In the wake of two terror attacks in Norway that left at least 93 people dead, Pope Benedict XVI called for an end to hatred and ideologies that promote evil. "We are all deeply saddened by the serious terrorist acts," the pope said after praying the Angelus with pilgrims in Castel Gandolfo July 24. The pope launched an appeal "to abandon once and for all the path of violence and avoid principles of evil." As a further expression of his condolences and prayers for those affected by the attacks, the pope sent a message to Norway's King Harald V. The pope said he was praying for all those affected by "the acts of senseless violence perpetrated in Oslo and Utoya." The pope asked that the country "be spiritually united in a determined resolve to reject the ways of hatred and conflict and to work together fearlessly in shaping a future of mutual respect, solidarity and freedom for coming generations." Explosives ripped through Norwegian government headquarters in Oslo July 22, leaving seven people dead and dozens injured. Shortly after the bombing, witnesses said a man dressed as a police officer shot at people attending a summer youth camp run by the country's governing Labor Party on the island of Utoya. Police said at least 86 people died at the camp, but authorities were searching the island and the waters just offshore for several missing people. At least 96 other people were injured in the twin attacks. The suspect, 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik, has admitted to carrying out the killings but has not admitted any criminal wrongdoing. He pleaded not guilty in an Oslo court July 25 after being charged under the country's terrorism act. His lawyer told journalists July 24 that his client thought "it was gruesome having to commit these acts, but in his head, they were necessary." "He wished to attack society and the structure of society," said the lawyer, Geir Lippestad. The suspect is believed to have links to groups espousing anti-Muslim and anti-immigration views, and a desire to bring about a revolution against the government in Norway. Meanwhile, Bishop Bernt Eidsvig of Oslo told Vatican Radio July 25 that the country was united in mourning for the victims and still in shock over the killings. "It has affected every one of us. Despite political differences or other differences, this is a tragedy," he said. "We do not know anything like it in our history, that 100 people are killed in cold blood. So it is creating unity, and in spite of the grief, also strength." Bishop Eidsvig said in the interview that people were shocked the prime suspect was Norwegian saying, "Of course in all countries, there are disturbed and misled persons. I am quite sure he is one of them. He must be mentally disturbed. I don't think ideology is sufficient to explain this." The bishop said he expected a traditionally lax approach to security around government buildings would be quickly reversed, saying they had already been planning to block off the street where the suspect allegedly parked a car with a bomb inside. "In Oslo, you've practically been able to drive your car to the prime minister's office or to the king's palace if you pretended to have business there. But I think all this will come to an end fairly soon," he said. "I think we are waking up to reality."

Christy Nockels latest song “Waiting Here For You” provides a message that concerns one of the most difficult things that we as humans have to confront in our daily lives. We do not want to wait on anything or anyone. But she is clear in her song that waiting for Jesus to move and lead us where we need to go is very worthwhile. The third verse says, "You are everything You’ve promised. Your faithfulness is true. And we're desperate for Your presence. All we need is You." Waiting for the Lord to share his plan for our lives is difficult. We see others moving ahead or supposedly receiving the things that they want and we find ourselves growing restless. Sometimes we even get jealous and begin to rail against God. We feel like we are being punished even though we feel we have been faithful and patient. Christy sings that God has loved us from the start. That is a key idea that can settle even the most nervous person. God does love us. He created us to love him. He covets a loving relationship with us and he is jealous of that love. He wants us to love him first and most. We should never place other things ahead of him. So I return to a theme that has been appearing on my heart and this blog recently: what did you do for God today? If we stay focused on trying to please God and showing him praise, everything else will fall into place. Today I ask that you pray for the soul of Jim D'Amico who recently passed away. I am sure that he is receiving everything that he ever hoped for and that he has joined our Lord in heaven.

So Google asks us today why we should remember Gregor Mendel and even honors him with a Doodle. A doodle is the word Google spelled out using different themes. Anyway, Mendel was an Augustinian friar who basically discovered the concepts that lead to the science of genetics. Of course the secular world then makes the leap to Darwin and evolution. I am not sure that Friar Mendel would agree. It did make me wonder about other Catholics who have made contributions to science. It turns out that the list is enormous. Have you ever heard of Father Eugenio Barsanti? He is known for being the inventor of the internal combustion engine. It seems that he is not widely credited with this invention because his patent was misplaced somehow. What about Jean-Charles de la Faille? He was a Jesuit mathematician who determined the center of gravity of the sector of a circle for the first time. Have you ever heard of Robert Grosseteste who has been called the first man to write down a complete set of steps for performing a scientific experiment. The list goes on and on but the point is rather obvious. These great men and many more like them (including women) had deep faith. They spent many of their years on earth developing their relationship with God. Their "day job" if you will was typically about bringing the Gospel of our Lord to others so that they too would come to believe in Jesus Christ as their savior. Why don't we learn about people like this in our science courses? People of faith that also tried to understand the physical world that God has created. So if you looked at Google today, the peas were a reminder of Friar Mendel, a good Catholic who found God's wonderment so fascinating that he wanted to learn more. And in doing so, he made one of the most significant discoveries in science without compromising his faith.

