In recent weeks, it seems as if our nation and our world have moved from one natural disaster to another – excessive heatwaves, tornados, hurricanes, flooding, fires, earthquakes. Disasters such as these are a call to pray for the thousands of people, our sisters and brothers, affected by these events, and for the many people and agencies who are seeking to offer assistance in the midst of these disasters. Catholic Charities USA offers this prayer to which we may join our own:
Prayer During Natural Disasters
God of hope and mercy, we lift up to you all victims of natural disasters and those responding with assistance and aid. Protect all who are in any form of danger; provide practical help to those in need; strengthen the weary, console the grieving, heal the suffering; and bless those engaged in disaster relief efforts with safety and courage. Help all people of good will to respond with compassion and generous hearts. Amen.
In addition to praying with and for those affected, such events offer an invitation to reflect further on the underlying causes of these disasters, especially those related to climate change. Just yesterday, Vatican News released an article, “Hottest July on record globally: ‘The climate alarm is blazing’”. HeartSpeak encourages our readers to spend some time reflecting on the
realities presented in the article and on the response to which we are called as Christians in our world today.
My neighbor of 24 years, a great grandmother was evicted this past weekend from her subsidized duplex home. Her grand children picked up the cycle of poverty and took ad vantage of her. After numerous warnings and neighbor complaints she was ‘moved on’. So many have been moved on this year around the the globe. As I listen to the din of the housing authority garbage truck grind up the attachments of a lifetime I am moved by this prayer. A prayer so many are praying for different reasons (fires, floods, wars, climate caused migrations, etc.) today. Compassion and generous hearts does not prevent the ‘moving on’, but it does open us to our own impermanence, show us the attachments just as they are and invite us to let go, and let God into our lives despite the circumstances. So, I took a bag of my best garden produce for her last week and left it at her door, prayed into the moving on and prayed the new life, with light in the new space will allow her and so many others an opportunity to encounter the love we all deserve. Thanks for this meditation. The connection is raw and real for many of us…as the moving on continues.