From the desk of the pastor for Sept. 7, 2025

The Lord be with you. We are taking a break from history to explore the moral dimensions of recent events. As our bishops have asked us to take up a collection next weekend for those suffering in Gaza, it is appropriate for us to reflect and pray about Palestine.

Before going further I should make known my biases and how difficult it is to talk about what is happening in Gaza. I have known first and second generation immigrants from the Middle East my entire life. Being so acquainted does not make me an expert on what is happening there, but it did teach me how close to the heart our fellow Americans keep these events. In engaging in civic discourse, we must remain civil and compassionate. Harsh language and invective will not aid us. Also, matters over there are also much more complicated than the media - legacy or social - could ever convey to us. Accordingly, we should not rush to judgment or condemnation.

Nevertheless, we should learn as much as we can about what has happened. The terror attacks of October 7th were not the beginning of the violence, but they did presage the deluge of death that has followed. Just under 1,200 people died from those attacks, most of them innocent civilians. The best estimates from the United Nations is that 63,000 Palestinians have died in the two years after Israel began its military operations in Gaza. Beginning this spring famine set in for Gaza with millions unable to feed themselves adequately. Israel has effectively put Gaza under siege and is interdicting crucial supplies into Gaza in order to subdue the entire population.

Here I want to give perhaps a novel reading of the Just War Theory. Usually, when we talk about its moral criteria, we focus on whether a certain war was just or not. I think St. Augustine would instead remind us that the principles of Just War are meant to restrain nations from war as much as possible. The principles of Just War are clear enough that anyone of good faith will see that they should be followed. In other words, we are not seeking to justify what good does come from wars but condemn unjust wars to limit the violence as much as we can.

We do not need to know how to bring peace to this troubled region for us to do good there. The collection that will be done next weekend, and donations to Catholic Relief Services will go a long way. We must pray for peace and an end to the violence that is currently ongoing. We must also pray for world leaders, especially at the United Nations, to resolve the underlying issues with a fair and just settlement. May those who have suffered so unjustly know the love in our hearts by the deeds done by our hands.

In His Sacred Heart
Fr. John