Wasted Prayers

Civilized humanity in civilized countries have, this week, already sent more than 2 billion dollars worth of food, clothing, shelter and medicine to help the hundreds of thousands of poor victims who survived the Tsunami Disaster in South Asia last week. For love of humanity, more substantial and financial assistance are coming.

During biblical days, Jesus could feed thousands of people on 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. He could walk on water, calm the seas, cure the sick, even raise the dead back to life. Jesus promised also that: “In all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Today, for love of divinity, the Vicar of Christ, the Pope is only offering mass and prayer for the dead victims of the Tsunami Disaster. No offer of even crumbs from the Vatican bread for the survivors. Is it any wonder that in shame even priests and nuns are walking out of the Catholic Church each and every day?

As a little Catholic boy myself then, I was always proud of the Pope often praying to the Almighty for peace on earth. Today, as an old man, I am duly ashamed of the so-called “power of prayer.” No peace on earth as yet. Only more disasters from nature as designed by the Almighty. I think it’s time that we better find a substantial meaning for the word “Almighty.”

Those of you who are the heads of governments, of churches, of corporations and associations, of colleges and universities, take heed of what Bertrand Russell admonished for the powerless individuals, “Those who live nobly, even if in their day they live obscurely, need not fear that they will have lived in vain. Something radiates from their lives, some light that shows the way to their friends, their neighbors – perhaps to long future ages. I find many men nowadays oppressed with the sense of impotence, with the feeling that in the vastness of modern societies, there is nothing of importance that the individual can do. This is a mistake. The individual, if he is filled with the love of mankind, with breadth of vision, with courage and with endurance, can do a great deal… Much wisdom remains to be learned, and if it is to be learned through adversity, we must endeavor to endure adversity with what fortitude we can command. But if we can acquire wisdom soon enough, adversity may not be necessary and the future of man may be happier that any parts of his past.” Poch Suzara