Dominican Sisters, Friars Express Regret, Sadness Over U.S. Attack on Afghanistan

    U.S.Newswire, 10/8/2001
    e-mail: sbmurphy@spdom.org

    PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The leaders of the Dominican sisters and friars in the United States have written to their brothers and sisters around the world, expressing regret and sadness over yesterday's U.S. military action against Afghanistan.

    ''We who are preachers of God's love and reconciliation are profoundly saddened by this turn of events,'' the letter reads. ''We deeply regret that military action is considered necessary. Our Christian faith leads us to declare that violence can only breed violence. This action calls us to deeper prayer in solidarity with the innocent victims of violence and terrorism around the world.''

    Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions.

    Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors.

    Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land…Amen.

    -from the Book of Common Prayer, collect for 2nd Advent

    		Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
    Where there is hatred, let me sow charity;
    Where there is injury, pardon;
    Where there is error, the truth;
    Where there is doubt, the faith;
    Where there is despair, hope;
    Where there is darkness, light; and
    Where there is sadness, joy.

    O, Divine Master,
    Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
    To be understood as to understand;
    To be loved as to love;
    For it is in giving that we receive;
    It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
    And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

    -prayer attributed to St. Francis
    Love your enemies.
    -Jesus
    A MUSLIM PRAYER FOR PEACE

    In the name of Allah,
    the beneficent, the merciful.
    Praise be to the Lord of the Universe
    who has created us and
    made us into tribes and nations
    that we may know each other,
    not that we may despise each other.
    If the enemy incline towards peace,
    do thou also incline towards peace,
    and trust God, for the Lord is the one
    that hears and knows all things.
    And the servants of God,
    most gracious are those
    who walk on the Earth in humility,
    and when we address them, we say “Peace.”

    THOU
    SHALT
    NOT
    KILL

    and Voices says, "trying to fight terrorism with bombers is like trying to fight fire with gasoline."