I remember sitting in my class as a junior in High School on 9/11. My teacher sat on top of his desk and told us, in a somber tone, that we would always remember where we were, how we felt, and what happened that day. He was right. Those feelings of uncertainty and confusion seem to peek out as we remember the events of 9/11. Today is the 25th anniversary of that tragic day.

War is never the answer. We are all called to be agents of peace in our own communities, so that we can be agents of peace for the world. On this somber day, let us pray for peace in the world. May it be a peace rooted in Jesus, and may it flow from Jesus, for he is the only consolation in darkness; he is the light that curses the darkness.

Here is the prayer Pope Benedict XVI offered at Ground Zero in 2008.

O God of love, compassion, and healing,
look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.

We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.

We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.

We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.