PisteuticsUSA: Calendar: National Day of Prayer combines today with Memorial of 9/11 victims and Celebration of Justice brawt by Heroes who removed terrorist mastermind

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About.com (May4,2k11)

by Mary Fairchild

...May 5, 2011, is the National Day of Prayer.  This year's observance marks the 60th annual national prayer event.  As in the past, Christians and adherents of other faiths are invited on this day to voluntarily pray according to the conventions of their own beliefs.  The theme for 2011 is Psalm 91:12,  "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Since 1952 when the National Day of Prayer was officially created by a joint resolution of the US Congress and signed into law by President Harry Truman, every president has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.  This year President Barack Obama recognized the significant role prayer has had in the lives of the American people, saying, "Throughout our history, Americans have turned to prayer for strength, inspiration, and solidarity.  Prayer has played an important role in the American story and in shaping  our Nation's leaders."

refWrite editorial comment:  Many meetings are being held thru-out the nation today.  Some are limited to one liturgical community to pray for the USA, for divine guidance of its leadership at all levels, for thanksgiving to Almighty God "according to the conventions of their own beliefs" in many cases," and to pray for a national movement of repentance for the nation's sins, a national movement of humbling before the Lord ("humiliation" as our ancestors often called it).

Many others join with persons of other faiths (and possibly some of no faith, a no-god) to pray in the same place where each choses the belief-words according to his or her tradition and commitment.

Today, a day which has become another day of mourning for the victims of 9/11 2011, is an especially strong expression of the American civic religion becawz of the participation of many religions and people of even other religions, also atheists and agnostics.   The grief is a national grief, of a religiously diverse people.  But today of all National Prayer Day observances,  the national grief is accompanied by a national joy of release from the terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden and a national joy celebrating especially the heroes who  brawt this unjust man to justice.

President Obama who followed his predecessors in proclaiming this National Prayer Day flew to New York City and the Twin Towers of World Trade Center.  He is there now.  May God be praised, may the heroes of justice be celebrated, and may those struck down in 2001 be remembered again on this Tenth Anniversary of their deaths, so unjust.

-- Politicarp for refWrite