Comments on: A River of Blood Watched With Indifference

By: Ivan

Ivan — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:02:15 +0000

“Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Jesus uttered this prayer of forgiveness for His enemies for what they did to Him. He did not look upon another innocent man being killed and say the equivalent of “I feel your pain”.

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:43:20 +0000

“This is all we should be saying.”

Ok that’s prolly wrong. Perhaps that is what we should come to in the end though? Whatever righteous anger we understandably express beforehand?

By: Izy

Izy — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:29:08 +0000

I prefer the authenticity and simplicity of righteous anger. When Jesus said “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they do,” its unfathomable mercy astonishes me and shows me what God is; but I’m not easily sold when man reacts to unspeakable violence by quoting God. I’m not sure how thin the line between cowardice/indifference and facile magnanimity is. My gut feeling is that human forgiveness seldom comes gracefully but rather under great struggle and labor. We must obey the radical call of leaving vengeance to the Lord, but burrying anger and pretending God-like won’t cut it.

That said, I know for what I will light a candle during my holy hour in the morning. But I won’t tell the Eucharistic Lord that I’m not very, very, angry, that in the deep of my heart, I didn’t want His vengeance visiting on the slaughterers.

By: Robert

Robert — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:15:14 +0000

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

This is all we should be saying.

By: Botolph

Botolph — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 04:35:33 +0000

“I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne, they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before Thou will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?”

Then they were given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves have been” Revelations 6.9-11

“And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before God. And they have conquered him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Rejoice then, o heaven and you that dwell therein!” Revelations 12.10-12

By: Rose Mullian

Rose Mullian — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:21:49 +0000

“Hence I do not know what to lament more: those who have been slain, or those whom they have taken captive, or those whom the devil has mightily ensnared. Together with him they will be slaves in Hell in an eternal punishment; for who commits sin is a slave and will be called a son of the devil.”

- St. Patrick, ‘Letter to Coroticus’

By: Truth Unites... and Divides

Truth Unites... and Divides — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:11:18 +0000

De Souza: “Then there was the statement by Bishop Kevin Farrell of Dallas, which was utterly astonishing. After simply describing the massacre, he boldly pointed the finger of blame [within the Catholic Church]:

“The level of incivility in our national dialogue has reached a crescendo,” Farrell wrote. “Catholics in Iraq specifically link the violence against them by Muslim extremists to anti-Muslim demonstrations and threats to burn the Koran in the United States. Our actions have consequences far beyond our control. … I call upon all Catholics to tone down the level of hatred in their comments and conversations.”

The blood is still dripping from the walls of the Baghdad cathedral, and Bishop Farrell finds fault with a nutcase nobody pastor who threatened to burn the Koran, but did not do so after the whole world condemned him.”

Thank you for saying this Fr. DeSouza.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:57:56 +0000

“P.S. FWIW, if my blood family was slaughtered like this, honestly, my reaction would not be one of forgiveness.”

Well of course, but that is what Christ calls us to do. It is radical, but it is undeniably Christian.

” He might visit His vengeance upon those who did this, bring down His wrath upon their heads and exact upon them a terrifying justice in full measure.”

“Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

I prefer the latter.

By: Truth Unites... and Divides

Truth Unites... and Divides — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 22:14:26 +0000

A River of Blood Watched With Indifference

I imagine there were some folks who watched the crucifixion of Jesus with indifference.

I imagine there are some folks who know about the crucifixion of Jesus and respond with indifference.

And my sweet Jesus says: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

P.S. FWIW, if my blood family was slaughtered like this, honestly, my reaction would not be one of forgiveness.