Please continue to pray for Ukraine and Russia. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my religious family, the IVE, has priests and sisters in Ukraine. We also have Ukrainian priests and sisters missioning in Russia; they love the Russian people. It disturbs me that we are seeing so much hatred now for Russians, even as I join my fellow Ukrainian priests who call us to stand against the killing of the innocents in Ukraine. My religious order also has foundations in Syria, and Iraq, which have faced war including foreign attempts at regime change recently. We have missionaries in Palestine and Egypt also. In all these countries innocents have been killed caught between waring groups. Our IVE missionaries reported that the war-field is messy, with lies, manipulations, and false stories usually spread by both sides.
The Letter of James says, “Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members?” (James 4:1) War is always terrible. We Christians are called not to live in a spirit of “hatred” toward anyone but judge with a discerning reason enlightened by the Holy Spirit and not make “emotional judgments.” We can recognize “our sin” is part of the cause of wars. Let us pray for peace for Russia and Ukraine and other areas of open conflict and not live in hatred. In this time, let us pray for the final conversion of Russia to Mary, the end of communism, and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to usher in peace.