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Friends,



I’m sure many of us have been stunned recently by a senseless amount of violence in the US and around the world – the Catholic school shooting in Minneapolis, the murder of the poor woman Iryna Zarutska on the train, and the murder of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. We’re also aware of a brutal war in the Middle East in Gaza and armed conflicts in other places like Africa, and the often-disturbing news of immigration enforcement actions that make some question the actions of the current US administration.



Annunciation Catholic Church, Minneapolis, MN (1st image), Iryna Zarutska (2nd image), Charlie Kirk (3rd image)



We take a moment to pray for all those who have perished and all those impacted.



Gaza in October 2025 (1st image), Immigration enforcement agents in July 2025 (2nd image)



I have been trying to reconcile all of these events and a deep unrest on many online social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter. Yet there is indeed a silver lining from the heavens: the Lord Jesus is with us, and Catholics believe specifically in the Eucharist, and I’m reminded that the Lord Jesus’ first coming into humanity 2025 years ago was specifically to give this very comfort and consolation, that He is with us, and He’s here save us and give us life with Him, no matter any events or chaos around us, which unfortunately are possible because of humanity’s inherent brokenness. Our call, despite, and especially in times of absolute turmoil like ours, is to approach, meet, and follow Jesus, and renew our commitment to building the common good and seeking peace in our nation and world, but above all, with a commitment to Gospel values of sacrificial and divine love and mercy, of course, without disregarding the role of law and order.



From The Last Supper by Juan de Juanes (1507-1579)



There is a scripture passage that has always touched me, when Jesus is talking about tribulations we may face:


“…[T]he sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” (Gospel of Matthew chapter 24)



A literal explanation is that it’s about bewildering phenomena in the principal objects of the cosmos like the Sun and the moon. A homily I heard once shared that this can symbolically be understood as a weakening of our securities, as objects that anchor our lives and existence show weakness or fail. But regardless, the most appropriate response is to increase our confidence in God, in Jesus. The weakening of our own securities can be many, and can be reflected in these recent events of shootings, extreme crime including murder and apparent politically-motivated murder, war, the drastic and sometimes-disturbing changes in the political status quo in terms of immigration, and a general unrest in the US as a violent and “tinderbox” political environment looms. This is precisely the time to approach, meet, and follow Jesus Christ, especially those that currently never have, or don’t, and to fulfill His will for us, to reconcile with God, and to live a new life with Him. Events like this remind us that God is everlasting; our securities, not so much. And they give us a parallel to the biblical passage of the unrest and dissatisfaction the Israelites felt in their lives when they left Egypt and slavery: they were hungry, thirsty, and unhappy. These sufferings we can interpret as not only physical, but also spiritual and emotional; they were restless, they didn’t like how things were going.



It’s this segment in biblical history that reminds us that God isn’t indifferent to our sufferings and any dissatisfaction we may have with life. The Israelites, led by Moses out of Egypt and slavery through the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, complained to Moses, and God responded, telling them that He as loving Father would provide:

“I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you”



And:



“In the evening twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread” (Exodus 16)



The Israelites Gathering Manna in the Desert by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)



Shortly after, God also gave them water to drink:



“ Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.” (Exodus chapter 17)



This sustenance God provides is a mirror of the Eucharist, Jesus. Catholics believe that Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist: body, blood, soul, divinity (Catechism #1374). And Jesus makes reference to this bread, the manna, that God rained down from Heaven to the Israelites, in the Gospel of John chapter 6, when he makes reference to Himself as bread, as the Eucharist:



“Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert”



And He also says:



“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”



The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament by Raphael (1483–1520)



And I must add that Jesus, who calls Himself the Bread of Life in the Eucharist, was born in Bethlehem, a word that in Hebrew means “house of Bread” (Catholic Answers).



So, Jesus is our Bread for our journey in the desert, where we can often be hungry, thirsty, and dissatisfied, and especially when those things we rely on and count on, our securities, show weakness or fail us; He is our consolation and sustenance. May it be so for all in the US and the world!



