Osama Bin Laden --- Peacemaker?

I didn’t stay up to watch the president’s speech last night, announcing the death of Osama Bin Laden. I’m sure his advisors were telling him it was “The Speech” of his presidency, and so it was constantly being revised and the “correct” people rounded up to hear it, late into the night last evening. I decided not to wait for it. I heard from the coffee shop group this morning that it was indeed the best speech they had heard from our president. I’m glad. I just hope it serves as a unifying speech, not for one man or one party, but for our country and the world.

I do not celebrate the death of any man. Yet I recall that God said it was good that the pharaoh had risen to be a great tyrant, so that God’s power could be shown against him. Last Good Friday, I and many others prayed a rosary between noon and 3PM for world peace. We prayed last week and yesterday a novena for Divine Mercy. Were our prayers answered in the death of a man? Yesterday, Divine Mercy Sunday, I also prayed to Blessed John Paul II, asking him to intervene for our country and the world. And then I heard the news of Bin Laden’s death last night.

During his papacy, Pope John Paul II helped bring about the destruction of the Berlin wall, and bring an end to domination of world communism. Did another wall begin falling last night? Has a time of greater world peace begun? Will bin Laden’s death be the start of a resolution to Muslim in-fighting between Sunni and Shiites? Will it be the start of a coming together of all of Abraham’s children?

For peace, Divine Mercy, and all these things I pray, and I trust in You, my Jesus, I trust in You.

It appears that many coincidences happened yesterday. I don’t believe in coincidences.

This morning as I read my Morning Prayers and attended mass, I found much to remind me of the events of yesterday --- and tomorrow?

Though the wicked spring up like grass
And all who do evil thrive:
They are doomed to be eternally destroyed.

See how your enemies perish;
All doers of evil are scattered.
My eyes looked in triumph on my foes;
My ears heard gladly of their fall.
Psalm 92

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, Grant us peace.

Our Father Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil. Amen.

St Michael the archangel,
Defend us in battle.
Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him we humbly pray,
And do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
By the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits,
Who prowl through the world,
Seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

And when I opened a book for my morning meditation, I read the following words:
“When we concentrate too much on something that isn’t right, and make it our main topic of conversation, we end up giving evil more substance that it has. Deploring evil sometimes only strengthens it. I recently heard a priest say: ‘I’m not going to spend my life denouncing sin. That would be doing it too much honor. I would rather encourage good than condemn evil.’ And I think he was right.”
Interior Freedom, by Jacques Philippe