Firm Faith July 18

Piety

Let us prayer today for peace from within and bring that peace into the world.

Sometimes, Lord, the path of peace and non-violence is harder to take than the path to death. Death is all around us. Tourists in the capital are gunned and knifed. Televisions are the eyes that bring violence into our homes and hearts on the news and in the dramas and movies that we use for entertainment. They numb us to its effects.

Sensitize us, Jesus, so we may respect and live the ethic of life consistently no matter the issue – death penalty, stem cell research, war, racism, poverty. Help us choose the path that is harder. Help us to choose peace so you Kingdom will indeed come to this earth. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/071806.shtml

“Unless your faith is firmyou shall not be firm!” Isaiah 7:9

“Keep the faith” was a popular expression from the 1960s that filled people with hope for a better world.

From the smouldering embers that purified his lips, it doesn’t take long for us to witness Isaiah embarking upon his prophetic mission. In face of an overpowering enemy, he urges restraint, “Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail.” Faith will keep the Lord on your side, the Lord who will not let your enemies stand and prevail.

What enemy do you face? Temptation from drugs, alcohol, or other vices? Maybe your weakness is in relationships you want to heal. Maybe it is in a career that is not fulfilling. The Lord says to remain tranquil and not let courage fail.

Faith in the Lord is faith in a future filled with hope that the Kingdom of God on earth will come. So, when it seems more likely that it is the even of the Apocalypse, it is good that Isaiah reminds us about “keeping the faith.”

Action

Images of war in the readings from the Hebrew Bible echo down to us in today’s headlines…Rezin and Pekkah are not attacking Jerusalem this time. Now the foes are Hezzbollah and Hamas.

Air Strikes Hit Beirut; At Least 8 Die in Haifa
Mideast Deaths Mount as Attacks Intensify
Israeli Troops Move Into North Again
Leaders Work Out Plan For End to Mideast Crisis

From the shores of Tripoli, we hear the battle cry rage again without any sense of proportionality. Yet, our faith tells us that all citizens and all governments are obliged to work for the avoidance of war. Yet, we are witnessing an escalation of hostility involving Israel and her neighbors unlike any since the First Gulf War.

The US Bishops have spoken out to support peace. http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2006/06-143.shtml

The letter from BishopWilliam S. Skylstad of Spokane for the USCC read, in part:

“We reject all acts of violence and terror, especially those that target civilians on both sides of the dispute and that destroy the infrastructure that serves the civilian population.

Our Conference supports your leadership in rejecting the path of violence and in calling for the negotiation of a just peace that provides security for Israelis and a viable state for Palestinians. The cycle of violence must be broken in order to open up the path to justice and peace in the Holy Land. Please be assured of our continuing prayers as you comfort your people and seek a just peace.”

Please consider writing to officials of the US, Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese governments and urging them to restrain from the path of death. Consider making the following points supported by the teachings of Jesus and the Catechism of the Catholic Church or others that come from your heart.

1. All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective. Since the recent kidnappings of soldier provoked Israel to attack, there is little sign of talks trying to avert the crisis.

2. War must be a last resort. Strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration.

3. The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. This requires a sense of proportionality in striking back after attacked. Clearly, the strikes have escalated far beyond the original kidnappings.

4. Noncombatants must be treated humanely and with respect. Electricity to the city, food to the people, safety to the water supply. These are required. Yet, reports of missiles targeting sites that give civilians comfort about.