Calendar
Men's Weekend
Date & Location TBA
Women's Weekend
Date & Location TBA
First Friday 7:00 pm
hosted by St. Mary's
Third Friday 7:00 pm
hosted by St. Benedict's
Fourth Sunday 3:00 pm
Bilingual, hosted by
Sts. Peter and Paul (Tulsa)
Third Sunday 4:00 pm
on odd numbered
months hosted by
Sts Peter & Paul (Cushing)
Second
Thursday
7:00 pm
St. Benedict's
First Friday
All Night Adoration
Sts. Peter and Paul (Tulsa)
from 10:00 PM Friday
until
8:30 AM Mass Saturday
Statements on Peace from Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Church
Being Catholics, I would like
to pass along some information from the Catholic Church about ways we can
involve ourselves and our families in the current search for peace, and perhaps
feel like we are having an impact. The U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a page
of ideas for families with "suggestions addressing questions of war and
peace as well as more general activities promoting justice and peace", a page
of ideas for school children and a page
of resources for everyone.
I know all of us desire peace over war, and I would strongly encourage everyone
to read the words and prayers of Pope John Paul II. As Catholics, we need to
seriously consider his views. There have been many Emails going around calling
for prayer on March 3rd, and prayer is certainly what is needed. But the folks
promoting that day of prayer on 3-3-03 seem to be basing it on some rather odd
numerology ideas. Do pray that day, but the Holy Father has specifically asked
Catholics to pray and fast on Ash Wednesday, March 5. Here are his words:
"For months the international community has been living in great
apprehension on account of the danger of a war that might upset the whole Middle
East region and aggravate the tensions that, unfortunately, are already present
at the beginning of the third millennium. It is the duty of believers,
regardless of the religion to which they belong, to proclaim that we will never
be able to be happy if we are against one another; the future of humanity will
never be able to be assured by terrorism and the logic of war ... all Catholics
are invited to dedicate with special intensity March 5, Ash Wednesday, to prayer
and fasting for the cause of peace, especially in the Middle East."
-- Pope John Paul II, Angelus
address of 2/23/03
The USCCB has a site
with ideas to "help
U.S. Catholics respond to this invitation from the Holy Father by praying,
fasting, learning more, and acting, beginning with Sunday, March 2, 2003 and
continuing through Lent and beyond".
The Holy Father has also asked us to pray the Rosary for peace. Here are his
words
At this time of international concern, we all feel the need to turn to the
Lord to implore the great gift of peace. As I pointed out in the Apostolic
Letter, On
the Most Holy Rosary, "the grave challenges confronting the world at
the start of this new millennium lead us to think that only an intervention from
on high ... can give reason to hope for a brighter future" (n. 40). Many
prayer initiatives are taking place these days all over the world. While I
endorse them wholeheartedly, I invite all to take up the Rosary to ask the
intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary: "One cannot recite the
Rosary without feeling caught up in a clear commitment to advancing peace"
(same place, n. 6).
-- Pope John Paul II, Angelus
address of 2/9/03
In addition to the Rosary, here is a Prayer For Peace from the Holy Father we
can pray with our families.
Prayer For Peace
To Mary, The Light Of Hope
Immaculate Heart of Mary, help us to conquer the menace of evil,
which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose
immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block
the paths toward the future.
From famine and war, deliver us.
From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war,
deliver us.
From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us.
From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God,
deliver us.
From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and
international, deliver us.
From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us.
From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us.
From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.
From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us.
Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual
human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies. Help us with the
power of the Holy Spirit conquer all sin: individual sin and the "sin of
the world," sin in all its manifestations. Let there be revealed once more
in the history of the world the infinite saving power of the redemption: the
power of merciful love.
May it put a stop to evil.
May it transform consciences.
May your Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. Amen.
-- Pope John Paul II
Finally, here are some very recent excerpts of statements from The Holy
See about the current situation. These are taken from a USCCB page with quotes
from "Church Leaders on the Threat of War in Iraq". See that page
for additional quotes.
Pope John Paul II, Address in St. Peter's Square, February 23, 2003
It is a duty for believers, regardless of the religion to which they belong, to proclaim that we will never be able to be happy if we are against one another; the future of humanity will never be able to be assured by terrorism and the logic of war. We Christians, in particular, are called to be like guardians of peace in the places where we live and work. We are asked, that is, to be alert, so that consciences will not yield to the temptation to egoism, falsehood and violence.
