died in 0e (ork, Pennsy#vania and 1ir'inia$ Aeath rei'ned for a day, but e
kno that death does not have the fina# ord$ God has the fina# ord, and that ord is #ove$
Silent %editation 7soft instrumenta# music may be p#ayed% if you are usin' the bookmark ith
ref#ection )uestions, it may be referenced as this time of si#ence be'ins$8
Petitions
&ur response is, Lord hear our prayer$
-e pray for those ho died in the terrorist attacks of !"11, those ho died in the ars in *ra) and
Af'hanistan, and for a## ho have died, that they may kno the #ife4'ivin' #ove of God, e pray6
-e pray for those ho sti## mourn the death of #oved ones, that they ou#d be comforted by our
#ove and concern, e pray6
-e pray for those no fi'htin' in the ars in Af'hanistan and *ra), a resu#t of the attacks, and
for their fami#ies, that they ou#d be safe#y reunited, e pray6
-e pray for the peacemakers in a## nations, that they ou#d be b#essed in their efforts to brin'
peace and 9ustice to our or#d, e pray6
-e pray for a## of us, that as e fo##o +esus, the Prince of Peace, e ou#d redoub#e our efforts
to be peacemakers in our fami#ies, schoo#s, communities and or#d, e pray6
-e pray for the stren'th to turn aay from evi# and hatred, for the poer to convert enemies into
friends, and for the isdom to #ove others unconditiona##y, e pray6
Our Fat&er
Let us no turn to our #ovin' God and pray in fami#y terms, understandin' that e a## have one
/ather, and that makes us a## brothers and sisters to one another$ -e are fami#y even ith those
e ca## enemy$ -e pray6 ;&ur /atherE<
)losing Prayer
As e come to the end of this prayer service, e #ook to the future and the or#d that e can
bui#d ith the poer of Gods #ove$ Let us pray6 ;God of #ife and #ove, e thank you for the 'ift
of +esus, ho tau'ht us about your #ove$ -e ask you to send the .o#y Spirit to remind us of a##
that +esus tau'ht$ (ou ca## us to #ove our nei'hbor as ourse#ves and to #ove our enemies$
Stren'then us ith your poerfu#, up#iftin', #ife4'ivin' #ove, so that e are ab#e to take your
#ove into our broken or#d, and transform it into a or#d of #ove and peace$ -e make this prayer
in the stron' name of +esus, our Teacher, our :rother and our 5isen Lord$ Amen$
)losing Song
,hoose a son' that is e##4knon by the participants, such as -e -a#k :y /aith, They -i##
@no -e Are ,hristians, &n Ba'#es -in's, Thou'h the 2ountains 2ay /a## or some other
son'$
-ritten by @atherine Schmitt, 2$Aiv$ 0ationa# ,atho#ic Bducationa# Association, Ar#in'ton, 1ir'inia$ www.ncea.org$ 0123144
On the 10
th

Anniversary of
September
11th
You have heard that
it was said, You shall
love your neighbor
and hate your
enemy. !ut " say to
you, love your
enemies, and pray for
those who perse#ute
you, that you may be
#hildren of your
heavenly $ather.%
& 'atthew ()*+,*(
*uestions (or Re(lection
.o can you
sho #ove to your
fami#y, friends,
nei'hbors? To
enemies?
To God?
&n a sca#e of 1 to
10, ho much do you
ant to e=perience
Gods #ove?
&n a sca#e of 1 to
10, ho i##in' are
you to #ove your
enemies?
@AS 3 0,BA F"2D"11
On the 10
th

Anniversary of
September
11th
You have heard that
it was said, You shall
love your neighbor
and hate your
enemy. !ut " say to
you, love your
enemies, and pray for
those who perse#ute
you, that you may be
#hildren of your
heavenly $ather.%
& 'atthew ()*+,*(
*uestions (or Re(lection
.o can you
sho #ove to your
fami#y, friends,
nei'hbors? To
enemies?
To God?
&n a sca#e of 1 to
10, ho much do you
ant to e=perience
Gods #ove?
&n a sca#e of 1 to
10, ho i##in' are
you to #ove your
enemies?
@AS 3 0,BA F"2D"11
On the 10
th

Anniversary of
September
11th
You have heard that
it was said, You shall
love your neighbor
and hate your
enemy. !ut " say to
you, love your
enemies, and pray for
those who perse#ute
you, that you may be
#hildren of your
heavenly $ather.%
& 'atthew ()*+,*(
*uestions (or Re(lection
.o can you
sho #ove to your
fami#y, friends,
nei'hbors? To
enemies?
To God?
&n a sca#e of 1 to
10, ho much do you
ant to e=perience
Gods #ove?
&n a sca#e of 1 to
10, ho i##in' are
you to #ove your
enemies?
@AS 3 0,BA F"2D"11
On the 10
th

Anniversary of
September
11th
You have heard that
it was said, You shall
love your neighbor
and hate your
enemy. !ut " say to
you, love your
enemies, and pray for
those who perse#ute
you, that you may be
#hildren of your
heavenly $ather.%
& 'atthew ()*+,*(
*uestions (or Re(lection
.o can you
sho #ove to your
fami#y, friends,
nei'hbors? To
enemies?
To God?
&n a sca#e of 1 to
10, ho much do you
ant to e=perience
Gods #ove?
&n a sca#e of 1 to
10, ho i##in' are
you to #ove your
enemies?
@AS 3 0,BA F"2D"11