JUSTICE AND PEACE FOR ALL PEOPLES THROUGHOUT TJE WORLD..........

One of the grevious human tragedies of the past forty years, make that four hundred years plus has been the sectarianism of Christians in the north of Ireland. In the past two decades great strides have been made to bring justice, peace, and a semblence of unity between Catholic and Protestant Christians, thanks in large measure to the United States and the Clinton Administration. But the history and divisions of hundreds of years still linger especially in the months of July and August, when the "Marching Season" commemorating victories in long ago historical battles of Protestants over Catholics and Catholics over Protestants, of which July 12th, is a pivotal date. Even today there are news reports of clashes occurring in Belfast between the sectarian factions, more than a decade after the Good Friday Accord, led to the end of most of the overt violence and killlings numbering more than 3,000 persons, both Catholic and Protestant Christians. This morning I concelebrated with Fr. Tony a Mass For Peace And Justice In The World. Not just for Northern Ireland, but in China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Africa, the Sudan, as well as in Iraq, and Afghanistan. Wars and oppression are not the Divine Intention or the Natural Order of God's Creation. God's desire for Creation and all of Humankind is a reign of Peace and Justice, not the wats and oppression so prevalent throughout history, that are due so often to the fallen human nature and selfishness of sin, caused by persons and nations seeking political power and personal domination over others. World Peace can only be achieved when Justice takes root in the hearts and minds of Humankind. That is a continuing effort all peoples must make - religious or non believing, spiritual, or humanist, whatever our race, nationality, ethnicity, or economic status, is. For the dignity of each human person and our mutual responsibility as citizens of the world to affirm Creation, is the indispensable forerunner to the Eternal Justice And Peace of God's Reign..........Fr. Troy

July 12th is also the Birthday of 3 friends, two of them brother priests, the other deceased.

..........Happy Birthday to Reverend Father Charles Brady, Pastor-Emeritus of Holy Spirit Parish, Land Park, in Sacramento; Reverend Father Daniel Bollard, Parish Priest of Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland; And in Loving Remembrance of Noreen Long Maher, my beloved classmate Fr. Oliver's Mum, "Mother Maher", whose 80th Birthday Anniversary is today..........