When you have no words...

It is Friday. As you know, I usually participate in 7 Quick takes at conversiondiary.com. However, based on today's events in Connecticut, I just can't.

Watching the events of today unfold on the news is absolutely gut wrenching. As a former teacher and new parent,  I am literally speechless. All I can do is hug my little man and be grateful for the time God has given me with him.

It is times like these when I rely so heavily on my faith because there is no explanation as to why these little ones died today. There is absolutely no reasonable explanation. As President Obama said earlier [with tears in his eyes], " They had their whole lives ahead of them."

‎"The human heart has depths from which schemes of unheard-of ferocity sometimes emerge, capable of destroying in a moment the normal daily life of a people. But faith comes to our aid at these times when words seem to fail. Christ’s word is the only one that can give a response to the questions which trouble our spirit. Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say. Christian hope is based on this truth; at this time our prayerful trust draws strength from it."

—Blessed John Paul II

What have I done today? I've prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with the women of #CathSorority.  I am trying to make sense out of the senseless acts of violence in this world. I am hopeful for the future.

[I am struggling with the next statement and have rewritten it several times but, it just doesn't sound right.]

It is my hope that my son will grow up...that he will not just grow up but, grow up in a peaceful world. That he will know the importance of loving his neighbor and treating others as he would wish to be treated. In my thoughts, in my worlds, and in my actions, it is my hope that I will teach him how to be a peaceful person with an understanding that he is loved by his family and by God.

As we move forward, we need to make sure that we are understanding of the needs of others as well as our own needs. People are going to react to this shooting in many and various ways. Before we make judgements about how people are reacting, we need to sit back and think about how this shooting is effecting them. Not everyone reacts in the same way. The only wrong way to react is with more hate.

Whether you are for or against gun control...for or again public schooling...it does not matter. What matters is that we treat each other with love and respect because we are all made in the image and likeness of God.