So many disasters:  Hurricane Sandy … Boston Marathon … tornadoes in Moore and Shawnee, Oklahoma and then Oklahoma City and so many other places … fires in New Mexico and California … human trafficking …. child labor … fires in garment factories … and the list could go on and on and on ….

Yesterday I read this in my morning prayer from Give Us This Day:  “Like Jesus, the best we can often do is show our solidarity with the suffering, be present with them in their agony and horror, and simply hold our tongue.”  (Don Talafous, OSB)  I got to thinking about all these recent human happenings that tear at our hearts.  May each of them open within us rivers of compassion that run deep as we embrace our sisters and brothers with the heart of Christ.  May we not only hold all those affected in our prayer, but also reach out in tangible ways to make the burdens they bear a bit lighter. The journey to recovery is a long one.  May our presence in prayer, monetary support, and offers of help be the Body of Christ alive in our world today.