A Prayer for SpaceshipOne

O God, King of the Universe, today we pray for two pilots, an airplane called White Knight, and SpaceshipOne. They are trying to help humanity and make their daily bread. We pray that the pilots' skill and the work of Your people at Scaled Composites will be sufficient to the task of reaching space and coming safely home. But if it is not, Lord, we pray that You keep them all safe in Your Hands, which are the only sure safety and freedom.

When we look at the stars, what is man, that You are mindful of him? And yet, not even a sparrow falls without Your knowing. So remember all those astronauts and space engineers, O Lord, especially all those competing for the X-Prize. Let their striving to reach space bring them closer to Heaven and You.

May their Guardian Angels watch them and keep everyone out at Mojave Airport, as well as the pilots. May our prayers be joined by those of the patron saints of aviation: St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Therese of Lisieux, and Our Lady of Loreto. May St. Thomas More, who thought about the future and whose feast is tomorrow, add his prayers to those of his fellow science fiction writers. And may all this be done to Your glory and according to Your will, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.