On Friday morning, the eyes of the world turned once again with shock to Colorado where another action resulting in unspeakable loss of life occured. Only thirteen years after two high-school students in the same metro area murdered 11 of their classmates and wounded over 20 others before killing themselves, a lone gunman's overnight rampage at a movie theater and claimed 12 lives among so many others shot and injured during a midnight showing of the new Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises. Our hearts and prayers go out to those impacted by this evil act.
As many of us watched the newsreports, we saw the chaos of the moment, as people poured from the movie theater into the darkness of the night—the darkness of confusion, the darkness of ambiguity, the darkness of despair. In darkness there is always the feeling that we stand alone, but as people of faith we are never alone. This tragedy happened in Aurora, which means “the dawn,”. As the sun rose on Friday morning, in a city whose name evokes the light, people of hope wondered if a "dawn" will ever come and and end to these moments of darkness.
When we see darkness, when we experience darkness in our life, when we sense darkness in our midst, when we believe darkness to try and overcome our lives, we are awareness of darkness leading us from being who God calls us, His Word, invites to take on three things.
We must first NOT BE AFRAID for nothing can separate us from God. Darkness can sway us. It can distract us. It can even try and persuade us that it has won - but no - do not be afraid. Second, do not believe you are alone. The Church has been thru dark moments, people of faith have seen dark days, the world has been touched by darkness before - but the Love of God which conquers all things will conquer darkness and will allow us to be a people of light - a people of the dawn again. Thirdly, as the Gospel for Mass on this the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus reminds us He is the Good Shepherd. (Mark 6:30-34). He calls us from a distance, He invokes us from darkness, He invites us from discouragement to come and Be Still.
We must first NOT BE AFRAID for nothing can separate us from God. Darkness can sway us. It can distract us. It can even try and persuade us that it has won - but no - do not be afraid. Second, do not believe you are alone. The Church has been thru dark moments, people of faith have seen dark days, the world has been touched by darkness before - but the Love of God which conquers all things will conquer darkness and will allow us to be a people of light - a people of the dawn again. Thirdly, as the Gospel for Mass on this the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus reminds us He is the Good Shepherd. (Mark 6:30-34). He calls us from a distance, He invokes us from darkness, He invites us from discouragement to come and Be Still.
When Darkness Comes. When Discouragement arises When you doubt that dawn will come. Be Not Afraid. Be Not Alone, but Be Still for the presence of the Lord. Be Still!! Be Still !!! For it is in Him that our Hope is found, For it is in Him that our Help will be. For it is in Him that we will truly be able, when the Dark Night Comes, to actually Rise Again.