A PRAYER FOR THE MASSACRED INNOCENTS OF UVALDE, TEXAS

A Message from Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan
Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America

Yesterday, evil manifested itself again in our national life: another lone gunman, another unfathomable motivation, another atrocity to chill the heart. This time, the scene was an elementary school in southern Texas; the victims, nineteen innocent children, and two teachers. The grief unleashed by this atrocity can hardly be imagined. The parents, the survivors, will carry emotional and spiritual burdens for the rest of their days, and we pray they will eventually receive a measure of peace from our merciful God.

In the face of such motiveless evil, such contempt for human life, we must draw wisdom from the deep lessons of our heritage. As Armenian Christians, we know—from experience—that Evil is abroad among us; that this world is a veil of tears. We believe that to save His children, God sent His only Son to live among us and suffer the ills of this world. That Son, Jesus Christ, triumphed over evil, sin, and death—and shares his triumph with everyone willing to grasp his rescuing hand in faith and love.

Beyond that supreme truth, there are no words of consolation to offer in the face of such a dreadful injustice—except for the assurance that our risen Lord knows the sufferings of his sweet children, and will remember them when he establishes his kingdom, where true peace and justice will finally prevail.

It is to him we pray—today and in the days to come—for the souls of the departed, and for an end to the afflictions tormenting our world. In the immortal words of our liturgy: Ungal, getso, yev voghormya Der; Receive our prayers, save your people, and have mercy, O Lord.

Please share this prayer with all our faithful in the days to come.

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A Prayer for the Massacred Innocents of Uvalde, Texas
O Christ our Lord: You are the hope and consolation of the broken-hearted. We invoke your name during these difficult days for our nation, as we witness the aftermath of yet another mass shooting. With heavy hearts and troubled minds, Lord, we come to you seeking divine guidance, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Let your mercy embrace all of the innocent victims of the devastating shooting in Uvalde, Texas; through our prayers, lift up the grief-stricken parents who lost their sweet children and loved ones in this outrage.

Remember, as our loving Creator, the nineteen innocent children and two adults whose lives were taken in a senseless, malicious act. Usher their souls into your Kingdom, to find eternal rest in your presence. Let the bereaved families find relief from the unbearable pain of their ordeal, through the mysterious, healing grace of the Holy Spirit.

We implore you, O God, to bring the light of your counsel to our nation at this time. We pray that you will inspire our lawmakers to address the relevant issues—involving the use and abuse of weapons, the treatment of mental illness, and public safety and protection, among others—in serious, sensible, and practical ways, and not in the cynical, self-serving manner to which we have become sadly accustomed.

At the same time, we are aware that no merely human solution can address the existence of evil in this world. Only you, Heavenly Father, through the redeeming sacrifice of your Son, Jesus, can fully address that reality. And so we place our trust in you alone, Lord. Only in you will we find true safety, true justice, true peace that passes all human understanding.

United in this humble prayer, we ask for your blessing, and offer glory to you as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages and ages. Amen.