If I could give a homily...

If I could give a homily to all the Catholics, and all christians in general, in the entire world, I would have a strong message. I would tell them that they need to pray more than ever before because the evil one is out to get them and he is serious about it. I would tell them that he is hot on our tracks and if they are not careful they may be the next victim. I would tell them that we have to stick together. We have to read scripture. We have to pray all sorts of prayers - loud charismatic prayers, silent contemplation, meditative rosaries, lectio divina, etc.... and we must go to Mass and we must keep vigilant over the status of our souls. These are the things I would say.

I would challenge the priests and ministers in the world to not be afraid to speak out with courage in the face that evil presents to us today. They have a huge responsibility and I don't think that some of them are aware of that fact because some have become complacent in their positions of power in their churches and communities, while others have become lazy or so overwhelmed that they have lost their focus. I would challenge them to be mature shepherds, to trust the Holy Spirit to give them the wisdom and words they need to minister and to lead. I would also challenge them to let the laity minister to them as well, encourage them, and work with them hand in hand. We must face this ugly foe together, for none of us can do it alone.

So, we must pray. We must surrender to Jesus. We must listen. We must wait. We must support and encourage one another. We must lift each other up when someone is failing and we must reach out to the sad, the anxious, the fearful, and the lost. To disregard someone in need is a terrible thing for when we do that we are ignoring Jesus Himself.

Please, my Catholic brothers and sisters, my christian brothers and sisters from other denominations, my Jewish brothers and sisters, we must stand united. For we are coming upon a time not seen before in human history. We will be tested. We will be assaulted by the evil one even more than now. We must reach into Heaven from our knees. We must listen with our hearts. We must move swiftly when Jesus tells us to move - with trust in His providence.

As PJPII, my favorite pope, said many times: "Be Not Afraid". (Jesus said that too by the way!)

Well, these are my thoughts for this evening.