A Prayer for September 11 – Pope Benedict

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.

Pope Benedict XIV–Prayer at Ground Zero
New York, 20 April 2008

An Eye for an Eye?

Violence and War. These are not new concepts. Ever since the fall of man, these have followed us. What began with Cain and Abel has followed humanity through centuries upon centuries of death and destruction.   By looking back at history we can see the negative effects of war. The violence, the death, the families and nations torn apart. And yet, the pattern continues still today.

Why?

As human beings, why do we continue along this path? Is it blind oblivion to the pain that such violence causes? Is it ignorance of past grievances? Is it a complete lack of any sort of moral conscience? Perhaps these things may contribute to violent behavior. But I believe at the heart of this is a dark desire for revenge.

A radical branch of religious extremists feels wronged and threatened by the way of life in other civilizations. Not content to let this be, they seek a twisted form of revenge carried out in brutal acts against humanity.

And leaders of nations, appalled by such acts of brutality, vow revenge on the terrorists who carried them out to begin with. In the wake of the recent barbaric killing of a Jordanian pilot by ISIS, a distraught Jordanian politician shouted in an interview “Let’s use the same methods as them! Let’s kill their children! Let’s kill their women!”

And so the cycle continues. Following the killing of the pilot, two al-Qaida prisoners on death row in Jordan were executed for their crimes. But will this help? More than likely the terrorist groups will only seek revenge yet again for the executions of these prisoners. And so it continues on and on.

Many in the world seem content to live by “an eye for an eye.” And how does this help anyone? By murdering someone who has murdered others, by vowing death on the families of those who brought death to others, are we getting any closer to peace? Or are we only falling deeper and deeper into the cycle of violence and war.

There is only one way to break this cycle.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:38-42)

Instead of living “an eye for an eye” we need to learn to turn the other cheek. Not that we are to turn the other way and ignore the violent acts in our world. Not that we should allow murderers or terrorists to simply go about their lives free of any consequences. No. What our Lord is telling us in these words is that rather than seeking revenge, we need to seek love. Love of the innocent, love of the needy, love of our neighbor, and even love of our enemies.

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44)

Love has the power to break the cycle of war. If our end goal is love and peace then we have no room for revenge. We must learn to work to defeat violence and war by working towards love. In our imperfect world, sometimes wars happen. The Catechism of the Catholic Church acknowledges these circumstances:

“Those who renounce violence and bloodshed and, in order to safeguard human rights, make use of those means of defense available to the weakest, bear witness to evangelical charity, provided they do so without harming the rights and obligations of other men and societies. They bear legitimate witness to the gravity of the physical and moral risks of recourse to violence, with all its destruction and death. (CCC 2306)

“All citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war. However, “as long as the danger of war persists and there is no international authority with the necessary competence and power, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense, once all peace efforts have failed.” (CCC 2308)

We live in a world of sin. People do terrible things to one another in acts of anger and revenge. By halting acts of aggression through a desire to spread love and peace rather than the desire to bring revenge on others, we can end this cycle. It is a monumental task; one that us mere humans could never accomplish on our own. But we live in the knowledge and hope of Christ. We know that violence, death, war, destruction and sin do not win.   Christ has conquered sin and death! Through Him, we can know peace.

Let us pray that leaders around the world will come together in an effort to bring about true peace and not to seek revenge. That they may work together to protect and preserve life in the name of love. And that the Holy Spirit might enter into the hearts of us all to lead us away from the darkness of anger and revenge and towards the light of the peace and love of Jesus Christ.

How to Achieve World Peace

If you even so much as glance at the news headlines, you may find yourself convinced that peace is nowhere to be found.  From the inhumane acts of terror the hands of ISIS to the tension between Russia and Ukraine walking the tightrope of war. Then there’s the never-ending fighting between Israel and Palestine and the disturbing rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria. It seems that the world has gone mad. When it seems the peace has disappeared, what do we do? How do we make it return?

Being President, Prime Minister, or any other position of such authority in a time such as this cannot be easy. These are the people who have to make the tough decisions.  Decisions that cost money, resources, and lives.  These are the people who prepare every word that comes from their mouths to try and maintain some sense of control over the chaos that ensues.   These are the people who we rely on to find and restore peace.

But how?  How do we achieve peace in our world?

Perhaps through dialogue. Everyone will sit down together and talk until there is a solution.  But what happens if those inflicting terror and harm have no desire to talk?  Not only that, but what if they don’t care what you say?  What if, even when using the strongest language possible, they still resort to only more killing?

Maybe world peace can be achieved by humanitarian aid. We can work as one towards a common good to battle things like hunger, disease, and poverty rather than fighting one another.  But what happens when even those who are working as humanitarians are kidnapped and killed?  What happens when some have decided that not all people are worthy of basic things like food, water, or even life?

