Gospel Reflections for June 7 2020
How can the Holy Trinity Help?
Looks like we have another virus going around.
It is the virus of hatred and it has spread too far. From just one video of a policeman’s fatal force on a subdued suspect, it has infected people across the country.
While good people try to stop the hatred virus with peaceful protests, the usual gang of anarchists jumped in only to increase hatred by violence, looting, and destruction.
Protests often bring cures, but violence only brings violence. I will always listen to peaceful protestors …but never looters.
Here is something hopeful you might consider. Almost everyone in the world today has a cell phone camera. There are over 300 million in the US and over 14 billion worldwide … all ready to record anything going on. Almost nothing happens now that will not get filmed!
That there are relatively so few videos of racist events even with 300 million cell phones ready to record everything may affirm we are actually getting better as a nation.
I am old enough to remember the 1960’s and can affirm a lot of progress has been made since racism was clearly worse then. However, if there is one racist video anywhere now, 330 million Americans and 8 billion people worldwide see it!
That unfairly magnifies the impact of this one video from Minneapolis, or the few elsewhere. Racism is a very serious sin, but no one expects sin to just disappear. But a video of just one especially tragic sin should inspire lawful efforts for systemic change…just never, never, violence.
Our world was already inflamed with the coronavirus, and now this. Our faith can help.
You affirm the Holy Trinity whenever you say, “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
This affirms that God is love personified. God is love, which means God is a self-giving relationship of love between the three persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is love …and you are made in that image to always seek the authentic good of another person. Always connect with that! Always choose to act in love whether facing a civil crisis or a virus.
It is love that encouraged you to follow all the Covid-19 restrictions …and our love for you that will guide our parish staff as we slowly open our church up again.
If you are facing any challenge, then make the sign of the cross on yourself. Connect with the total self-giving love of God for you. There you will find healing, wisdom, strength …and peace.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Well said and at a critical time for all to hear and take to heart!
Thanks Fr. Dave!
You are welcome!
Excellent! As I read this message, I made the sign of the cross. My next call is to my bi-cultural nephew. I know he is hurting from the George Floyd death.
My prayers are with you as you reach out to your nephew.
Thanks Fr. Dave. Had a disturbed client approach me with a severe fear of losing her mind.
Seclusion from the world had triggered a desire to end her life. I gave her a few of your articles I had printed out and Thankscto you is back enjoying life with renewed vigor.
Tom Joyce. St Elizabeth’s, Altadena, a,
I am so glad you gave my articles to her, and especially glad to hear they helped her! This has certainly be a wonderful message to read.
Thank you Father Dave for your wonderful insights!!We are in troubled times and our loving God will embrace us in His love if we Love and try to transform the world in love!! Our loving Jesus said ” Love one another as I have loved you” if only we could live that precious love!!! Thank you for you living and sharing Jesus’ love so beautifully with us!!! Everyone that knows you is so thankful that you are a precious part of their lives for you bring the gift of Jesus so beautifully to us!!! Your words in the preface to my book ” Mary A Woman In Love”, The Precious Apparitions of our Blessed Mother’ will always remain in my heart!!! Dick and I so love our precious Faith and we love you for sharing it so preciously with us!!! We pray for our Jesus’ peace and love in our world!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Franca and Dick
Thank you!
Fr. Dave,
Very good suggestion of making the sign of the cross to quickly center us.
God is good all the time
& All The time God is good.
God is Love.
God is kindness.
God is mercy.
God is always with us.
God brings us to peace.
God bless
Jane
God is good all the time
& All The time God is good
I love this. Thanks for the reminder
Yes, well said.
A beautiful Litany!
Great words of wisdom, Fr. Dave!
It is unsettling to see the violence, hatred and man’s inhumanity to man that is
happening on our streets. Thank God the protests are beginning to turn into
peaceful rallies.Hopefully it is a wake-up call to evaluate our response
to injustice and to know that God created all of us in His image and likeness.
We hope that the outcome will bring us all together in peace!
Yes, let’s make your hopes our prayers.
Father Dave, thanks for your encouraging words. I had not considered that point about the sheer number of cell phones in the USA and that has been helpful. Let’s all turn to the Holy Trinity for strength and blessings.
Yes, absolutely!
Thanks for your continued, interesting articles. It is good to have a “constant” to rely on, in the current times.
I know you must be getting about ready to head to the Holy Land. Safe travels! Tom and I still have fond memories of our trip with you in 2015.
When you return, you may want to check out a wonderful series offered by a on-line/internet site called The Great Courses/TGC Plus, which has been offering a lot of specials during this staycation period. The title of the course is “The Holy Land Revealed”, produced in 2013. The lecturer is top notch: Dr. Jodi Magness, Archaeologist and Professor at the University of NC-Chapel Hill. There are about 23 one hour episodes. I realize that you probably know much of the stuff she is speaking about, but I think you’d appreciate her approach. She ties her/others archaeological findings in with the history of the Middle East area and how the archaeological evidence supports actual passages in the Old Testament. Really brought back wonderful memories of your trip and enhanced our understanding and appreciation of what you showed us.
Have a wonderful trip. Cheers, Linda and Tom Travis (2015 Father Dave “The Holy Land” Trip Alumni)
Our trip was cancelled at the end of April but everyone received a full refund and automatically signed up for next year. Yes, I am a big fan of The Great Courses, and subscribe to them. Jodi Magness is one of the best archaeologists today. I have seen her series on the Holy Land about three times! I am glad that you are enjoying the courses they offer. You are using your stay at home time well!!
Superb commentary, and much needed.
Anyone who lived through the 1960s knows that the United States of America has made astonishing progress in terms of racial equality.
Your point about cell phone cameras being everywhere is well taken.
Pray for peace – and for sanity to return!
We can also add the hundreds of thousands of Body Cameras that many police departments require as we. This is the most video documented generation in history!