SATURDAY OF THE TWENTY-SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

(From Fr Dan Corrou, SJ, an American Jesuit stationed in Beirut as Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service-Middle East in the aftermath of the explosion of stored ammonium nitrate on August 4)

“During the initial cleanup, I found myself alone in the Jesuit church covered in dust and broken glass. I sat on a broken pew and stared at the simple red candle of the tabernacle that had not blown out. In this large, damaged, dusty, beautiful church, it was the only light. The Lamb of God, broken and beautiful, with us. Many have said it, but 2020 has been a difficult year, and it’s only August. However, in that quiet moment in the church, sitting with Jesus, I knew that if Jesus isn’t leaving us in our brokenness, how can we leave one another in our brokenness. The brokenness is painful and traumatic, but the brokenness must lead to being given. It would be easy and more comfortable to run away, but God does not do that. From our chaos, God remains; the least we can do is linger with God.”

Father Bill +