Exiit qui seminat

Due to the early submission of last week’s bulletin, I was unable to address here the horrific events of the school shooting in Ulvade, TX on May 24th. The emotional and visceral response by the American public and the world are more than understandable. We should be outraged by yet another violent episode that, unfortunately, seems to be a part of the fabric of our country and, at the same time, be frustrated that our leaders and our country seem to be either unable or unwilling to address the causes of mass gun violence. It would be easy to fall into the extremes of “guns are more important than our children” or dismiss such acts as a part of a much greater mental health crisis. The truth is somewhere in- between. These are the conflicting thoughts, feelings and emotions that come when we are confronted with the existence of evil and the tangible manifestation of sin and death in the world.

As a people of faith, all it seems like we can do is pray. We have seen, firsthand, that prayer is efficacious and can change the world. There are those who would state that our prayers are nothing more than dismissive platitudes – a way of saying, “What a shame!” without addressing the issues at hand. And I am sure that for some, that statement is true. But I would like to think that prayer in the midst of the inconceivable and the terrible is ‘fides quaerens intellectum’ – faith seeking understanding. Additionally, faith must lead to action and change. Truth be told, I’m not sure what that change should look like, but am open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the People of God as to what steps need to be taken next, not just in our country, but in our community as well. In the meantime, we pray for and support the families and friends of 19 children and 2 teachers who were killed, for right now, it’s all we have.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Rob Sinatra