Dear Friends in Christ:
We join with the urgent supplications of His Beatitude, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, for a quick end to the brutal hostilities in the Holy Land and for the resolve to take up the labor of peace.
The intense horror of the past days continues the sorrowful lamentations arising from the long-afflicted places and peoples of the Holy Land. Responding to the sufferings of our brothers and sisters, let us take up the instruments of peace: fasting, prayer, and works of mercy. In doing so, we unite ourselves more closely with the Lord Jesus, who by his death on Calvary united himself with all those who suffer from the scourge of violence and hatred. Contemplating the Crucified Christ, let us join hands with Him, who reconciles all people “with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death.” (Eph. 2.13-16)
May our fasting, prayer, and works of mercy give an unwavering witness to His divine mercy and peace.
May the intercession of the Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Palestine, make us steadfast in our efforts for the cause of peace in the Holy Lands of her Beloved Son, Jesus.
Respectfully,
+Jaime Soto
Bishop of Sacramento
Grand Prior