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October 15, 2023The Attack on Israel, an ally of our nation and of our Christian faith, occurred on October 7, 2023. The atrocities committed against Israel and many of its innocents not only occurred on Saturday, the Sabbath, but on what is called Simchat Torah, the “joy of the Torah (Torah is the “Instruction or the Teaching” and includes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible). Simchat Torah is a great day of celebration on the Jewish Calendar as it is the culmination of the Feast of Tabernacles -- a joyous time of celebration as a reminder of God's deliverance, protection, provision, and faithfulness. Simchat Torah is a day of singing, dancing, and rejoicing. One of the attacks resulted in the killing of over 250 innocent people which took place as they rejoiced while attending a Concert of Peace.
This day of celebration was transformed into a day of mourning. The unspeakable attack on human life also occurred as the Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Our Lord reminds us that this beautiful tool of peace, the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, will help us triumph over any evil no matter the form.
Many of us gathered this past Friday, October 13th, a feast of the Miracle of the Sun in Fatima, 106 years ago. Many joined in prayer as St. John’s Prayer and Rosary Memorial Garden to pray for Life and Peace with special prayers for the those affected by the carnage, the destruction and the war in the Middle East.
Below is one of those prayers . . .
Merciful and Loving God,
May You guide Israel during these critical hours and days.
May You be near to those who mourn and those who are suffering
who now fill every part of the Land.
When a day of joyous celebration has become a day of agony and loss,
in Your compassion, bring us all to Life.
May You, Lord, the maker of peace, make peace for the people of Israel and comfort their loved ones around the world. Amen.
Shalom, My God, Shalom
