Clonskeagh Parish RCN:20016166

A Few Words from Fr Joe……………

Pope Leo has recently finished his quiet month of rest, reading and writing at Castel Gondolfo and returned to work in the Vatican. I admire him for being clear that rest and relaxation are integral to the human person’s well-being and worth making time for. On his first Sunday ‘back at the office’ he led the people in a prayer for peace. It read like this:

“Let us not grow weary in praying for peace, so that wars may come to an end in the world and diplomatic solutions may be found for conflicts. Let us remember all the victims of war, especially the weakest and most defenceless: children, the elderly, the sick. May the Lord console those who suffer and bless the work of those who bring aid and comfort.”

I found his prayer helpful while looking at the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine on TV in the last few days. What we see on the media is deeply distressing and exactly as the Holy Father observes it is the defenceless who suffer so much when their homes and communities are targeted by drones, missiles and air attacks. You might call it, the terror of the night, as so often it is in the hours of darkness that the skies rain down destruction. There is mention too of diplomatic efforts to bring some closure to hostilities and those who are negotiating also benefit from our prayers and support. I’m encouraged by Pope Leo, who knows how easy it is to grow weary, and draw strength from his encouragement to keep on praying for peace.

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