A Prayer for Peace and the Turning Away of Violence
On Wednesday, a married couple full of violence and hatred attacked a group of government employees in San Bernardino. On Thursday, many secular lawmakers and journalists attacked prayer as the proper response, preferring to place their faith in man-made gun control legislation rather than in the power of prayer to God. Faithful Christians, however, know that prayer is more fundamental to human life than air, food, and water. As the Holy Apostle wrote, we are – …
The Ultimate Powerlessness of Violence
In the wake of yesterday’s tragic violence in San Bernardino, let us be reminded of a powerful passage in the Holy Gospel that teaches us about the ultimate powerlessness of violence. We join our Savior as He is about to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by the command of the wicked Jewish leaders aided by Judas the Betrayer: “Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, – …
Statement on the San Bernardino Mass Shooting
The Diocese mourns the tragic shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, which took place near several diocesan parishes and homes of the faithful. It is the latest in a seemingly growing chain of gratuitous violence which has engulfed our beloved country.We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Peace, may console every grieving soul affected by this senseless violence and restore peace and order to our society. At the same – …
The Problem of Anger
In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, I observed that the most frequent response was that of anger. President Francois Hollande, for example, vowed to destroy ISIS while the hacking cooperative Anonymous declared it would mercilessly hunt ISIS members down. It was anger that led the ISIS to attack France and now it is the French people’s turn to give in to anger and strike back, all while ISIS plots to strike – …
The Deeper the Sorrow, the Closer to God
The unprecedented terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in Paris today have left many with anguish, fear, and shock in their hearts. In the coming weeks and months, politicians and pundits will speak at great length about what happened and what the world needs to do to address the increase of terrorism throughout the world. I do not write in order to contribute to that discussion, but instead, I echo the Russian proverb, “The deeper the – …