Litany for Columbine

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.

Amen, again.

Prayer Litany