Prayer Request(s)

As many of you who know me are aware, I like to use scenes from movies, popular culture so to speak, as analogies to further illustrate the topics I address in my homilies, sermons, and editorials. In this light, at times such as this, I am reminded of the scene near the end of the movie Ghost Busters (#1) in which evil is portrayed as raging through the sewers of New York City and the Ghost Buster team is about to enter the building and face down evil which has manifested itself in the form of a giant marsh mellow man, if you will again watch the movie and note, in the background on the sidewalk behind the intrepid and unlikely heroes who are about to enter the building, clerics stand shoulder praying together for the success of the team, most notably priests and rabbis, whose unique attire allow them to stand out from the crowd.

Many authors, theologians and wise men and women of various and diverse paths have often pointed out that we should pray incessantly, constantly, un-ending, not only prayers of thanksgiving and gratitude for the manifold blessings of God, but prayers of healing and deliverance for our brothers and sisters who are experiencing very distressful times, due to hardship, health, or death of a loved one.

As the screen writers of that wonderful piece of science fiction named previously depicted the extreme increase of evil as flooding the sewers of the “Big Apple” it is as if evil today is increasing, manifesting itself in the form of hate, greed, intolerance, as well as taking a toll on our fellow members of the clergy on these various affiliated groups found across the Internet. We have seen an increase in prayer requests the last several days citing un usual afflictions, sudden death of relatives of our members, and other hardships experienced by our peers in the ministry, perhaps this is mere coincidence or perhaps the clergy at large is being tested or even distracted by personal and family problems leaving the people of God less protected than usual. It is times like this when we must all stand shoulder to shoulder and pray incessantly to God asking for strength and healing for all.

Please take a moment to consider this and remember everyone in your devotions.