All of us are shocked, saddened and angered by the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
We have a number of emotions that are popping up including the feelings of fear and insecurity.
Where were you, at 5:35pm, yesterday evening? A good number of us, were here at Mass.
The tragedy calls to mind back in 1981, when I was a senior in high school. On March 30th, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot. Then a few months later Pope John Paul II was shot, on May 13th, just a few days before we were to graduate from high school.
The seniors in 1981 had class that day with our history teacher, who turned on the television and allowed us to watch the events as they occurred with Pope John Paul II.
President Reagan and Pope John Paul II survived their assassination attempts. President Trump also survived.
In the early Church there were attempts on the lives of the Apostles. For example, Peter and Paul were thrown into prison. Peter would be released, but later recaptured and was killed by being crucified upside down.
Paul was not released and was eventually beheaded. When his head was cut off, it bounced three times causes three fountains of water to flow from the ground. Today, the location of his martyrdom is called Tre Fontane, meaning “three fountains”.
When there is turmoil in the Church and turmoil in the country, we will have a feeling of insecurity. We can begin to wonder, where is God in all this?
The Apostles had these feelings, when Jesus was arrested, scourged, forced to carry a Cross, and was killed by way of crucifixion.
Remember what the two apostles on the road to Emmaus said, “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel.”
My friends, we can’t place our hope in government leaders. We have to place our hope in Jesus.
The Apostles had another occasion of feeling insecure, during the storm on the lake. Jesus was asleep in the boat, and yet the boat was being tossed about by the waves and they thought they were going to drown.
The Apostles woke up Jesus saying, “Lord save us, we are going to drown.” And they said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” He then said, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
In the Gospel today, Our Lord sent His twelve apostles out in twos. Jesus told them not to take gold or silver, or copper for their belts, no sack or second tunic, or sandals or walking staff, but what do these words mean? Why would Jesus not want them to take extra clothes, or money, sandals or a walking staff?
He told them these things, so that they would be free to go from place to place and not be worried about things they had to take with them. He wanted them to trust in His divine providence by letting them know, God would provide for all their needs, wherever they went.
We too should trust that God will take care of all of our needs, not only our housing, food and clothing, but most importantly, He will take care of our spiritual needs. But we need to trust Him.
One of the main messages of Jesus through St. Faustina, was to trust Jesus. Our Lord indicated to her that something that hurt Him the most was the lack of trust people had in Him.
When the world and our country is in turmoil, God wants us to trust in His Divine Providence.
By providence, I mean, God will provide for our needs when we need them. God will take care of everything, because God loves us. God is in control, even in the midst of chaos because He permits it to bring about a greater good.
It is possible, turmoil will increase, in the world, in our country, and in the Church, because as Jesus said, the devil is the ruler of this world. But in the end, God wins.
Even if we plead to God for help and He doesn’t seem to answer. We need to trust Jesus, and even if we were die for the faith, or die for our country, we will have confidence, that we will be with God forever.
What do have to fear? We have Jesus. No matter what happens, we need to hear Jesus say to our heart, “You of little faith, be not afraid.”
On another occasion, He told His Apostles, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
Before He ascended into heaven, He said,” I am with you, unto the end of the world.”
Yes, if we live out our faith, if we have confidence in God, no matter what happens, we will be safe in the hands of God, who will bring us to heaven, our true and lasting home.
By turning to Jesus, and asking for His help and grace, we can convert the emotions we are having, into a means of grace and doing good, and not allow our emotions to control us, but we control them.
Let us pray for our country, for the Church and for peace in the world asking the Virgin Mary, our Mother, to protect us, guide us to a deeper faith and confidence in God, trusting He will provide for all our needs.
Take up in your hands the Holy Rosary and pray it every day. By praying the Rosary, God will give us peace and through the Rosary, the Virgin Mary will help guide the course of events, to protect our country, our family and each of us and bring us to heaven.
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