The following message is from His Excellency Ryan Jimenez, Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agana:
In prayer, draw close to God who alone saves us
Dear Catholic faithful and all people,
Today, many eyes are focused on world leaders and news reports. Hearts are filled with fear and apprehension because of deadly military violence in the Middle East, which threatens war on a global scale.
In the midst of these unsettling times, I remind everyone to plant our trust and attention firmly on our Almighty God.
During his Corpus Christi Sunday homily, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of committing ourselves to the Lord who alone sustains us. He described how in the Gospel, the crowds gathered around Jesus who taught them and healed their sick. Pope Leo spoke of the Lord’s compassion for the suffering. It reflects “the loving closeness of God, who comes into our world to save us.”
“Where God reigns, we are set free from all evil, ” Pope Leo explained. He reminded us that during our times of need, whether hunger, illness or the earthly end of our lives, “Jesus remains present in our midst.”
Prayer draws us closer to God. So I thank many in our Church who have responded to our call to pray much more fervently during these tense times. Thank you for praying the Holy Rosary often and for your sacrifices and devotions dedicated to peace in our world, communities and families. Each heartfelt prayer matters greatly.
Please pray for the men and women in our military and all who might be deployed or who are already in the front lines of danger. Pray intensely for the masses of innocent civilians who are suffering, especially children and elderly whose horror and pain we cannot begin to imagine.
At this writing, there are reports of a possible ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Developments are ever fluid however, so please pray that indeed, a ceasefire takes place.
Pray for our national and world leaders. May the Holy Spirit infuse their hearts, minds and senses with wisdom, diplomacy and compassion. We implore them to heed the words of Pope Leo XIV.
“Today more than ever, humanity cries out and pleads for peace,” the pope said. The cry for peace “demands responsibility and reason and must not be drowned out by the roar of weapons or by rhetorical words that incite conflict.”
“War does not solve problems,” the pope noted. “On the contrary, it amplifies them and causes deep wounds in the history of peoples—wounds that take generations to heal. No military victory can ever compensate for a mother’s pain, a child’s fear, or a stolen future.”
I am currently traveling to Rome where I will be among dozens of new archbishops who will receive sheepskin cloths known as palliums from our Holy Father on June 29. Though I am far from home, please know that my prayers are with all of you in Guam and the Marianas Islands. You are always in my thoughts and petitions. I shall ask the pope and my brother archbishops to pray for our people in Guam, the Marianas and the Pacific as well.
The peace of Christ be with one all,
/s/Most Reverend Ryan P. Jimenez, D.D.
Archbishop of Agaña
