Statement of the Most Reverend Edmond Carmody, Bishop of Corpus Christi
September 5, 2005
In times of trouble, the people rightly look to their shepherd [Bishop] for guidance. I look to Holy Scripture for that guidance. The Written Word always contains some answers. I want to share my thoughts with you for your guidance and comfort.
Our Lord was moved to renew his submission to the Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemani. On the Cross he used the Psalm that opened, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Bible scholars tell us he chose that Psalm of dereliction because it ends on a note of triumph, the promise of glorious resurrection.
Reading the Evening Prayer of the Church for this Labor Day, I found Psalm 124, Titled in the prayer book, “Our Help Is In the Name of the Lord.”
“ ‘If the Lord had not been on our side’ this is Israel’s song.
“ Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept
the raging waters.
“Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the Name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.”
Hospitality is a bible-based virtue. From the time of Abraham who entertained the three strangers sent to him in Genesis, to Jesus who told of the Good Samaritan that came to the aid of the wounded man.
Perhaps we cannot restore innocence but we can restore relationships. Our brother and sister is the person in need regardless of place of origin. Our bond is our common humanity. The believer sees the image of God in the stranger. St. Benedict urged his monks to welcome the stranger as Christ.
I thank members of the Corpus Christi Catholic Community and all people of good will for their efforts in assisting those who have evacuated to the Coastal Bend as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The Texas Gulf Coast remembers Hurricane Celia when many came to our help. The deadly 1919 storm caused the Corpus Christi Sea Wall to be built by the contributions of many neighboring communities.
I call upon everyone to continue that spirit of welcome and assistance for our newest visitors.