06 November 1999

Litany in Response to the Killings at Columbine High School

by Rev. Jim Wright


We offer prayers of compassion, peace and healing:
For the two young men who committed the murders
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For the families of those who committed the murders
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For the young people and adults who were killed
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For the families of those who were killed
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For those who were wounded and for their families
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For the friends of those who were killed or wounded
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For the doctors and nurses caring for the wounded
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For the students and faculty at the school
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For the police officers who responded to and will investigate the shootings
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For those who organize cults that promote hatred and violence,
and for those who are part of such cults
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For all who have authority to respond to this violence, especially
political and religious leaders
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
For all of us as we share in the suffering of our brothers and sisters
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
We offer prayers of repentance:
We repent of our failure to reduce the level of violence in our own lives
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
We repent of our failure to reduce the level of violence in society
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
We repent of our failure to invite into our communities the unlovable and ostracized
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
We repent of our failure to act courageously for the sake of peace
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
We offer prayers of thanksgiving:
We give thanks for all acts of mercy and forgiveness that took place during the shootings
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
We give thanks for all acts of courage that took place during the shootings
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
We give thanks for all acts of compassion that have taken place in response to the shootings
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
We give thanks for all acts of justice that will take place in response to the shootings
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer
Finally, we give thanks that we are united by the bonds of our common life
in offering these prayers for one another,
and we hope that those for whom we pray will pray for us as well.

Amen.

One of Rev. Wright's parishoners submitted this litany to VCBC with his kind permission.

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