Scripture

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not parish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into Hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen

Prayer
Almighty and merciful God...in your will is our peace. Hear this prayer which rises to you from the desperation of a world in which you are forgotten, in which your name is not invoked, your laws are derided and your presence is ignored. Because we do not know you, we have no peace.

From the heart of an eternal silence, you have watched the rise of empires, and seen the smoke of their downfall. . .And now our nation stands in imminent danger of a war the like of which has never been seen! This nation dedicated to freedom, not to power, has obtained, through freedom, a power it did not desire. And seeking by that power to defend its freedom, it is enslaved by the processes and policies of power.

Must we wage a war we do not desire, a war that can do us no good, and for which our very hatred of war forces us to prepare? A day of ominous decision has now dawned on this free nation. . .In this moment of destiny, this moment we never foresaw, we cannot afford to fail. . .In this fatal moment of choice in which we might begin the patient architecture of peace, we may also take the last step across the rim of chaos. . .Open our eyes. . .teach us to understand ourselves and our adversary!
excerpts from Thomas Merton's Prayer for Peace
from Thomas Merton's Social Essays

Song
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in three persons, blessed Trinity.