In recent months and years, the world has seen its share of devastation, tragedies, and casualties. The times have not been kind to everyone, most especially to followers of Jesus Christ. Ceaseless attacks on Christians continue to plague nation after nation, the recent one being the Islamist extremists’ attack on three churches and three hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
On April 21, 2019, the whole world mourned the death of worshippers who gathered inside the parishes to celebrate what would have been a joyous moment in Biblical history. Thousands of casualties were reported from the series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings. Families lost loved ones while others succumbed to injuries.
Most of the accounted deaths were children, who dressed in their best Sunday outfits, unaware that their precious lives were about to be cut short. In the wake of the massacre, the children were the subject of conversation on news outlets, on social media, and even on talks on the street. It was the images of innocence that gripped the nation’s imagination.
Regardless, it’s during these unpredictable tragedies that fellow Christians draw on each other for support and comfort. It’s most especially during these trying times that they turn to God for courage, guidance, and acceptance to move on. Despite the heartache, they never forget to seek the Lord in prayer.
It has been more than four months since the tragedy and the memory is still fresh in everyone’s minds. So much so, that some worshippers hesitate to return to their respective parishes in fear. Some of the survivors of the St. Sebastian attack have yet to emotionally conquer the courage to return, while other worshippers couldn’t hold back tears as they gathered for mass on July 21, the first Sunday service since the attack.
As a nation of Christian worshippers, it’s humbling to pray for our brothers and sisters who are still reeling from the loss of their loved ones from the attack. It’s our sacred duty to lift up their lives to God for comfort and assurance that He will heal them and lift them out of their burdens.