The daily news brings us tragedies from around the world. Sometimes we’re grief stricken by these events, other times we shake our heads and give a sad shrug. But how often do we pray? How often do we take the time to think about the people, the human beings struggling to survive in the aftermath of these disasters?
Our world is shrinking – when news events come to us within seconds; when we travel farther, more extensively than ever before – our world becomes smaller, and those effected by terrorism or natural disaster are our brothers and sisters.
Fr. Kuzma arranged a special event to mark the feast of Our Lady of the Assumption – gathering in the hall after mass for an amazing lunch prepared by several families in our faith community. My husband and I sat at a table that was occupied by three Georgian college students; three guys my husband had chatted with after Mass before. All three are from India and my husband immediately asked if their families were affected by the devastating flooding happening in southern India.
“How do you know about this?” one of the young men asked. My husband explained that we had heard about it in the news and he remembered these young men saying they were from the southern part of India. A torrent of words came forth – they shared what they knew, they talked about their fears for their families, for Kerala, and the hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes – the lack of food and clean water…
News stories become more than just stories when you are face to face with people suffering worry for their families. Do you ever pray for these victims of tragedy? It’s time that we did. It’s time to realize we are all one family on this planet and we must care for, pray for and love one another.
Right now, at this difficult time, let us pray for Kenis, Joju, Albin, their families and the thousands of displaced people in India, struggling to survive.
