Alone and Abandoned

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=12398&size=A

"Do not leave us alone; do not leave us isolated and abandoned". His Excellency, Archbishop Sako, as the article describes, begs the world for assistance. The Holy Father has also called for the world's response to the growing exodus of Christians from Iraq, indeed from the whole of the Holy Land.

Reading this article, I could not help but to call to mind, perhaps, the possible internal confusion and despair being felt by those Christians, who remain in Iraq. We can all relate to the human experience when faced with difficult situations; situations that seem to go on without any hope of reprieve or respite. The easy thing to do is to simply give in. Centuries ago, Christians, when enslaved and held captive by the Mohammedans, at times, apostasized from the Faith. I fear that we will begin to see this happen again.

"Recently the Christians have been singled out as scapegoats, [have been] exploited or eliminated. In some areas of Iraq, Christians suffer through emigration, rape, kidnapping, extortion, threats and killings carried out with religious motivations." The message of Christ obligates us to respond to the crisis. I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink. Our brothers and sisters in Iraq and the Holy Land are suffering. How will we respond?

A Mercedarian Friar