We are all well aware of the terrorism, violence, and war in the world. So many are suffering, especially the poor, the refugees, the immigrants, and the children. Our service men and women overseas have a very difficult mission to carry out, and they and their families and friends suffer great anxiety and stress. We never know when terrorists will strike again, either in our country or overseas. We live in fear of another "9/11."

Family life is under great pressure as well, especially in these difficult economic times. So many times, we hear about violence and dysfunction within the family. Anger erupts and tragedy follows. The same is true on the streets of our towns and cities.

Due to the uncertainty and disruption that can even lead to destruction and death, we long for a time when we will be free of anxiety, uncertainty, and worry. We long for peace. From whence shall it come?

October is a month traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and devotion to her, especially through the praying of the Rosary.  This is so because the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7.

One of the titles given to Mary in the Litany to the Blessed Virgin is "Queen of Peace." Mary is known as the "Queen of Peace" because she has given us the "Prince of Peace," Jesus Christ, her Son and God the Son. Let us pray to her for world peace, for peace in our families, and for peace on our streets. She, in turn, will join us in our prayers and bring them to her Son.

An intrepid proponent of prayer to Mary was Pope John Paul II.  He ended almost every homily, talk, and speech with a short prayer to Mary.  Peace was often the subject of his prayers. He personally experienced the intercession of Mary when he was saved from death by the violence of a "would be" assassin. His beloved Poland is now finally at peace, due largely to prayers offered to God through Mary.

Pope Benedict XVI has continued the tradition of going to Mary for the needs of the Church and of the world.  He, like his predecessor, ends his homilies and speeches with a short prayer to Mary. During the Year of the Eucharist, he spoke of Mary as the "Woman of the Eucharist."

During October, it would be a good idea to pray the Rosary daily for peace, asking Mary to plead with her Son for peace in the world. This can be done either individually, or as a family or group.  Mary will listen to our prayers and Christ will listen to his mother. As I have traveled throughout the Diocese of New Ulm, I have noticed that the Rosary is prayed before Mass. This is a praiseworthy practice. 

In addition to being dedicated to Mary, the month of October is a time to celebrate the great gift of human life. In fact, October 4 is "Respect Life Sunday" in our country.  This Sunday calls to mind another type of violence that is happening in our country and throughout most of the world. For the most part, it is a "hidden" violence and ends the life of an unborn child. It is called abortion.  Abortion not only ends a child’s life, but it also scars deeply the psyche of the parents of the child who is aborted and any others who might be involved in an abortion. We ask, "What can we do?"

Something that all of us can do is to bring the violence of abortion to Mary and to ask her for the end of all abortion, and for healing and peace in the lives of those who have been involved in abortion. We can pray that all human life is respected from conception to natural death. Mary understands the terrible tragedy of abortion because she is a mother.  She will help us.

We can also keep ourselves informed of other avenues through which we can work to defend and protect human life. One excellent way to do this is to go frequently to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Web site. There is a special respect life section on this Web site that contains so much useful information.

On December 3, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Third Meeting of the Presidents of the Episcopal Commissions for the Family and Life of Latin America.  In that address, the Holy Father touched on the right to life that belongs to the unborn.   He said, "In Latin America, as in all other places, children have the right to be born and to be raised in a family founded on marriage, where parents are the first educators of the faith for their children in order for them to reach full human and spiritual maturity."

He went on to say, "Children truly are the family's greatest treasure and most precious good.  Consequently, everyone must be helped to become aware of the intrinsic evil of the crime of abortion.  In attacking human life in its very first stages, it is also an aggression against society itself.  Politicians and legislators, therefore, as servants of the common good, are duty bound to defend the fundamental right to life, the fruit of God's love."

In our own country, we have legalized abortion on demand.  We know that this has caused untold harm by dealing in death rather than life.  Blessed Teresa of Calcutta made the following comment for the Wall Street Journal in l994:  "America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe v. Wade has deformed a great nation.  The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men.  It has portrayed the greatest gifts – a child – as a competitor, an intrusion, and an inconvenience."

In her famous speech at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 3, 1994, Blessed Teresa quoted Jesus:  "Anyone who receives a child in my name, receives me."  She went on to say, "By adopting a child, these couples receive Jesus but, by aborting a child, a couple refuses to receive Jesus."  She continued, "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."

