A Prayer for Suicide Victims

Posted by Frederic Brussat on August 29, 2012

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Newspapers, magazines, and television reports deliver the story of another suicide: a famous filmmaker leaps to his death off a bridge, a college student exposed by classmates as being gay takes his own life, a young girl mercilessly bullied by her peers hangs herself at home. Soldiers and Native Americans are two groups with high suicide rates.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36,909 individuals in the United States committed suicide in 2009. This figure makes it the tenth leading cause of death. Sadly, the rate of suicide has been increasing since 2000; this is the highest rate in 15 years.

And suicide becomes more visible, anxiety increases about the possibility of copycat suicides among vulnerable groups. Already, nearly 1,000,000 people make a suicide attempt every year.

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer for Victims and Families of Earthquakes in Iran

Posted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on August 13, 2012

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Two earthquakes in northwest Iran on Saturday, August 11, 2012, have killed 300 people and injured 2,600 more, according to reports from Reuters and other news agencies.

The first quake registered at a 6.4 magnitude. It struck 60 kilometers northeast of the city of Tabriz, a trading hub and the home centuries ago of Shams of Tabriz, the spiritual teacher of Rumi. The second quake measured 6.3. More than 1000 villages were affected; 130 villages suffered more than 70 percent damage, and 20 were completely destroyed. About 16,000 people in the areas hit by the quakes have been given emergency shelter by the Red Crescent.

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer for Safety as We Gather Together

Posted by Mary Ann Brussat on August 6, 2012

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On Sunday, August 5, as Sikh Americans gathered for communal prayers in their temple south of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a gunman entered the building, opened fire, and killed six people and wounded three others. For Sikh Americans, this event was a sad reminder of the many times in their history when they have been the victims of hate violence. Coming just two weeks after another gunman killed 12 people at a midnight screening of a Batman movie in Aurora, Colorado, it was also a grim example of the prevalence of guns in America and our vulnerability to random and/or premeditated gun violence.

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer for When the Unthinkable Happens

Posted by Frederic Brussat on July 23, 2012

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On July 20, 2012, a few minutes into the midnight screening of the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, a gunman entered the theater, set off tear gas grenades, and then shot into the crowd, using several firearms and many rounds of ammunition. Twelve people were killed and 58 were injured. The shooter was apprehended in the theater's parking lot.

As people around the world reacted to this tragedy, questions emerged again about gun violence in America (each year more than 30,000 Americans die from guns) and the even deeper question of why bad things happen to good people. It is not the first time, nor will it be the last time, when we find ourselves grappling with the unthinkable.

After 9/11, Maggie Oman Shannon, leader of the S&P e-course on Ways to Pray from Around the World and editor of the collection Prayers for Healing, reflected upon these questions and responded in prayer. She offers a version of that prayer now after the Aurora shootings.

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer for Health Care for All

Posted by Frederic Brussat on July 2, 2012

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The United States Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a signature piece of legislation for the Obama Administration. Many are grateful for the positive changes in the nation's health care system this act has allowed. Others would still prefer a "single payer" program providing universal health care for everyone; they note that 26 million Americans remain uninsured under ACA.

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer in Response to the Screams

Posted by Frederic Brussat on May 7, 2012

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Edvard Munch, the artist who painted "The Scream" in 1893, could not have imagined that his most famous work of art would fetch $119.9 million at Sotheby's in 2012. Although this is an interesting news story, we are more taken with Munch's confession that the idea for the painting came to him while on a walk at sunset with friends. He wandered behind them "shiverring with fear" and then "I heard the enormous, infinite scream of nature." In these perilous times we are assaulted by many different screams that demand our attention and spiritual action.

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer to Honor American Nuns

Posted by Frederic Brussat on May 1, 2012

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In an article in The New York Times, columnist Nicholas Kristof reported on Pope Benedict's reprimand and criticism of American nuns and the organization that represents 80% of them. The Vatican lambasted their emphasis on working for the poor rather than spending their time fighting abortion and gay marriage. Kristof praises the nuns' pathbreaking work: "They were the first feminists, earning doctorates or working as surgeons long before it was fashionable for women to hold jobs. As managers of hospitals, schools, and complex bureaucracies, they were the first female CEOs."

We ask you to join him and us in supporting these incredible women who have been the heart and soul of Catholicism for centuries. (Photo: gathering of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.)

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer for the Safety and Well-Being of Rhinos

Posted by Frederic Brussat on March 29, 2012

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The rhino is being hunted into extinction and could disappear forever unless we act now. Statistics show 440 rhinos were brutally killed last year in South Africa by poachers seeking their horns, and more than 100 have already been killed this year. Fueling this devastation is a spike in demand for rhino horns, used for bogus cancer cures, hangover remedies, and good luck charms in China and Vietnam.

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer for the Fearless Protesters in Tibet

Posted by Frederic Brussat on March 27, 2012

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Over the past year, 30 young Tibetans have committed self-immolation as a form of self-sacrifice to draw attention to the relentless oppression by the Chinese in their homeland. On March 26, 2012, a Tibetan in exile in India set himself on fire and ran through the streets of New Delhi. In Tibet these events have led to a crack-down on monasteries and monks along with the detention of those who persist in having pictures of the Dalai Lama. The New York Times reports that "the Dalai Lama and his subordinates have expressed shock and sadness at the immolations but have called them a reflection of desperation by Tibetans living under a system that represses their religion and culture."

And so we pray this news. . .

A Prayer for the Beached Dolphins

Posted by Frederic Brussat on January 25, 2012

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February 2012. We read in the news about a tragedy. From New England to Peru, an unprecedented number of dolphins are beaching themselves: 124 have died on Cape Cod and 200 in Chiclayo, Peru. Experts have weighed in with the possible reasons for these strandings: this year's unusual warm weather, movement of prey, decompression, and disease. We wish those scientists well who are trying to find an answer to this ongoing tragedy.

And so we pray this news. . .

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About This Blog

The daily news summons us to prayer. The people, situations, and events of our times call out for our compassion and God's healing presence. In this blog we will pray in a variety of forms as we lift up the needs of the world. We hope that by praying the news in this way we will also expand both our spirituality and our practice. More

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