Peace might be found if we rely more heavily on strict sanctions.  If we cut off outside assistance and force the parties to talk things over.  But what if the sanctions don’t work?  What if instead it only hurts the civilians and brings more pain and suffering?  Maybe that is not the way to achieve peace.

Can peace be achieved through war?  If the cause is just and war is necessary, will that bring peace to our world?   Even if a war manages to stop one atrocity, will it only fuel the anger and resentment that leads to the next?  And if there is a war, who will be called upon to fight?  Will it be left to one country to lead the way?  Or will everyone work together?  Who are we even fighting?

It seems as though there is no solution.  It seems as though peace simply cannot be found.

Perhaps that is because it never left.

I am not a world leader.  I do not know if talks or aid or sanctions or war will help.  But when it comes to finding peace for our world, the first step is to realize it has not gone away. True peace comes from Christ, and He has never left us.  As dire as things may seem, peace is not altogether gone as long as God is still with us.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” John 14:27

We look around the world and think that peace has gone, but that is because we are looking for peace in all the wrong places.  Peace is not something we can achieve.  Peace is a gift from God.  Peace is something that is in our hearts from the Holy Spirit.  The Lord gives us His peace, and it is not as the world gives.  His peace does not promise that there will be no pain and suffering here on earth.  But it does promise that through His ultimate grace and love we will have peace and joy beyond our comprehension with Him in Heaven.  His peace calls us to trust in Him alone. To keep from fear by filling our hearts with His love and His peace until they become so full that they overflow; spreading that true love and true peace throughout the world.

There is a lot of sin in this world.  A lot of pain and suffering.  There are things happening all over the world that I cannot even begin to imagine.  We can watch the news and feel overcome with despair.  We can read the headlines and allow our hearts to be troubled by the atrocities happening.  We can feel like all hope is gone, like peace has disappeared, like there is nothing we can do to make it better.  But that is not true.

We can pray. When we feel like peace is gone, we can find it again within our hearts through Jesus Christ.

And so today I pray. I pray for all those suffering in wars and conflicts that are splashed across the news and in the ones that don’t make the front pages.  I pray for our world leaders as they are faced with the monumental task of finding a way to stop all the pain and horror.  And I pray for those whose hearts have been overtaken by sin and who commit such terrifying acts.   I may not know how to end wars, how to alleviate the world’s suffering, how to stop people from hurting and killing one another.  But I know the way to peace is through Christ.

Let us all come together in prayer that the true and lasting peace of Christ will come to the hearts of all.  To heal those in pain, to comfort those surrounded by sorrow, to guide those in positions of authority, and to lead those in darkness into the light.

True Peace

With the Holy Father’s worldwide call to prayer and fasting for peace and with the possibility of a coming war filling the news and our minds, I though back to this post I had previously written on the true peace that can only be found through Jesus Christ. All peace comes from Him and there cannot be true peace in our lives or in our world without Him. As we continue to pray for peace in Syria and in all the world, let our hearts be opened to the peace of Christ so that we not only speak of peace to others, but allow the peace of Christ to govern our thoughts and actions as well. May the peace of Christ be with the whole world.

roses near running waters

Peace be with you

Jesus offered these words to His disciples upon appearing to them after His resurrection and we use the same phrase in Mass each Sunday.  The priest offers peace to us, we offer peace back to him, and we offer signs of peace to those with us in church.

Peace be with you

How short and simple these words are and yet how awesome and grand at the same time.  Jesus offers us peace, true peace, through His death and resurrection.  By coming into this world and teaching us how to live, Jesus showed us how to bring peace to our lives.  By dying on the cross and rising from the dead He brought everlasting peace to us all.  The peace that comes from knowing that Jesus is our salvation and that death is not the end of our journey.  When Jesus appears to His disciples in the locked upper room…

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What Happens Next in Syria?

I am an American.  I am not a politician.  I am not a historian.  I cannot pretend to know all the facts regarding international affairs and I cannot know for certain that the news stories I hear are not biased.  I read the news and try my best to stay up to date on current events both here in America and in other areas of the world.   I am proud to be an American.  Sure we have our problems.  Not everything is perfect in America.  But I enjoy my freedoms, respect my country, and honestly do love living here.  That is not to say that there are times when I disagree with political decisions.  Nor do I know what our course of action should be in international affiars.

Like most Americans, I distinctly remember September 11, 2001.  The images, the video, the stories stick with you.  Just as vividly, I can recall the debate that ensued in the years to come.  Who was to blame?  An attack had occurred on American soil.  Clearly something had to be done, but what? How do you launch a war on “terrorism” when we cannot be certain who may be classified as a terrorist and where they may be located?  The result was the deployment of U.S. and NATO troops to Afghanistan for a war which has been ongoing ever since.  Now over a decade later, thousands of thousands of soldiers are still on active duty in Afghanistan.

