Last week, an Israeli attack on Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital complex in Deir el-Balah resulted in flames engulfing a tent, sheltering many people. Four people died,including Shaban-Al-Dalou, a nineteen-year-old engineering student who was attached to an IV drip at the time, and his mother. Both were burned alive.Shaban’s father, uttered these final words to his son, “Forgive me my son, I Couldn’t save you:”
Jesus, your Mother Mary is sometimes called Our Lady of Sorrows, because she bore witness to your painful and tortuous death. Today we share in this heavy sorrow, as we grieve with Shaban’s family the horrific deaths at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Our words fail because there are no words that can do justice at this moment. Today, we echo the words of Lamentation, “[Our] eyes are worn out with tears” (2:11). Like Shaban’s father we say, “forgive us, for we have not yet been able to stop this genocide.”
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer