Good morning everybody, can we pause a moment for morning prayer,
Vigils took place all over Ireland this weekend in towns, cities, and villages to mourn the tragic murder of Aisling Murphy. People gathered together to pray for her and remember her. People stood by candlelight in solidarity with her suffering family as collectively the whole country seemed to say that we do not want to tolerate violence like this, we do not want to be a country where this can happen, we do not want to be a place where women are unsafe. This weekend the country seemed to say enough.
Last week, a terrible thing happened, a young woman had her life stolen from her and the reality of our world is that there is no sense to be made from a tragedy like this, there is no meaning to be found in it, it was a brutal attack that ended a young life. There is no silver lining to a cloud like this. There is only anger and revulsion and pain. And so today we pray today that the anger felt around the country today turns into real action and that something is done to make our country a safer place for women to be.
This morning all we can do is add our prayers to those of the rest of the country. We say to those who loved Aisling Murphy that we are with you in spirit.
We remember Aisling in our prayer this morning along with other women both known to us and those who are nameless who have lost their lives at the hands of violent men.
I read yesterday that as we pray for those women to rest in peace we really pray for a world where all women can walk in peace, jog in peace, live in peace without fear of violence and attack. Please God, make this a reality.
May all those who have died now feel the loving embrace of God, as today, with gratitude for the blessings in our own lives we pray for a good day. Amen.