Shortly after the start of the war in Afghanistan the talk of a new war began again.  Allegations against Iraq’s possession and potential use of weapons of mass destruction created a divide in America and abroad.  Were there weapons?  If so, would they actually be put to use?  Sadaam Hussein was widely known for his brutality and cruel dictatorship, but whose responsibility was it to fix?  The media was no help in the debate.  Depending on what news station you watched, what reports you read, you could hear a variety of “facts” about the situation at hand.  The fact that 9/11 was still so vivid in the minds of Americans certainly did not help matters as the situation was presented in a manner that seemed to say if Sadaam was not stopped…what could happen next?  Should the U.S. wait for a UN decision and act as a unified front or go it alone?  In 2003, for better or worse, a US and UK led coalition went into Iraq.  War ensued, Sadaam was captured and executed, the regime toppled, and troops remained in Iraq until 2011 when the war was officially over.  Despite all of that, Iraq is still faced with internal conflicts and violence leaving the question lingering…did international involvement help?

Now it seems we are on the brink of entering into another war.  The allegations of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons on civilians has prompted an international response.  The response is varied throughout the international community.  With Russia and China strongly opposed to military intervention, the UN pleading for more time and further investigation, and the US and its Western allies already beginning talks of the best military action to be taken, should the decision be made to do so…Who is right?  Is intervention necessary?  How long do we wait?  What proof will be needed?  If it does come to military intervention, are we looking at another full blown war?  Will troops be sent out?   Or will we rely on long range missiles.  How will Syria and its allies react?  Will they fight back?  The questions come and come and without any real decisions having been made yet, the answers are unknown.

I do not know the “right” answer.  Just as I did not known nor do I know now if the appropriate action was taken in Afghanistan and Iraq.  What I do know is this: innocent civilian men, women, and children are dying in Syria.  But whose responsibility is it to help?  And where do we stop?  Certainly many other nations around the world are involved in conflicts and deal with violence and uprising within their own political systems.  Egypt. Sudan. Israel and Palestine. The Congo.  The list goes on and on.   Certainly we cannot become involved in every conflict overseas.  We cannot “fix” every problem.  And who is to say that our “fix” is the “right” one?  With America being involved in Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years, I would venture to say that almost every American either knows someone who was deployed overseas, or knows someone who does.  Friends, neighbors, relatives.  Men and women who fought bravely.  Some who gave their lives.  Do we want to send more Americans into another war?  Will this be another “Iraq” situation?

With all these thoughts running through my head as I read the headlines, one passage comes to mind:

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”  (Luke 10:30-37)

I cannot help but hear the reports of people in need and think of this parable.  Who is neighbor to those suffering in Syria?  We may not know the victims, but we are called to help our neighbors in need.  Whether that “neighbor” is truly next door to us or half a world away is irrelevant.  We are called to show mercy to those in need.

I am not saying war or military intervention is the answer. But I am saying that we need to do something.  Not just the United States.  And not just in Syria.  We are called as Christians regardless of the country we live in and the allegiances we hold to show mercy to those who need it.  How can we do this?  I certainly don’t have the money or resources to personally reach out to every victim of violence, poverty, hunger…even just in America let alone the world!  I cannot begin to know where the help is most needed or what the “proper” action is to take.  What I do know is that we are called to do something.

Here is what we can do.  We can pray.  The only One who truly knows what is best in any situation is the Lord.  Jesus tells us “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20) There are certainly more than two or three Christians out there.  Despite the fact that we may not all be gathered physically in the same place, we are all One in Christ.  We all need to join together and pray for peace in Syria and in all the world.  We need to join together in prayer for political leaders of every nation to be led by the Holy Spirit and to do what is truly best for their country.  We need to pray for the victims of violence and war and indeed we even must pray for those perpetuating the destruction, that their hearts might be changed.

There will always be war, violence, hunger, poverty, sadness, and despair so long as there is sin in the world.  Even with unlimited resources to help those in need, as long as sin exists, so will death and destruction.  There will come a day when the sadness will end, when destruction will be no more, when war will be obsolete.  When Jesus restores His kingdom on earth, peace will reign.  Until that time, we cannot escape the reality of war in our world.  I pray that President Obama and the leaders of all nations will be guided by the Lord in any decision they make, particularly in regard to Syria.  I pray that the Lord will watch over all those involved and send His angels to protect those who need it the most.  I may not be able to solve the world’s problems.

I may not know the solution to the war in Afghanistan or what was the “right” thing to do in Iraq.  I may not know what should be done next in Syria.  But I know the One who does know.  And I know that He hears our prayers.  Let us all join as One people in the Lord in prayer for the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit to rest on the decision makers of our nations and for the true and lasting peace of the Lord to overcome the darkness of war and destruction in Syria and in all the world.