Therefore, I invite all Catholics to dedicate with special intensity next March 5, Ash Wednesday, to prayer and fasting for the cause of peace, especially in the Middle East.
Pope John Paul II, Speech to the Sant'Egidio Community, February 8, 2003
Peace is in danger. We need to multiply our efforts. One cannot be immobile in the face of terrorist attacks, nor when faced with the threats that are being raised on the horizon. One should not give up, as if war is inevitable.
Pope John Paul II, Address to the Diplomatic Corps, January 13, 2003
And what are we to say of the threat of a war which could strike the people of Iraq, the land of the Prophets, a people already sorely tried by more than twelve years of embargo? War is never just another means that one can choose to employ for settling differences between nations. As the Charter of the United Nations Organization and international law itself remind us, war cannot be decided upon, even when it is a matter of ensuring the common good, except as the very last option and in accordance with very strict conditions, without ignoring the consequences for the civilian population both during and after the military operations.
Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the United Nations, Address to the U.N. Security Council, February 20, 2003
The Holy See is convinced that even though the process of inspection appears somewhat slow, it still remains an effective path that could lead to the building of consensus which, if widely shared by Nations, would make it almost impossible for any Government to act otherwise, without risking international isolation.
Finally, I suggest everyone read latest "Statement on Iraq" from Bishop Wilton Gregory, President of the USCCB. Here is an excerpt:As our nation and world face grave choices about war, peace, security and justice, this is a time for renewed prayer, continued moral reflection, and active and faithful citizenship. This is a time to reaffirm and raise again the serious ethical questions and concerns our Conference has expressed in a letter to President Bush last September and in a major statement of the full body of bishops last November.
We have no illusions about the behavior and intentions of, or dangers posed by, the Iraqi government. Once again, we renew our calls for the Iraqi leadership clearly to abandon efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction and to meet its obligations to destroy such weapons. We join with Pope John Paul II in insisting that Iraq make "concrete commitments" to meet the legitimate demands of the international community and to avoid war. The Iraqi regime has to recognize that it has not to date responded adequately to these demands and that it must act immediately and effectively to meet them, both to avoid armed conflict and to prove that it intends to change its ways.
We join with Pope John Paul in the conviction that war is not "inevitable" and that "war is always a defeat for humanity." This is not a matter of ends, but means. Our bishops' conference continues to question the moral legitimacy of any preemptive, unilateral use of military force to overthrow the government of Iraq. To permit preemptive or preventive uses of military force to overthrow threatening or hostile regimes would create deeply troubling moral and legal precedents. Based on the facts that are known, it is difficult to justify resort to war against Iraq, lacking clear and adequate evidence of an imminent attack of a grave nature or Iraq's involvement in the terrorist attacks of September 11. With the Holy See and many religious leaders throughout the world, we believe that resort to war would not meet the strict conditions in Catholic teaching for the use of military force.
As pastors and teachers, we understand that there are no easy answers. People of good will may differ on how traditional norms apply in this situation. The gravity of the threat and whether force would be preemptive are matters of debate, as are the potential consequences of using or failing to use military force. We urge Catholics, especially lay men and women who are called to be "leaven" in society, to continue to think deeply about the choices we face, to review carefully the teaching of our Church and to speak out strongly in accord with their conscience. Our hearts and prayers go out especially to those who may bear the burden of these terrible choices -- the men and women of our armed forces and their families, the people of Iraq, and the leaders of our nation and world who face momentous decisions of life and death, of war and peace.
At times like these, we turn to the Lord and ask for wisdom and courage. We Christians are called to be "sentinels of peace," the Holy Father reminds us. We join with him in urging Catholics to dedicate fasting on Ash Wednesday for "the conversion of hearts and the long-range vision of just decisions to resolve disputes with adequate and peaceful means." In the days ahead, our community of faith is called to reflection and discernment, dialogue and action, and especially to prayer and worship. As we approach the Lenten season, let us pray and fast that our nation and world will find effective ways short of war to secure justice, increase security and promote genuine peace for all of God's people.
--Wilton Gregory, President of the USCCB
For much more information, visit the USCCB's "Way To Peace" page, which contain the above links and much more. You could also visit the Vatican's "Peace on Earth" page with links to all of the Holy See's statements on peace. A final suggestion would be to visit Pax Christi USA, the home of the national Catholic peace movement.
Thanks for your attention to these serious matters,
John Kennington