Domine, miserere nobis!

I have just been speaking to my mother via the wonder that is VoIP on Google Talk and been reading blogs and the news webpages and finally realized just how big Hurricane Katrina is! I've been off-line for almost 2 days, with 31 August in Malaysia being our Independence Day and a public holiday and I've spent much of today on a coach trip to Singapore. I'd not really seen much news either in the local papers or the television about the devastation in America, so I was only vaguely aware of the advent of the hurricane in New Orleans. Only tonight did I get the time to sit down and catch up on news and talking to my mother, I quickly went to view the CNN images of destruction and read the statistics and I am shocked!

My father, who is here in Singapore with me, just commented that it looks worse than last year's tsunami... and I am inclined to agree. I only hope the death toll is nowhere near as great but in the meantime, there is still many to be rescued, helped and eventually aided in getting their life back together. This will require yet another effort of global solidarity and generosity and I hope we will rise to the challenge.

In times like this, it is very hard to make sense of it all. We will spend months and even years debating issues of theodicy as we did after the Asian tsunami. I am filled with wonderment and dread too in the face of such 'acts of God' and as I sit here and watch the news, my heart goes out to the people who have been affected and indeed the peoples of America, who have become friends by way of this blog. In the face of suffering on this scale, one can only reflect on the Lord who suffers with and for us on the Cross. Suffering is indeed a great mystery in God's plan of salvation but one that no one is alien to, even God...

Moniales OP has been tracking the welfare of the Dominicans in the affected area (via DomLife) and they have a prayer to Our Lady of Prompt Succour, patroness of New Orleans. I can only join them in their prayer and implore the Lord's mercy on New Orleans and on America.

For more on what can be done to help and what's going on, read Amy Welborn.

Lord, have mercy on us!