St. Francis prayed for the Lord to make him an instrument of peace. So many people have been moved by this prayer and the subsequent songs. I wonder if we have been moved enough to make a difference in a world that is crying out for peace makers? Few would argue against the notion that to solve conflict created by religious intolerance, prejudice and discrimination, it is essential to understand how religion motivates believers and shapes their worldviews, that respecting all religions is not enough. While religion can be a cause of conflict, it carries political leverage that many say makes it a source for solutions and a tool for peace building. "We are giving a whole government effort to put religion on the table," said the Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, the new U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. The United States is "on the front lines of confronting conflict and urging and pressing governments" to fight for religious freedom, she told Catholic News Service in a phone interview. Her comments came in response to remarks of participants in a recent panel discussion at the National Press Club in Washington on the role of faith-based diplomacy and the use of religion to resolve conflict, especially with regard to Pakistan. The press club discussion, held in mid-June, focused on a new book by Douglas M. Johnston, president and founder of the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, who says the U.S. should realign its view on the role religion plays in politics. This is a nice step in the right direction but there is much work to be done. Think of the intolerance for Catholicism that regularly confronts us in the media. Year after year, new movies are released that bash Catholicism. The leadership of our Church is calling on us to become more vigilant. Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

According to various news services, Israel opened the traditional baptism site of Jesus to daily visits on Tuesday, a move that required the cooperation of Israel's military and the removal of nearby mines in the West Bank along the border with Jordan.

The location, where John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the waters of the Jordan River, is one of the most important sites in Christianity. Until now, it was opened several times a year in coordination with the Israeli military, but because of its sensitive location, it had not been regularly open to the public since Israel captured the site from Jordan, along with the rest of the West Bank, in the 1967 Mideast war. That war left the site in a heavily mined no-man's land along a hostile frontier until Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994.

Today, the baptism site sits among old minefields and near an Israeli military post in the Jordan Valley, where the famous river described in the Bible appears from afar as a dusty green gash of vegetation across a desert moonscape. Perhaps 10 yards
(meters) of opaque green water separate the baptism site on the Israel-controlled side from a Jordanian baptism site on the other bank.

Israel hopes the opening of the site will help draw Christian tourists, who have been
coming to Israel in growing numbers in recent years. Of the 3.45 million tourists
who arrived last year, about 69 percent were Christian, and 38 percent defined their visit as a religious pilgrimage, according to the Tourism Ministry.

Israel renovated the site at a cost of $2.3 million and removed some of the nearby
mines, Israeli officials said. Tuesday's ceremony was attended by Silvan Shalom,
the Israeli minister for regional development, and by representatives of Christian
denominations in the Holy Land.

No representatives of Jordan or the Palestinians were present. Each side has its
own objections. Palestinians reject any Israeli moves to develop the West Bank, where Palestinians hope to establish an independent state.

Yesterday's reading from St. Paul to the Romans was extremely powerful. It caused me to stop and read it again during Mass. I then had to read it twice more once I got home. I returned to it this morning. Romans 8:18-21 says, "Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God." How timely is this passage for us today? There are so many earthly sufferings in our present time. I am not sure if there are more than in St. Paul's time but I am sure that some of them are the same. It is reassuring to know that Christians were experiencing trials during the early years of the Church just as we are today. We know that living the life of a Christian does not solve all of our problems. In fact, it creates new ones. As Christians we must get up every day and do things to honor God. As Christians we are persecuted for our beliefs. As Christians we are forced to spend tax dollars on abortion, homosexuality, and other abominations that God considers sinful. So how do we become free to worship God? How do we develop our relationship with God? We know that God exists because we can reason our creation was accomplished by a higher power. We know that we were created by a loving God who wants to have a relationship with us. We know that we were created to love God. In return, he loves us without condition. He is always ready to help and console us. He will never let us down. He always has our best interests at heart. Can you say that about anyone else in this world? The futility of the world is laid bare every day. Look at our brothers and sisters who are driven by greed, lust or power. Look at those who can never be satisfied no matter how many things they buy. Futility leads to unhappiness. But there is an alternative and it is offered freely and without burden. Jesus paid the price for us. We only need to say yes to God. Then the glorious freedom is bestowed upon us. How satisfying is that? It is like a drink of water after a walk through Death Valley. Let the Lord refresh you. Let him lead you out of futility today. Say yes!

I have been working on spiritual priorities lately. How are your spiritual priorities? Of course I am talking about the usual list that should include the Holy Trinity, spouse, family and friends. But what I am talking about here is the next level of spiritual priorities. How are you bringing the word of God to co-workers, acquaintances, and even random strangers? Have you ever has a conversation about God with a person that happens to sit next to you on an airplane? How would you even go about doing this, I wondered and prayed? Then it hit me. I start with a book. It can be the Bible but it might be something else like The Shack, Heaven Is For Real or Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way. It creates a nice jumping off point to begin a conversation especially if they ask about you the book. I was recently in an airport waiting for my flight that had been delayed. I noticed a lady was reading The Shack and so I approached her and asked if she was enjoying it. I told her that I had read it several times and still find myself turning to it on my Nook when I am looking for something to read. It gives me a sense of peace and hope. She told me that she was struggling with some of the imagery and so we talked about that a while. In the end, we exchanged contact information and I told her to let me know what she thought once she had completed her reading. Then something interesting happen. Another person sitting nearby began to talk with us about God. When I returned to my original place with the rest of my traveling party of co-workers, they asked me about the conversations that had just taken place. All of a sudden, I was bold with the power of the Holy Spirit and I began to tell them about my spiritual journey. I planted the seeds for the future. It is now up to God to grow them but I am sure He can handle it. I had prayed for wisdom about this task and out of nowhere came the answer. It is truly amazing how God can and will work in your life if you only let Him.