“I am the Resurrection, I am the Life; to believe in me means life, in spite of death, and all who believe and live in me shall never die.”
From Morning Prayer for the Dead
A Promise
Tag Archives: Shootings
A Nation In Mourning….Again!
To quote Thomas Paine, “These are times that try men (and women) souls.” We have experienced once again the horrors of mass shootings, in El Paso TX, and Dayton, OH. It should shake everyone’s being down to their souls. No other country, that is not at war or in civil strife, has suffered the casualties we have in the United States, from gun violence. People from around the world cannot understand how a country, so modern, like the United States, can let this bloodletting continue.
The answer is both simple and complicated. There are those in this country who feel they are losing control of it. That immigrants and of other races are taking what was once theirs; jobs, control of local governments. They see government, especially the Federal government taking away their lands, their jobs, for protection of the environment. They see gun ownership as the only means to protect what they see as their rights. This might only express some of the reasons why the country is so full of hate, so divided; and why some feel driven to pick up the gun.
But Jesus has said, “All who take the sword will die by the sword.” (MT 26:52). What is called for are laws to remove or at least control access to military style weapons. There also must be dialogue between peoples, to understand the desires, the needs, and the fears of all sides. We need a responsible government, whose goals are to preserve the general welfare, and not their own political power.
Jesus said that the primary commandment for his followers was to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul. The second important commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves. The challenge of these two commandments have always been before us. Never before in our society’s history, had meeting that challenge been so important!
Second Sunday of Lent – A Short Reflection
“Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call; have pity on me, and answer me. Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
Your presence, O Lord, I seek. Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant. You are my helper: cast me not off.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27
We have experienced many tragedies in our world, in our country, in our community, and in our Church. Our world has been shaken by the massacre of innocent Muslims in New Zealand. Our country continues to experience natural disasters. Communities in my home State have witnessed shocking violent crimes. And the Church still struggles with the effects of the clergy sexual abuse scandal.
And we speak out, where is God in all this? We seek the Lord to come to our aid; to give us comfort. The truth is that he is always with us. He is present in ones who give us help and comfort. He speaks through those who speak up for the poor and forgotten. And we feel his Presence, when we are still, and listen for his voice.
Mourning For Those Lost; Praying For The Injured!
We are all shocked by the events in Toronto, Canada, last Sunday evening, where fifteen individuals were shot, with two fatalities.
To our Canadian brothers and sisters, we send our prayers.
You saints of Canada, please hear us and intercede for us!
Saints Jean de Brebeuf and Issac Jogues, please pray for those who died. May they be in the Father’s embrace.
Saint Marguerite d’Youville, please pray for the injured. May they experience the healing touch of the Son.
Saint Andre Bessette, CSC, and Blessed Frederic Janssone, OFM, pray for the citizens of Toronto, and all of Canada. May they all receive comfort from the Holy Spirit.
Saints of Canada, hear us!
Honor The Fallen
Outside my office building in the South Shore, the company lowered the American flag to half staff. It honors the memory Sargent Michael Chesna, a Weymouth, MA police officer, who died in the line of duty. Many of us, in the face of violence or disaster, will run for cover. Extraordinary men and women, like Sargent Chesna, with the duty of protecting us, will charge forward. Sadly, some do not return.
We remember their courage, we pray for, and support their loved ones that are left behind. And we also must remember the victims. In this incident, we pray for Vera Adams, shot in her sun room.
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them!
Through the mercy of God, may they Rest In Peace!
The Tragedy of Las Vegas – “And Jesus Wept.”
The tragedy of what has occurred in Las Vegas, the enormity of it, has yet to be fully felt by many of us. The raw power of the images we have seen on television, our computers, and tablets; has hit us all in the gut. The politics, the partisan speeches, the proposals; they will, they must come, but later. Right now, we need to mourn for those who have died, We need to help the wounded, and the survivors. We need to stand with those who have lost loved ones. We need to come together as a nation, as a people; in the face of such evil.
Psalm 57 (Confident Prayer for Deliverance)
Have mercy on me, God,
have mercy on me.
In you I seek refuge.
In the shadow of your wings, I seek refuge
till harm pass by.
I call to God Most High,
to God who provides for me.
May God send help from heaven to save me,
shame those who trample upon me.
May God send fidelity and mercy.
I must lie down in the midst of lions
hungry for human prey.
Their teeth are spears and arrows;
their tongue, a sharpened sword.
Be exalted over the heavens, God;
may your glory appear above all the earth.
Eternal rest grant onto them, O Lord! And let perpetual light shine upon them! Through the mercy of God, may they all rest in peace.
