God of peace,
you are peace itself;
a divided heart cannot find you,
a violent mind cannot welcome you.
 
Hear us as we pray for the victims,
so many of them young children,
of the terrible shootings in Connecticut.
Grant eternal life to the dead,
healing to the wounded,
and comfort to grieving families.
 
May the grief and shock we experience
unite us in our commitment
to rid our communities of the violence
that echoes in our streets
and haunts our imaginations.
 
We ask this through the One
who is our Prince of Peace:
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.