The Hope of Humanity

For years, I have been receiving prayers every month from my friend the Franciscan priest Fr. Pio Farah. I hope it is not too late to reinvigorate the power of prayer as a most effective communication mean to heal us and our world through Divine love. All saints prayed and their prayers proved to be healing to those who needed them. A most recent healing has been attributed to Pope Francis (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ6IU2V4Nh4). In the Gospel, Jesus Christ, who is God from God, prayed to his Father for the unity of the Apostles (John 17) and in other times in thanksgiving to his Father (for example only see Matt. 11, 25; Matt. 15, 36; Luke 22, 17-20).
In view of the alarming rate of violence and suffering in the world, I have asked the pastors at Jesus the King Church in Toronto to consider having a prayer evening for unity of the human family and particularly for a concrete form of unity of the Christian family of Churches. Today I attended a beautiful Byzantine "Divine Liturgy" or Mass at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Alphonsus. Since 2005, Fr. James Reposkey, C.P.P.S. has inspired the concelebration of a Byzantine Mass once a year at the Church of which he is pastor. This is a movement in the direction of attaining full unity of Christians which has become a duty for all Churches to share in. The entire Mass was sung in English by the attendees under the leadership of Ukrainian Catholic nuns. I hope Arab Christians in Toronto understand why it is paramount that Masses and church activities become fully available in the language of the land. The youth and younger generations need to understand before they can participate.

Why is the above prayer important? Because of many threats that no political leader can face. The world is polarized. Only destructive weapons are being sold in excess which in turn can be funneled to terrorists.  The recent killings of many individuals over Sinai in Egypt, in Beirut, and in Paris have been claimed by the "Islamic State" (ISIS) or its terrorist collaborators. The above is in addition to daily killings of ordinary people in Syria and Iraq only because they happen to be identified by the extremist "ulama" as "infidels".

It was a great scene today as Notre Dame de Paris was full of faithful attending Mass in remembrance of the victims of Friday night (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdGCYb3mylA). Lest anyone thinks that fear drives us to worship God, let us show that the universal Church is able to gather all her faithful from the for corners of the earth through Jesus Christ.

As Monseigneur J. Jules Zerey, the Archbishop of Jerusalem, said to us in September: Raise your eyes to God; for heaven is listening - Raise your hearts to him who made you participants in the Divine glory. Read his words in the Bible as taught by the Church - Meditate on his suffering, death and resurrection and always hope in him.

One last thing I ask, today and everyday kiss your family; If you are married kiss your spouse; kiss your children. If not, at least think of God's gifts; for life itself is God's gift to us. He shall endure for ever...And if faithful, we too shall endure with him.