For What Purpose?

Pope Benedict closed Sunday's Angelus by lamenting the violence in both Lebanon and in Gaza.

"Violence has again bloodied Lebanon," the Pope said from the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square, in reference to a recent outbreak of violence between government and opposition supporters that has sparked fears of a return to civil war.

Benedict XVI said: "It is unacceptable that this path is undertaken to defend one's political reasons. I feel immense sadness for this beloved population.

"I know that many Lebanese feel the temptation to abandon all hope and feel themselves disoriented by all that is happening." [Source: Zenit.org, ZE07012804. Copyright 2007, Libreria Editrice Vaticana]

Standing for peace so that it may blossom everywhere in the world is each Christian's baptismal responsibility wherever one lives.

Standing for peace means defending life at every moment. Individuals feeling overwhelmed by global situations is natural. Just the same--perhaps more intensely-- people feel overwhelmed when it is close to home, even in the home, hospital or care-giving center.

The Catholic Organization for Life and Family, a Canadian resource backed by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, made available this month its leaflet, Living, Suffering and Dying...what for? Its website describes it this way:

This leaflet offers to people who are struggling with illness, as well as to all others, the opportunity to discover or deepen their understanding of the unexpected meaning that Christ gives to our lives and to our suffering.

Read more of its introduction at that website and even download a copy of Living, Suffering and Dying...what for? for your own learning, prayer and reflection. Caringly defending a single life teaches how to defend and promote life and peace the world over.