The Apocalypse in Haiti

From the photographs and news coverage coming from parts of Haiti, it looks like what has been described as an apocalypse. If there was any truth to the end time scenarios that have been discussed, written about and "interpreted"  from some literal interpretations from the Bible, then this is what an apocalyptic event must look like. It seems to have happened in Haiti. Churches are destroyed and the much loved Archbishop Miot is dead. In one report I read, over 100 priests (I'm not sure if that includes the seminarians) are dead in the rubble as well as nuns, schoolchildren and thousands of innocent, faithful people. That sounds apocalyptic to me. 

I've tried hard not to watch the news, but I can't pull myself away. As disturbing as the news is, I've watched a lot of it. I watched in disbelief the other evening as doctors abandoned patients at a field hospital in Haiti. Apparently, someone gave the order for them to leave, though they didn't want to, but there were concerns for their safety. It was just one more surreal episode. CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta made the noble decision to stay that evening to care for the patients, along with his staff and security people.  Thankfully, the doctors returned in the morning. I was very impressed with Dr. Gupta's decision, that he stayed through the night to care for the patients. I went to sleep that evening wondering if Dr. Gupta would stay, wondering who would care for those desperate people, some of them had just been operated on.  Though I didn't know them, they are all my brothers and sisters in Christ. The Body of Christ is suffering beyond comprehension. There is so much loss and suffering and yet amazingly there are signs of hope, signs of faith. On Sunday morning, people prayed throughout Haiti. Many newspapers, including the New York Times covered stories of the faith of the people. Unshaken faith as one pastor called it. Some Haitians went to pray near their destroyed Churches and they offered praise to God. That's the great thing about having faith, when all else fails, faith can be an anchor, a gift beyond measure. In one account I read, as Food for the Poor, a charitable organization, began to distribute food, people fell to their knees to thank God. Faith amidst ruin and disaster. It's one thing to have deep faith when nothing is seriously wrong, but to maintain faith in such an abysmal situation is courageous.

The faith of the people of Haiti is being tested. Can you blame some people for their anger, disappointment and anguish? I certainly can't. They need our prayers. Can we blame the parents who have lost children for saying, "There is no God." One woman in a fit of anger, threw her Bible into a fire. I pray that someday she can once again read the Bible with openness and faith. These distraught people are not suffering alone, God is suffering too.

The help is arriving, slowly, but the goodness and generosity of caring, good, decent people, throughout the world, is arriving. There is so much goodness in the world and the people of Haiti will soon see an abundance of an outpouring of that goodness, care and concern. 

The demolished Churches will be rebuilt. The homes and businesses will be rebuilt, in time. The Haitian people will rise from the ashes. But for those who have lost loved ones, the pain, the disappointment will linger on. Perhaps in time, they will be able to say (for this I pray), "We don't understand, but we do believe in God and God's mercy." For if we believe in eternal life, then we have to be confident in being with our deceased loved ones again. That is what we profess.

NJA

I have called to you, Lord; hasten to help me!

Hear my voice when I cry to you.

Let my prayer arise before you like incense,

the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.   (Ps.141)

Armageddon-Like Disaster in Haiti

As a believer and a person of deep faith, it's difficult at times like this, to understand why such horrific natural disasters happen in our world. We live in a fallen world, an imperfect world. When tectonic plates shift, collide or slide against each other earthquakes occur. Sometimes these temblors are minor and at other times they occur with catastrophic consequences, as unfortunately is the case in Haiti. And so my husband asks me a question that millions of others are asking, "Why?" "Why does God allow suffering of this magnitude?" "Why doesn't God prevent natural disasters?" Of course, I can't answer those questions, they can only be answered when we enter eternity. These poor Haitian people have endured so much suffering already, so many natural disasters, such poverty and so many are Catholic-80% of the population is Catholic. The Christmas Season just ended, some people still have their decorations up and an end-time scenario, of biblical proportions hit, out of no where. (Some scientists have been predicting a major earthquake would occur along that fault line.) No one knows the answer as to why it happened now. Even people of deep faith cannot make sense of this disaster or others like it. People of deep faith understand that there is mystery woven into our faith and some mysteries cannot be explained or understood. 

The Earth is a magnificent creation, but there are defects, obvious defects in weather and also in the geological make-up of our planet. I sometimes think that creation is so beautiful that it has to have some imperfections, that somehow we can't blame God for that. Perhaps total perfection was not possible, in the order and beauty that was created. Those are just some of my thoughts..............

I have difficulty watching television, the images are too devastating. Real people are living through this horror. How sad that the Archbishop of Haiti, Archbishop Miot died in the rubble. He died alongside his people. He shared their suffering and their fate. The seminarians, religious and priests who ministered in Haiti and who have died are the best of people to minister and serve in such a poor country. These are exemplary Christians and they too died doing Christ-like work. I pray each one is remembered for the sacrifice they made.

Just a couple of weeks ago, people wrote about having hope for the New Year and the new decade and now this. Hopefully, humankind will rise up and through humanitarian and relief efforts help rebuild the country with building materials that can withstand disasters (though we pray this never occurs again). 

I will soon begin receiving letters from organizations I contribute to asking for help for this crisis.  Catholic Relief Services has begun mobilizing, they already have a presence in Haiti and have pledged millions. They are an excellent organization. The Diocese of Richmond, Virginia also has a mission in Haiti. I will find out through their mission newsletter how it was affected. There will be second collections at Masses this weekend and Americans will be generous, as they always are.  I'm going to make a conscious effort in the coming weeks, not to spend money on unnecessary items,  so I can be generous.  And my prayers will continue to join the prayers of all the others being offered as well. 

NJA