Prayers on the Memorial of September 11th
On the Memorial of September 11th, 2001
September 11, 2026
Dear Parishes of Holy Apostles’ and Grace-Saint Paul’s,
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” [Romans 1:7] This day is a solemn day of remembrance for the grave loss of life from violence. As such, on behalf of myself and both parishes, I offer our condolences to those who lost loved ones in this act of terror. In faith, we trust that God sustains them, and thus they are never truly ‘lost,’ yet now in God’s care.
Today, we ask the eternally burning question in our hearts to the Power above and beyond our comprehension: “Why?” Community gatherings occur in towns across our country, not necessarily to find an answer to that question, yet to grieve together and to support one another. Whether you know one another or not at these memorial gatherings, the bond in grief empowers our hearts to support each another in a love so pure that all prejudices become inconsequential and melt away.
I begin a series of prayers by offering earnest gratitude for the life and witness of so many who responded to evil with love and support, and beckon God to be ever present as we rebuild our understanding of the world, and reconstruct our hearts that shattered amidst the rubble of destruction.
Let us pray…
O Blessed God, we give Thee thanks for the passion placed in the hearts of those who bravely were, are, and will be called to serve in the various branches of emergency services and first responders – be it in our fire departments, police stations, hospitals, each branch of military and more. Strengthen the hearts and wills of these brave souls who stand ready to serve and protect, knowing the sacrifice in front of them each day. Amen.
O Compassionate God, we give Thee thanks for the bravery demonstrated by our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles, and friends who readily, willingly, and with fierce passion, ran towards danger for the sake of others some 25 years ago. Bless, in Thy kingdom, those who gave of their last full measure of love. Amen.
O God of Love, we give Thee thanks for the rapid response of strangers, bystanders, neighbors, construction crews and machine operators to seek relentlessly for Thy children trapped in the wake of this disaster. May their example of such immense kindness, sacrifice, and unity as fellow humans, as good neighbors to one another, remain a deep-seeded part of what we will “never forget” of that fateful day. Amen.
O God of Peace, we share this experience of tragedy, suffering, and pain. Be ever present with and bestow upon those of Thy children who mourn, that Thy grace and comfort may be found and felt as they support one another in community, united in grief and in desire to overcome the destruction evil brought forth by rebuilding their hearts in mutual love and respect. May Thy Peace, though beyond our understanding, carry forth into the world a dispelling of evil and a sustaining of the weary, broken-hearted, and hopeless so that they may be renewed with Thy grace and partake in the compassion, love, and peace that overcomes the darkness of sin. Amen.
We beseech Thee, our Lord, our God, to be present with us in our grief, to keep in the arms of Thy mercy the nearly three thousand souls lost 25 years ago, and to guide us forth in community as we rebuild our hope for the future in peace, in freedom, and in love: This we ask in your most holy Name. Amen.
O God of Mercy, whose desire is for goodness to fill the earth through the hearts of Thy children of many nations and many faiths, help us to mourn all those whose lives are cut short by the fierce flames of anger and hatred, that we may find peace and respond in Thy Love. Console those who suffer, give them comfort as their eyes gaze upon the future, and inspire in them a renewed hope. Through our shared experience, imbue in us the grace to examine our own hearts and relationships, that we may become beacons of Thy humility, grace, and love. Guide our leaders in utilizing their power to serve the healing of relationships between communities and nations for the good of all. Bless and strengthen all who serve and respond in the support of their communities, regardless of differences, each according to the gifts Thou hast given them. This we beseech of Thee in Thy most holy Spirit. Amen.
In Peace,
Fr. Michael Panzarella
A Collect for Peace
BCP 207
O Almighty God,
kindle, we beseech thee,
in every heart the true love of peace,
and guide with thy wisdom
those who take counsel for the nations of the earth,
that in tranquility thy dominion may increase
till the earth is filled with the knowledge of thy love;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.