It's unbelievable for anyone to just sit back and not have a heavy heart in knowing what has happened in Beslan, Russia, especially to the 156 school children and those 180 adults with them who were also slaughtered behind the closed walls of a school.

Consider humbly that those who were innocently slaughtered were Russian Orthodox Christians.

What are we feeling at this time?

Shocked? Yes.

Horrified? Yes.

Confused, why this happened? Yes.

Wanting to blame someone? Yes.

What is important at this hour is that we have before us 156 children in the grave and with them another 180 adults also in their graves. More then 335 new crosses had to be made quickly, as who would have prepared for such an early hour to bury their children, relatives and friends.

What is really important for all pious and Orthodox Christians at this time is to pray for those who perished before our eyes and to seek out their first names and that all priest should remember them in prayer, as well as the faithful.

We have not heard of such a great disaster of so many children perishing before our eyes and in our times, since the time Rachel was weeping for the massacre of 14,000 holy innocent infants in Bethlehem and its borders.

We are truly weeping for those children in Beslan.

We do not doubt feel these tears and we desire to let the parents know we are humbly praying with them. In time we must accept with faith in our Lord God that these sweet and innocent children shall inherit the Kingdom of God.

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord have mercy!

O Christ our Lord who offers abundant mercies,

Have mercy on us who cry for our children and fellow human beings who have perished before us in these recent days

and in Your great goodness with love for us all, pour out Your abundant grace over all the children and other innocents.

Have mercy on us and those who do not love us,

Teach us to forgive these cruel hours in our lives

and take these souls into your hands,

and made them a part of your loving Kingdom.

Amen.

Humbly In Christ Our Lord,

+Very Rev. Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes
Who prays for you!