JAMESBURG Love of country, love of God, love for each other and an admonition not to fall into the trap of hatred were the message received by the congregation at the Day of Prayer Service at St. James R.C. Church.
By: Al Wicklund
JAMESBURG Love of country, love of God, love for each other and an admonition not to fall into the trap of hatred were the message received by the congregation at the Day of Prayer Service at St. James R.C. Church.
The Sept. 14 prayer service, conducted by the Rev. Charles Scillieri, was part of a nationwide remembrance of the victims of the the World Trade Center attack and their families.
The Reverend said the Day of Prayer, and his message in the prayer service, was different from the customary meaning of the phrase to take up arms against a foe.
He said that, in these difficult times, "It was a call to embrace each other."
He said he spoke of the Beatitudes, the blessedness pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, in his message because in the Beatitudes "Jesus told us how to live . He told us who we are and what we should be.
The Rev. Scillieri said now is a time to look to God "to give us the strength to go on," to protect the children and "to be the great country God intended us to be."
"Pray for the victims and for their families," the Rev. Scillieri said.
Of the destruction of lives and the World Trade Center he said there are no words to describe the horror, no adequate words of consolation and little to quell the feelings of anger.
"The best thing is to come here today," and join together and share the feelings of concern.
After the service, Karen Tittel of Monroe said she had a feeling of being overwhelmed with grief. "You have to feel for the families that are still waiting to hear."
On that day, Sept. 14, there were an estimated 4,900 missing. The number has since risen.
Bill Kelly of Monroe said his thoughts were of the families of the victims. He prayed for them.
Nancy Kelly said she prayed that we, and the rest of world, "don’t teach the children to hate."