Another tragedy

If one mining disaster was not enough, three miners died yesterday evening while working to rescue the six trapped miners and at least six others were injured. It seems now that both catastrophes are the result of seismic activity along the fault line. Tremors have slowed the pace of the effort considerably. It looks like the rescue effort may be suspended. Nonetheless, let us continue to pray for the trapped miners, for their families, and let us not fail to pray for those who died in a valiant effort to rescue their fellow miners. "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn 15,13). These are words we often use thoughtlessly and in a frivolous manner, like "thy will be done", but when truly lived the resulting reality is often painful, even lethal. Events like this drive us to our knees in humble supplication.

May we also not hesitate to invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on behalf of the dead miners, their families, the trapped miners and their long suffering families, and those injured, and in a special way for those making decisions about whether or when to resume the rescue effort there in Huntington.