In last Sunday’s first reading from the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord spoke of a future time when His House will be called a House of Prayer for all people.  Again, on the night before He underwent His Passion and Death, Jesus prayed that we may all be one as He is one with His Father.  We call the Eucharist Holy Communion -- the word “communion” comes from two Latin words, “com” meaning “with” and “unio” which means “oneness or union”.  Clearly, unity is a central goal of Christianity.  God originally created us to live in perfect harmony not only with Himself, but all with each other, and all of creation.
    
Sadly, because of our doubt in God’s goodness, our first parents committed Original Sin, and immediately there is a disruption in the harmony with God, each other, and creation.  That this spirit of disunity is still resisting God’s plan for unity was grossly evident in the tragic events in Charlottesville two weeks ago.  Whether it is disunity and disharmony along racial lines, or political lines, age, or cultural, it is sadly evident that our nation is being torn apart by hate.

What can we do about it?  Of course each of us need to begin by taking a long, honest look at ourselves to identify our prejudices, then pray for the grace to overcome those prejudices so that we can better live the oneness that Jesus desires all of us to live.  We can also witness to God’s desire for unity by gently but clearly saying no to disrespectful speech among our friends and family and co-works.  We all know the words, the slang, that I am talking about.  We can also lovingly challenge discriminatory actions in the workplace, marketplace, and our homes.  And we can pray.

After listening to Deacon Jim’s homily about the lack of unity so often manifested in our society, I was inspired with an idea.  One time in our recent history when it seemed that we came together as a nation was after the horrific tragedy of September 11, 2001.  So perhaps we can pray for all those who died that day, and for the unity we experienced then, by praying a novena for the healing of our nation.

God seemed to verify my idea because last Monday morning I received an email from a Catholic prayer card company with the following prayer:
  Almighty God, our Rock and our Salvation, we beg you to pour out your Holy Spirit upon our fractured nation.  Heal the divisions that separate us and remove all obstacles to authentic unity.  May You guide this great country of ours and lead our citizens to embrace one another as neighbors and fellow countrymen, created in Your own image and likeness.  Give us a fresh opportunity for renewal and true solidarity for the common good of our homeland.  May we return to our true identity as a people of faith and charity.  Help us to remain One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.  Amen.
    
I am proposing that we pray this prayer for 9 days, from September 3 to September 11, adding a decade of the Rosary at the end.  I have ordered 300 prayer cards with the above prayer, which I plan to make available the weekend of September 2 & 3 (one per family), and then we will plan to have a prayer service on the evening of September 11 (a Monday) to close our novena.