St. Paul’s Cycle of Prayer:  Thursday – The people of Bondeau, Haiti, especially Pere Phanord, the school teachers and medical clinic volunteers; for our Cursillo community

Feast day of Bernard Mizeki martyr

Our optional lessons for today, the feast day of Bernard Mizeki, who was born in Mozambique and was converted to Christianity by brothers of the Society of Saint John the Evanglist and then served as a misisonary in South Africa and Zimbabwe where he was murdered for his faith, are very striking in light of the horrible news from Charleston, S.C. Nine new martyrs were killed in cold blood and it appears only because they dared to worship while black.

It seems impossible for us to have a logical conversation about guns in this country, nor about racism, nor about mental health issues. Instead, we are complicit because we keep electing officials who don’t have the guts to do anything about any of this. And since most elections these days are bought and sold by the rich and powerful I wonder if we will ever have the will, as a nation, to really insist on change from our leaders.

So that leaves us – where we must pray, must stay the course against racism, must insist on justice for all the children of God, and where we must hold our leaders accountable. As a nation, we should be ashamed. And as followers of the Prince of Peace, we should not tolerate this any more. 

Meanwhile for those lives lost, I leave you with the Revelation reading from today in honor of Mizeki. May these words provide some comfort to those who grieve.

Revelation 7:13-17

13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?’ 14I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one that knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

15 For this reason they are before the throne of God,

   and worship him day and night within his temple,

   and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 

16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;

   the sun will not strike them,

   nor any scorching heat; 

17 for the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd,

   and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,

and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’