During the month of October, the month of Mary and the month celebrating human life, let this prayer be on our lips often:  "Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us."

October,  2009

No Tengas Miedo

María, Reina de la Paz

por Obispo John M. LeVoir

Todos somos conscientes del terrorismo, la violencia y la guerra en el mundo. Así que muchas personas están sufriendo, especialmente los pobres, los refugiados, los inmigrantes y los niños. Nuestros hombres y mujeres en servicio en el extranjero tienen una misión muy difícil de llevar a cabo y ellos y sus familias y amigos sufren de una gran ansiedad y de estrés. No sabemos nunca cuándo los terroristas atacaran de nuevo, ya sea en nuestro país o en el extranjero. Vivimos con el temor de otro "9/11."

La vida familiar se encuentra bajo una gran presión sobre todo en estos tiempos de dificultades económicas. Muchas veces, hemos oído hablar de la violencia y la disfunción de la familia. Estalla la ira y la tragedia sigue. Lo mismo ocurre en las calles de nuestros pueblos y ciudades.

Debido a la incertidumbre y los trastornos que pueden incluso conducir a la destrucción y la muerte, nosotros echamos de menos un tiempo en el que estemos libres de ansiedad, incertidumbre y preocupación. Anhelamos la paz. ¿De dónde vendrá?

Octubre es un mes tradicionalmente dedicado a la Santísima Virgen María y la devoción a ella, especialmente a través de la oración del Rosario. Esto es así porque la fiesta de Nuestra Señora del Rosario se celebra el 7 de octubre.

Uno de los títulos dados a María en las Letanías a la Santísima Virgen es el de "Reina de la Paz." María es conocida como la "Reina de la Paz" porque nos ha dado al "Príncipe de la Paz," Jesucristo, su Hijo e Hijo de Dios. Recemos a ella por la paz mundial, por la paz en nuestras familias, y por la paz en nuestras calles. Ella, a su vez, se unirá a nosotros en nuestras oraciones y se las llevará a su Hijo.

Durante el mes de octubre, sería una buena idea rezar el Rosario diariamente por la paz, pidiendo a María que ruegue a su Hijo por la paz en el mundo. Esto puede hacerse de forma individual o en familia o en grupo. María va a escuchar nuestras oraciones y Cristo va a escuchar a su madre. Conforme he viajado a través de la Diócesis de New Ulm, he notado que el Rosario se reza antes de la Misa. Esta es una práctica digna de elogio.

Además de estar dedicado a María, el mes de octubre es un momento para celebrar el gran don de la vida humana. De hecho, el 4 de octubre se celebra el "Domingo de Respeto por la vida" en nuestro país. Este domingo trae a la mente otro tipo de violencia que está sucediendo en nuestro país y en la mayor parte del mundo. En su mayor parte, es una violencia "oculta" y termina con la vida de un niño por nacer. Se llama aborto. El aborto no solo termina con la vida de un niño, sino también marca profundamente la psique de los padres del niño que es abortado y otros que podrían estar implicados en un aborto. Nos preguntamos: "¿Qué podemos hacer?"

Algo que todos podemos hacer es llevar la violencia del aborto a María y pedirle que termine con

todos los abortos y por la sanación y la paz en la vida de aquellos que han estado involucrados en un aborto. Podemos rezar para que toda vida humana sea respetada desde la concepción hasta la muerte natural. María comprende la terrible tragedia del aborto porque ella es madre. Ella nos ayudará.

El 3 de diciembre del 2007, el Papa Benedicto XVI dirigió un mensaje a la Tercera Reunión de los Presidentes de las Comisiones Episcopales para la Familia y la Vida de América Latina. En ese discurso, el Santo Padre abordó el derecho a la vida que pertenece a los no nacidos. Él dijo, "Los niños son en verdad el mayor tesoro de la familia y el bien más preciado. En consecuencia, todo el mundo debe ser ayudado a tomar conciencia del mal intrínseco que es el crimen del aborto. El atacar la vida humana en sus primeras etapas, es también una agresión contra la sociedad misma. Los políticos y legisladores, por lo tanto, como servidores del bien común, están obligados a defender el derecho fundamental a la vida, el fruto del amor de Dios. "

Durante el mes de octubre, el mes de María y el mes de la celebración de la vida humana, permitamos que esta oración este a menudo en nuestros labios: "María, Reina de la Paz, ruega por nosotros."