#Weekend Coffee Share 07/17/2016
Over a late night cup of coffee, I would share with you my sadness with the amount of violence that is in the news lately. The shootings of two black men by police, under circumstances, that on the surface, appear to require further investigation. We have the killing of five police officers in Dallas, TX. Then the terror attack on French citizens in the city of Nice, resulting in 84 deaths, and 202 persons injured. And now we have the killing of 3 officers in Baton Rouge, LA. Add these incidents to the others that have occurred this year, both in our nation and in the wider world; and one gets the feeling that darkness is increasing in our world. And it will, if we allow it; the Christophers, a Christian inspirational group, quotes a proverb: “It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” We are called to bring some love, some hope, and some light into our families and our communities. Be open to the Holy Spirit, let it inspire you, and be open to any opportunity to do some good that may come our way.
Over a cup of coffee, I had planned on sharing a report on Catholic deacons that I saw on PBS’ Religion & Ethics Newsweekly program, but then I read a post written by Deacon Bill Ditewig, in which he pointed out the errors of the report, and made corrections. Then he issued a challenge to all of us deacons; to be true instruments of peace in this world that is in so much turmoil.
Well, here’s hoping the caffeine does not keep me awake. See you again over a cup of coffee.
Weekend Coffee Share 07/10/16
If we were having coffee, I would tell you how sadden I have been about the news of the police shootings and killing of two black men, and then the shootings of 11 police officers in Dallas, TX; resulting in deaths of five officers. There is an air of unease in the country right now; the black communities distrust and fear their police forces; the police feel threatened by the very people they have sworn to protect and serve. And there are politicians, who with their rhetoric are fanning the flames. Communities are becoming divided, hunkering down in their own enclaves, with no interest in dialogue.
It seems ironic that at Catholic Masses celebrated throughout this country, the Gospel proclaimed included these words:
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10: 25-24)
The Gospel call is to see all people as our neighbors, to respect and to love them. And to talk with each other, and find common ground to reduce the stresses that threaten to tear this republic apart; whose 240th anniversary we have just celebrated.
If we were having coffee, I would tell you that my wife and I joined my siblings, and a cousin and his family at a cabin in Maine, which my aunt owns. It is on Lake Sokokis, in Limerick ME. It was too cool for swimming, but we did have a wonderful cookout.
If we were having coffee, I would share with my experience of leading a Sacrament of Baptism catechesis class for new parents who wish to have their infants baptized, and become part of the Catholic Church. I had five couples in attendance; one couple brought their newborn with them. The child slept through the class. I try to help these parents realize that the baptism of their children is not just an encounter with the love of God for the children; but also a special opportunity for them to encounter God, through the Holy Spirit. I tell them that when the priest will ask what they are asking of the Church, and they reply: “Baptism”; they and their child’s lives will be forever changed. The baby will experience a rebirth through the baptismal waters; they will have committed themselves to bring the child in the faith. And not just though placing the child in religious education classes; but by the example of their struggle to live the faith.
Well, my coffee mug is empty; it is almost midnight, and I have a long week to look forward to. See you all next time over a cup of coffee.
And Jesus Wept
The tragedy in Orlando FL has shaken the country. Yet, there are those who say the people, the victims, who attended the nightclub; got what they deserved.
Whether you accept their lifestyle or not; these were human beings, created by God. And Jesus wept.
There are politicians who cry out for banning Muslims from our shores. The majority here are hard-working, and law-abiding. Those who wish come here; are seeking refuge from violence.
They wish only to exercise the rights that are the foundation of this country; “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” But some of us want to turn them into objects of fear. They are human beings, created by God. And Jesus weeps.
San Bernardino Tragedy – A Prayer
“Once I said: ‘In the noontime of life I must depart! To gates of the nether world I shall be consigned for the rest of my years’…
Like a swallow I utter shrill cries; I moan like a dove. My eyes grow weak gazing heavenward; O Lord, I am in straits; be my surety!…
What I am to say or tell him? He has done it! I shall go on through all my years despite the bitterness of my soul. Those live whom the Lord protects; yours…the life of my spirit. You have given me health and life; thus is my bitterness transformed into peace.
You have preserved my life from the pit of destruction. When you cast behind your back all my sins.” (Isaiah: 38: 10a, 14, 15-17)
Another senseless massacre, more innocent lives lost, more victims suffering from wounds received. It is easy to give in to the anger, and the fear. It easy to strike out at the groups we identify with the threat, even though a majority of them are innocent, law-abiding citizens. It is easy to agree with those pundits and politicians, who will soon be calling for expulsions, and closing of places of worship.
The challenge is to remain faithful to the ideals that founded this country, that has drawn so many people, so many refugees to its shores.
And finally, we cannot give into despair, but draw on that faith in God, that he will still sustain us during these uncertain times.
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thess 4: 14)
Musings From St. Anthony's Walnut Tree 