In the midst of these terrible events in the US and the world, mass shootings, murders, wars, and alarming events between the government and migrants, we do indeed have an outlet to peace, which we all so yearn for, in a renewal in commitment to seeking the common good and peace. Catholics especially, but also Christians and all people of goodwill, should absolutely see in Jesus a path that seeks the good of all and peace: all government policies and action should promote fraternity, including economic fraternity, inclusion, including of all races, ethnicities, and of migrants, religious freedom, and peace. This desire for a common good though doesn’t mean a country and world where there is no law and order: those who commit crimes are absolutely subject to our laws and its most severe penalties, especially those who commit mass shootings, and murder. And it has long been US policy (since the Obama Administration) that migrants that commit felonies are deported (LEITF).



Of note as well in seeking peace is observing the Gospel values of sacrificial and divine love, and mercy. President Trump, at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, mentioned that he “hates” his opponents (1:17:00-1:18:00). We can’t give into sentiments like this, but must follow Jesus and the Gospel values of divine love, mercy, forgiveness, and forbearance, acting like God in that, though He does eventually strike, God is “merciful…, slow to anger and rich in kindness” (Exodus chapter 34). Anything else will only lead to a spirit of revenge and end in violence. Pope Leo also gives us a pearl of advice, when asked about a political issue in the US: respect, “that there be greater respect for one another.” We must have respect for people who don’t hold our same views, and recognize in them an undeniable humanity and dignity, even if, and especially if, it isn’t reciprocated – we must say no to violence, including verbal and emotional violence (which are also against the 5th commandment against murder as the US Bishops teach), murder, and do everything possible to avoid war, as Church tradition guides us. Going to war is of the greatest gravity, because, as the Catechism states, of the “power of modern means of destruction” (#2309). The Church in its “just war” tradition, also detailed in the Catechism, talks that war is only and always a last resort, and only when external aggression is “lasting, grave, and certain” (#2309).



Family, it’s completely normal to be perturbed at recent events – more mass shootings, an inhumane murder of a woman on mass transit, a gruesome murder of a conservative political figure, wars in numerous places in the world, and aggressive immigration enforcement actions by the US government. We pray for all those killed and all those impacted.



Our consolation, nevertheless, remains that Jesus is with us, in the Eucharist. When chaos and storms surround us, God calls us to approach, meet, and follow Him with the goal of reconciling ourselves to Him and being His disciples. With a renewed faith, we are now called to seek a brighter future for the US and world, by renewing our commitment to building the common good and seeking peace in our nation and world, a reflection of our discipleship with Jesus, striving for policies that promote fraternity, inclusion, religious freedom, and peace, and practicing divine love and mercy, saying no to violence and murder, and doing everything to avoid war (though this doesn’t exclude the fact that those who commit crimes be punished for their actions according to law, even in very severe ways, or that migrants who commit serious crimes be deported).



May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life,



Juan B

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Citations:

Catholic Answers, “Bethlehem (scriptural)”, Encyclopedia, catholic.com, https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/bethlehem-scriptural. Accessed 9 Oct 2025

LEITF (Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force), “Comparison of the Obama, Trump, and Biden Administration Immigration Enforcement Priorities”, Published Apr 22, 2021. https://leitf.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Enforcement-Priorities-Memo.pdf. Accessed 9 Oct 2025

Pope Leo XIV, “Pope Leo questions what it means to be pro-life”, NBC News, Video. https://www.nbcnews.com/video/shorts/pope-leo-questions-what-it-means-to-be-pro-life-248865349526. Accessed 9 Oct 2025

Trump, President Donald, “President Trump Participates in the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk”, White House youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz-qMp6p8SY. Accessed 9 Oct 2025



Image credits

1 – Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis website, https://www.archspm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AnnunciationMinneapolis-2.jpg-2-2.jpg Accessed 10 Oct 2025
2 – James Funeral Home website, https://www.jamesfuneralhomelkn.com/obituaries/iryna-zarutska Accessed 10 Oct 2025
3 – NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/09/10/nx-s1-5537045/charlie-kirk-shot-utah Accessed 10 Oct 2025
4 – 2 News Nevada, https://www.2news.com/news/world/israeli-military-says-ceasefire-agreement-in-gaza-started-at-noon-local-time/article_23ee9cd8-2107-59cb-a89f-92d0ae5ad0ac.html Accessed 10 Oct 2025
5 – KCLU https://www.kclu.org/2025-07-10/ice-raids-hit-farms-in-carpinteria-and-camarillo-with-both-events-triggering-large-protests Accessed 10 Oct 2025
6 – Public domain
7 – Public domain
8 – Public domain


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