Below is what was read to students over the announcements this morning. 

PRAYER:

I’m sure we have all heard the tragic news about the school shooting yesterday in Texas.  Let us take a moment to turn to our God in prayer.

Merciful God, we come to you with heavy hearts and troubled minds after the tragic news of another mass shooting. We lift up to you all those who were victims of this senseless act of violence.  May the souls find eternal safety and rest in you. We also lift up to you all the families who are facing unimaginable grief.  We entrust them all into your loving care.

We implore your divine help, O God, for our nation at this time. We pray for law enforcement and first responders. We pray for mental health professionals and community service agencies.  We pray for individuals who are angry and unsettled and do not know how to work through their pain.  We pray for students, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators of all schools who grieve together in the face of this tragedy.  We pray for the leaders of our local communities, states and nation to commit to just policies that promote nonviolence and the peaceful resolution of differences.  And in a special way today, Lord, we pray for each of us.  Give us the strength to live a life of nonviolence even when it seems illogical.  Give us the courage to be persons of character that promote peace even – and especially – when it’s difficult. 

Finally, we pray for the individuals who inflict this harm upon others, not just in yesterday’s incident but in all the tragic acts of violence that have resulted in far too many victims over the years. We pray for your divine mercy and sacred guidance.  Amen.

REFLECTION & RESPONSE:

I know we probably all feel a sense of shock at yesterday’s senseless violence and perhaps also a real sense of frustration in thinking that there’s nothing that we can do in the face of all of this tragedy.  But the truth is, we can all do something.  Anything we do – no matter how big or small – that supports a peaceful, nonviolent approach to dealing with problems is a great way to contribute to the solution.  Anything we do to deal with conflicts constructively helps us to  create a world in which peace is the only thing that makes sense.  Anything we do to forgive and demonstrate compassion – no matter how grand or inconsequential the circumstance – helps make a peaceful world a real possibility.  Any time we choose not to spread gossip, decide to speak only when we can do so kindly, and let go of our impulse to judge others, we actually add building blocks to the kind of world we want to live in.  No, we cannot change what happened yesterday.  And we cannot erase the other violence that has plagued our world with the snap of a finger.  But we DO have the power to do something about it, and we are called to step up and do it now.  We are called to choose kindness over cruelty, forgiveness over vengeance, and mercy over judgment.  These are things we can do every single day.  These are things that are within our power.  These are things that seem small when we think of them but become powerful in the doing of them.  And the more we do them, the more we create a world in which the horror of yesterday’s violence becomes impossible.

RESPONSE FROM THE SISTERS OF MERCY

God, our hearts are broken with pain at the senseless deaths caused by gun violence. Families mourn, children live in fear, and some in our nation respond by arming themselves with more guns with greater capacity to end life. Our disconnection and alienation has caused some to turn to guns for protection and safety. We ask that you touch our hearts with your love, heal our brokenness, and turn us away from violence toward peace. Help us to transform our own hearts and to seek peaceful ways of resolving our differences. Let our hands reach out and connect with those who feel alone, those who live in fear, and those suffering from mental illness. Let our voices be raised asking our legislators to enact gun laws to protect all in our society, especially those most vulnerable. Let our pens write messages demanding change while also scripting words of hope and transformation. We ask this in the name of the God who desires that we live together in peace.  Amen