Deus Lo Vult
“Every man has his own destiny: the only imperative is to follow it, to accept it, no matter where it leads him.” ~ Henry Miller
There are times in our lives that we feel like we are being driven, driven by someone or something outside of our control. We tell ourselves and others, “I don’t have a choice. I have to do this.”
St. Paul reflected that feeling when he wrote in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, “Caritas Christi urget nos,” which means, “The love of Christ compels us.” If we call ourselves Christian, we are impelled by God to perform works of charity. There really is no choice if we truly believe in the Lord and accept His mission.
Deus lo vult. God wills it. That is the motto of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre which is the only lay institution of the Vatican State charged with the task of providing for the needs of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and for all the activities and initiatives which are necessary to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land.
The Order’s support for the Christians in the Holy Land does not just take the form of financial contributions and prayers. All of the Order’s Lieutenancies arrange formal pilgrimages, in the course of which Members do not simply view and explore the Holy Sites, but also have the opportunity to meet the people whom they are supporting and assure them that they are not forgotten.
I am in La Crosse, Wisconsin this weekend at our annual conference for the North Central Lieutenancy. Why am I there? If you notice my name in the bulletin, you will see that it is followed by KCHS. That stands for Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre. I joined the other members of the Order to see how we can better support our brother and sister Christians in the Holy Land. They are the “living stones” of the faith and they are very much in need.
Kindly join me in praying for the Christians in the Holy Land that they might be able to practice their faith without being persecuted or ostracized.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for Christians throughout the world who have difficulty practicing their faith that they may witness courageously to God’s love.