Never Give Up!

In Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Brockton, Massachusetts, this morning, the priest encouraged us to "Never give up!"  Father told us that there were so many challenges in our world, and that even yesterday, there was the funeral of a 28-year-old Brockton man who had died from violence.  In so many countries, Christians are being openly persecuted, commanded to "convert to Islam, leave, or die!" He said that most Muslims are peaceful but that the radical members are wrong in thinking that killing others in His name pleases Him.  It is evil, the work of the devil, the evil one.

This church honors Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  Mary appeared to peasant children at Lourdes, France, in 1858.

Main altar at Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

Stained glass window in the back of Our Lady of Lourdes church showing Mary appearing to one of the children, Bernadette, and people with crutches showing that many, many healing miracles have occurred at this site.

So what can we and should we do: PRAY!  We can pray for an end to violence and even for conversion of Muslims.  Please don't ever think that prayer is not the POWER OF THE UNIVERSE!  Years ago, when I was growing up, after Mass, we all prayed for the conversion of Russia, an increasing violent menace in the world.  You know what happened: the Soviet Union government collapsed and the Berlin Wall came crashing down!

Lord God, thank you for allowing me to worship in church today, far from home, yet with the identical service of the universal church.  Thank you for the friendly people and the competent, inspirational priest. Thank you for all the family and friends on my prayer list today and every day.  Thank you for my blog readers and especially for their guidance and responses.  Thank you for life; thank you for love!