Dear Parishioners,
I have noticed it happening on
social media over time. Some people no
longer say that they pray for each
other but send other kinds of ambiguous greetings or condolences lacking any
mention of God, religion or faith. Let
me give you a few of these taken directly from Facebook. The comments were
sent to a person to express sympathy after the death of a family member:
·
Sending
you love and light
·
Sending
lots of good vibes your way
·
Sending
wishes for comfort and peace
·
Sending
you electronic hugs
·
Sending
you comfort and light
·
Sending
love and strength
At other times I have witnessed people send others good energy or positive thoughts.
I wonder if such people
understand the value of prayer? Or are they afraid to admit that they pray? Or do they not believe in God? When we pray for others, we ask for God's
help. We admit that we depend on
Almighty God as our Creator since we
are His creatures. We make a profession of faith in God who is
all-powerful, all-loving, etc., and Whom we believe can help us in every
situation.
In like manner, when we ask a
saint or saints to intercede for us, we are requesting those whom we believe to be
already in the presence of Almighty God for all eternity, to petition God on
our behalf. Please pray (to God) for us.
Before I went to interview the
Confirmation candidates last Sunday evening, I was watching the news. A story that struck me reported that in a
recent Pew survey the number of Americans who have no religion or religious
affiliation is now about 26% of the population. This is an increase of 9% in
the past decade. Such people are
sometimes referred to as nones, since they check the box or
answer "none" when asked their religious affiliation. The alarming trend is that many in younger
generations want nothing to do with organized religion. Sometimes they declare they are spiritual but not religious. Ever more
worrisome are those who say that they no longer believe. Period.
As one who has close relatives
who no longer go to Mass, who find no immediacy in having their children
baptized, who are ignorant of or who
simply disregard traditional Church teachings, I worry tremendously. However, I also pray for them. I remember
them in the Masses I offer. I beg
Almighty God on their behalf because I do not want to see them lost for all
eternity. I care about the condition of
their immortal souls as I do the souls of all my spiritual children. (After all, I am called "Father"
for a reason.)
Things cannot continue in the
nation and in the Church business as
usual. God sees all, knows all,
cares for us all, and will act accordingly as He sees appropriate. Precisely what He will do, I claim no
personal knowledge. However, I have previously
given reasons (see last week's bulletin / blog) why I have hope.
Jesus continues to love His Bride, the
Church.
Meanwhile, I pray . . . and pray . . . and pray.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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