The CatholiCity Message
Volume V, Number 18 – September 14, 2001
Dear CatholiCity Citizen,
As you are a member the largest Catholic email group in the world, 67,000+ families strong, we humbly invite you to not only join us in prayer on this day which President Bush has declared a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, but we also ask you to forward this message to your friends and relatives around the U.S., Canada, and the world so they can join us, too. You have our permission to reprint this prayer for use at your prayer groups, schools, Bible studies, and churches.
Additionally, we have received many messages confirming that Americans are encouraged to go outdoors and light a candle (or flashlight) and pray tonight at 7 pm as a sign of solidarity. We have adapted the beginning words of the following prayer from our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II's prayer on the day of the attack. So let us pause to join our minds, hearts, and souls to Jesus and begin "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..."
"Almighty Father, we commend the victims of this shocking tragedy to Your eternal love. We implore Your comfort upon the injured, the families and friends involved, and all who are doing their utmost to rescue survivors and help those affected. We ask You, Father, to grant the American people the strength and courage they need at this time of sorrow and trial.
"We beg you, Jesus, to send Your legions of heavenly Angels, led by Saint Michael the Archangel, to protect the United States from additional attempts of destruction. If supernatural means are required to foil these plots, we humbly implore you to suspend natural laws to save innocent lives and souls.
"Holy Spirit, we are a sinful nation, and we beg you to send us Your authentic spirit of repentance. We are also a nation capable of great charity and justice, so look not on our sins, Heavenly Spirit of Mercy, but upon our sorrow and resolve to turn from evil, to fight evil, and procure victory over evil. Illuminate the minds and souls of our citizens and especially our leaders so we can see the error of our ways, and give us the sweet grace required to turn to God with pure hearts.
"Immaculate Mary, Humble Virgin, Mother of our Church, and protectress of our nation, we ask you to go before the Throne of the Holy Trinity and intercede for the United States at this critical juncture in our history. Gently place your mantle upon our land, upon our people, upon our allies, upon our fighting men and women, as you once wrapped our Savior in swaddling clothes in a manger.
"We have no words that rightly express what we on earth cannot understand or ever truly fathom–the Love of God–so we turn with childlike faith to the words that Jesus Himself taught us to pray:
"Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen!"
"Saint Michael the Archangel, protect us! Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, pray for us. Saint Katharine Drexel and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us. Saint Thomas More, Patron of Politicians, pray for us. Saint Joseph, Patron Saint of Canada, pray for us. Immaculate Mary, Patroness of the United States, pray for us. Jesus Christ, King of Kings, have mercy on us!"
"Amen."
On behalf of the staff of CatholiCity, thank you for praying with us. We will remain in touch as prudence and events dictate. We remain yours...
With Christ,
Your Friends at CatholiCity
