"Let not your hearts be troubled ..."

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In today's Gospel from John 14:1-6 Jesus says, ''Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.'' These are words that we need to take to heart in these troubled times when many people can no longer watch the Television news for all the atrocities that are so often shown. To see civilians, women and children being killed by bombs and in danger of starvation is heart- breaking. 80 people have just been killed in the most recent airstrikes on a hospital in Gaza. In this situation, I am reminded of Saint Oscar Romero, bishop in El Salvador at a time when the government was authorizing the military to arrest, torture and kill all those who were opposing the regime and working for justice. Oscar said these memorable words on the radio, ''In the name of God and in the name of these suffering people whose cries rise to heaven with more urgency every day. I beseech you, I implore you, I order you in the name of God to stop this repression.'' The following day Bishop Oscar Romero was himself killed during mass on orders of the army. As he continually prayed and worked for the suffering people with trust in God, let us not lose hope, but raise our cries to heaven that true peace will come in all those war-torn countries. We pray that international pressure will be brought to bear on presidents and army leaders especially in the land where Jesus himself walked, preaching peace and accompanying and healing those who were suffering. ''May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!'' (Psalm 29:11)