Spirituality for Beginners

Fr. Bede's almost-daily reflections. When it comes to the spiritual life, we're all beginners. I also send these out by email. Contact me at bcamera@anselm.edu. God bless!





Sunday, March 6, 2016

Pray that we be spared

I’ve been casting around looking for a verse from the Psalms for today’s reflection, yet here it is almost 4 pm and I’m torn about writing today, because my most fervent prayer at the moment is that God save our country from the horror that we are facing at this time in our history, and I have been determined that I would not write about current events or politics in these reflections. But I’ve been sitting here at my computer with psalm books and sources open around me, and I can’t manage to free my mind from two things I read today in the news. And so I have to wonder if this is what I’m meant to write about today.

Every day that goes by the situation gets worse, as every day Donald Trump takes one more step towards bringing us to the brink of what was happening in Germany in the 30’s last century. And the thing that is the most frightening of all to me is that by and large the people who support him so vehemently, including members of my own family, are completely ignorant of what happened in Germany in the 30’s. Who was it that said, “Those who are ignorant of history are bound to repeat it?”

And yet, in their ignorance, hundreds of thousands of Americans are bringing us to that time. Two images stand out for me today. The first is the sight of what happened the other night in Florida when Trump got his followers to raise their right arms to pledge that they would vote for him in the primaries. “Heil Trump.” Oh my God, no! Haven’t any of those people seen the images of the Hitlerian rallies? Can’t they realize that they are being duped into repeating the same images here and now?

The second item was one that was mentioned briefly in one of my news sources, claiming that Trump has declared that Muslims should be made to wear identifying badges on their clothing. Not yellow stars, but it might as well be.

Pray, my friends. Pray that our system of government will be strong enough to withstand these attacks on decency and sanity. Pray especially to mother Mary, who is the patroness of the United States.

And please forgive me from breaking my “no politics” rule, just this once.

The only scriptural passage I have to offer you today is from Psalm 12:

Help, O Lord, for good men have vanished:
truth has gone from the sons of men.

What must the psalmist been seeing when he was looking around and was inspired to write those words? I’m beginning to come closer to understanding it. One thing that really horrifies me (among many) is the knowledge that there are so many bigots and racists in this country and that in Trump they are able to float their bigotry as a badge of honor. I never realized before just how many of them there are and how virulent their hatred. God help us.


And God bless us all.

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