+JMJ+

I'm praying for you.  I'm praying for our community.  I'm praying for our nation.  I'm praying for our world.  Since I was a little boy I've been praying for peace.  As I grow older I've discovered that true and lasting peace can only come from God.  So first and foremost I entrust you all to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary this evening.

I'm encouraged by numerous news reports where solidarity in prayer has deescalated the violence.  I've also been reading the lives of the Saints, such as St. Teresa of Calcutta, and of community leaders like Mahatma Ghandi, who can teach us a lot about nonviolent resistance.  But I leave you with these words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who addressed this issue of racism in our own nation.

"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.  Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.  Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.  Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder the hate.  In fact, violence merely increases hate... Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

I invite you to join me in praying the rosary daily.  Or if you're not familiar with this particular devotion, I encourage you to spend some time praying with the Scriptures, or praying from your heart this evening.  As a friend recently reminded me, "Prayer is not a last resort, it is not a cop out, it is not weakness.  Prayer is one of the most powerful spiritual weapons we possess.  Prayer removes burdens, breaks chains, rights wrongs, moves Heaven, and heals the hurting."  To love is to will the good of the other.  May we will the good of our communities, of our neighbors, of our nation!  You might think or say, "There is nothing I can do."  But you're wrong.  We can all pray.  And prayer is the most important thing we do each day!

As St. Paul said we should "pray without ceasing" (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:17), and Jesus taught us to pray to Our Father (Cf. Matthew 6:9-13).  So please join me in praying.  Praying for each other.  Praying for our community.  Praying for our nation.  Praying for our world.  Praying for peace, the peace that only Christ can give (Cf. John 14:27).

God bless,

Fr. Adam Mauman

Pastor