- Feb 5, 2002
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Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and archbishop of the Archdiocese for Military Services, preached the following homily at a holy Mass held at the National St. John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C., on March 13, the night before the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.
We are fortunate, because the word of God this evening invites us to contemplate the extraordinary generosity of Almighty God. There is much that we can consider, but let us pause for a moment before the marvelous story of Naaman the Syrian General.
The passage is familiar, and it must have been more so to the audience that the Lord Jesus addressed. It is one of those examples of a gradual awareness on the part of the Chosen People that their special relationship with Almighty God was also a mission, an invitation for others to draw near to the one God. Their experience made this perception very difficult to accept, but this passage makes it clear. It is significant because the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast was introduced in 2004 in response to the call of St. John Paul II to a new evangelization, a reaching out to proclaim to the nations the Good News about salvation through Jesus Christ.
Peace among the nations
The prophet responds to the appeal of the pagan general and even reproves the king of Israel for his reticence. The tension between Israel and Syria was growing, but the prophet made a real attempt to defuse it. Can that not also coalesce with our prayer intentions today? Certainly, the Middle East remains a hotbed of tensions, but we think readily of Ukraine and the unjust aggressions there. We beg for a lasting, just peace and an end to the death of so many innocent people.
Our thoughts and prayers also go out to Africa, a continent troubled by disorder and tension between groups. Many of our neighbors to the south are experiencing turmoil. Think of Nicaragua, where two Catholic universities have been shuttered; the government has exiled several priests and imprisoned a bishop. The list for our prayers of petition for peace and justice could be without end. Those cited are merely examples.
Here we also include those suffering from natural disasters in our own country and throughout the world. Turkey and Syria come to mind, but they are not the only objects of our intentions. We are attentive, and we ask the Lord to respond.
Continued below.
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We are fortunate, because the word of God this evening invites us to contemplate the extraordinary generosity of Almighty God. There is much that we can consider, but let us pause for a moment before the marvelous story of Naaman the Syrian General.
The passage is familiar, and it must have been more so to the audience that the Lord Jesus addressed. It is one of those examples of a gradual awareness on the part of the Chosen People that their special relationship with Almighty God was also a mission, an invitation for others to draw near to the one God. Their experience made this perception very difficult to accept, but this passage makes it clear. It is significant because the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast was introduced in 2004 in response to the call of St. John Paul II to a new evangelization, a reaching out to proclaim to the nations the Good News about salvation through Jesus Christ.
Peace among the nations
The prophet responds to the appeal of the pagan general and even reproves the king of Israel for his reticence. The tension between Israel and Syria was growing, but the prophet made a real attempt to defuse it. Can that not also coalesce with our prayer intentions today? Certainly, the Middle East remains a hotbed of tensions, but we think readily of Ukraine and the unjust aggressions there. We beg for a lasting, just peace and an end to the death of so many innocent people.
Our thoughts and prayers also go out to Africa, a continent troubled by disorder and tension between groups. Many of our neighbors to the south are experiencing turmoil. Think of Nicaragua, where two Catholic universities have been shuttered; the government has exiled several priests and imprisoned a bishop. The list for our prayers of petition for peace and justice could be without end. Those cited are merely examples.
Here we also include those suffering from natural disasters in our own country and throughout the world. Turkey and Syria come to mind, but they are not the only objects of our intentions. We are attentive, and we ask the Lord to respond.
Continued below.
'Nothing truly pastoral fails to begin with the truth,' USCCB president says
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and archbishop of the Archdiocese for Military Services, preached a homily at a Mass held at the National St. John Paul II Shrine in Washington, D.C., on March 13, the night before the National Catholic Prayer...
www.oursundayvisitor.com
