A nationwide action called Nuns Against Gun Violence is being scheduled for Friday, June 2 on National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The Springfield Dominicans are aware of the havoc wreaked by gun violence in our country. We lament the rage of persons who see it as the only response, the easy access to weapons to vent that rage, and the increased lethality of weapons.
June 2 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Below is a candle-lighting vigil activity and a prayer prepared by justice promoters from the Nuns Against Gun Violence initiative. Part of the awareness day is also to wear orange on June 2 to honor victims and survivors of gun violence.
Gathering Reflection and Candle Lighting
[If you are gathering in a group setting for your vigil, read the following opening reflection aloud. In group prayer, one person might light each candle.]
Holding an unlit candle in your hand, take this moment to breathe deeply and enter into a spirit of prayer. Observe the cold wick of the candle you hold. Call to mind the grave epidemic of gun violence
across our country and the thousands of people who have been harmed by it. Think of those people that you know in your own life who may have been affected by gun violence. Enter into the collective pain and grief of our nation. Visualize that suffering as gathering darkness. In silence, reflect: What will it take to push back this darkness with the light of our collective love, strength and courage?
When you are ready, light your candle. Notice how the light spills into the darkness, transforming and brightening the space around you. Still in silence, lift your candle into the air. Imagine this flame joining with those of others all across this nation who are praying together today. Visualize your candle as one of a wave of lights being lifted into the darkness, one after another. Together, our light is stronger than the darkness of fear.
Together, we lift our lights, and we pray for courage.
Prayer Against Gun Violence
You are encouraged to use this Novena prayer daily for the next nine days, as an offering in solidarity with the young people who will be gathering in our nation’s Capitol next week to demand legislative action on gun reform.
Loving God, You created for us a world of beauty, order, and endless possibilities. But today ours is a world often in chaos: war, famine, drought, so many “isms”, lack of respect for life and for one another. In this country, we face these issues day after day. One of these is uppermost in our minds these days—the horror of gun violence which continues to ravage our nation, our society, our people, and even the youngest of our children.
Spirit God, we give you all names: Holy, Sanctifier, Paraclete, Advocate. Yet you are so much more: Challenger, Nudger, whirling Wind and engulfing Fire, Mover, Enabler, Lover, Breath of Life. Be that for us, we pray. Instill in us your gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, reverence and awe. Pentecost us. Enable us to be as daring as the newly inspired apostles—to be bold in our defense of the right of all persons to feel safe wherever we are, unafraid of being forever silenced by those who are armed with weapons and anger and sometimes even hatred. Give us the courage to speak the Word. Give us the audacity to take the actions needed to end this needless violence.
In the name of our Creator God, in the name of the Word of Life and in the name of the Fire of Love.
Amen.
I founded Faces Not Forgotten in 2010 in memory of my dad who committed suicide and Fr. Larry Rose Baugh, OMI, who was murdered. We paint portraits of children lost to Gun Violence to give comfort to their survivor families. We then exhibit the FNF Quilts nationally made from images of these portraits to raise awareness and ignite change. I am the only administrator of this tiny nonprofit with a small board. But we have created over 300 portraits and 35 FNF Quilts to date. We are about honoring the individual humanity of each child taken by gun violence. We never do a portrait without the families’ permission. I would love to partner with you! Thank you.