On May 17, 1968, the Catonsville Nine, which included two Catholic priests, went into the Selective Service offices in Catonsville, Maryland, and burned several hundred draft records in a direct action against the Vietnam War. They were arrested, tried, and found guilty of destroying government property. After the nine were sentenced, one of the priests, Dan Berrigan, asked the judge if the Lord’s Prayer could be recited. All in the courtroom, including the judge and prosecuting attorneys, rose and joined in the prayer.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
We who believe in freedom: cannot rest until it comes.
Psalm 86:6 – 10
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer: and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the time of my trouble, I will call upon you: for you will answer me. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord: nor anything like your works. All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord: and glorify your name. For you are great; you do wondrous things: and you alone are God.
Dan Berrigan has said, “If you’re going to follow Jesus, well, he got killed. That’s just part of the job description: making trouble for peace.”
Selection extracted from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals. Follow daily prayers at https://commonprayer.net. Reprinted with permission.
