I worked on a homily earlier in the week without knowing the tragedy that would soon face our local area. Like many of you I had my preconceived plans changed. Hurricane Helene has truly wreaked havoc throughout the United States and has touched us locally in a very intimate way.
On Saturday morning in preparation for Mass I was looking through the Roman Missal to find a fitting set of prayers for the occasion. I soon found the section for civil needs specifically for refugees and exiles. Sadly, in our local area there are now many who find themselves to be refugees and exiles. There homes have been taken from them, some have lost their lives, and others have lost contact with those whom they love.
The words to the Collect for that Mass, “O Lord, to whom no one is a stranger and from whose help no one is ever distant, look with compassion on refugees and exiles, on segregated persons and on lost children; restore them, we pray, to a homeland, and give us a kind heart for the needy and for strangers. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
The Introit for that Mass is taken from Psalm 91, “For you has God commanded his angels to keep you in all your ways.” September 29th is the Feast of the Archangels (Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael). They were given an important task and so too the angels continue to watch over each of us as is seen with our guardian angels whose feast day will be October 2nd. May they watch over us and pray for those affected by this tragedy.
In the midst of this tragedy and everyone like it let us continue to place our trust in the Lord. The days ahead will require us to embrace the cross, but from from the cross hope always shines forth through our Lord’s Resurrection. There will be those who will find themselves in need and in the words of our Gospel we shall respond to their need, “Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.” Let us remain people of faith who embrace the Gospel and share it with all whom we encounter in this life.
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