My mom and I watched Mass today from the parish we used to attend 30-40 years ago. My mom was the organist there. At that time, the pastor met a young priest from Ukraine and they formed a close relationship. The two parishes also formed a relationship supporting one another. The young priest became a bishop in an area of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the pastor of our parish died recently, but together they put a support system in place. The bishop from the Ukraine was here on a visit, along with a priest from Poland just across the border. They and the bishop from our Diocese celebrated the Mass that we watched. It was beautiful, yet somber. The priest from Ukraine acknowledged that God had arranged years ago for such times as these. After the Mass, they showed a short video that was a snippet of a documentary that was produced by EWTN. It was heart wrenching to hear of how the lives of the Ukraine people were changed forever in moments. One woman said that things were normal, children played, parents got old, and people went about their lives. Now, every day people wonder if they will live to the end of the day. Their faces bore the stress of a war torn life. But, they also said they have hope. If they refuse to give into the fear, they stand by one another, help one another, pray together, and work towards peaceful unity. The priests talked about the safe places they have created to harbor and help people. The support they have received from our Diocese, their love for God and one another helped them to remain hopeful. While the Mass and video were heartbreaking, they were also inspiring.

I Found God today inspired by the commitment and perseverance of priests and residents of Ukraine.