Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time(Click here for readings)
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests... Some ignored the invitation and went away...The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them."
James Foley. On Tuesday, August 19th, 2014, the Roman Catholic photojournalist James Foley was savagely executed by Islamic State barbarians. He was only forty-years-old. His parents, both devout Roman Catholics, paid tribute to her son.
"We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person... "We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people...
"We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world."
The Foleys' pastor, Father Paul Gousse, was at the family's house the evening of the 19th. He left without speaking to reporters. The parish posted a notice that the church would be open to all who wished to pray for Jim, his family, friends and colleagues.
This wasn't James' first run in with militants. Back in 2011, he and two other reporters were kidnapped in Libya. After his release, he wrote an article for Marquette magazine on how prayer, especially the rosary, got him through his captivity.
"It was what my mother and grandmother would have prayed. I said 10 Hail Marys between each Our Father. It took a long time, almost an hour to count 100 Hail Marys off on my knuckles. And it helped to keep my mind focused,” he wrote. “Clare [another reporter kidnapped] and I prayed together out loud. It felt energizing to speak our weaknesses and hopes together, as if in a conversation with God, rather than silently and alone.”
Foley was educated and trained at Marquette University, a Jesuit school. He said Marquette “has always been a friend to me. The kind who challenges you to do more and be better and ultimately shapes who you become.”
A few decades ago, it was popular for people to say something along the lines like "all religions are the same." Not only is this as ridiculous and practically useless as saying all armies are alike or all people are alike, but it discloses ignorance. All religions are as much alike as all fingerprints and DNA, enough alike to be able to identify one from the other.
Let's keep James, his family, and all hostages in the hands of terrorists in our prayers. These innocent men and women will need them, for ISIS is an organization that has little to no regard for human life, especially non-Sunni Muslim life.
Thanks for sharing that information. I didn't know that James Foley was Catholic. I'm glad he was part of the Church and could act as a powerful witness to the faith. I will certainly pray for him and his family.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, other reporters and journalists can follow his lead and expose the horrors occurring in the Middle East. All of us in the West need to learn from this and try to do something about it. It's truly awful.
What can you say? We have been praying for Mr. Foley and his family.
ReplyDeleteYou mean that business treating people differently based on religion should be legal? How about based on ethnicity?
ReplyDeleteTerrorist organization might be a bit of a stretch.
What about senior citizens? What about military personnel? You are so immature and incoherent in your arguments! When it comes to ethnicity they shouldn't. That's my answer. When it comes to bringing a church bulletin, what's wrong with that, unless your a fanatic atheist that hates people who go to Church and those who support those who go to Church.
ReplyDeleteAre you also an anti-military fanatic that hates people who enter the military and those who support them? Should I assume that from you, especially if you love to argue a point by dodging it?
Anyone who threatens to sue people for giving a discount for those who bring a Church bulletin is a terrorist, especially for those mom and pop places that could shut down due to legal expenses.
ReplyDeleteNo. No stretch whatsoever. You're the one who can't see the similarity. Funny how you can see all religions are the same but you can't see how all terrorists are the same.
I'm sure they would accept the bulletin that comes from the Church of the flying spaghetti monster, an atheist church that exists simply to mock and ridicule religious belief. Oh, the tolerance of those who claim to be tolerant of others. :)
ReplyDeleteFr. Alfonse. I want you to know that your blog has helped me so much in my Catholic faith. I am so passionate about it because of you and your writers. I used to be afraid of engaging with non-believers and now I feel so equipped in handling their abusive language with simple logic, common sense and virtue. THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteI never thought of senior citizens and military personnel. How funny! It's so common for atheists to dodge the issue by raising different issues. If lawyers did that, they would be ridiculed in a court of law. One must argue based on the merits of the case.