>>> WELCOME BACK. WE KNOW DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES A
LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING AND
SCARED, AND WE THINK THEY ARE
LOOKING FOR WORDS OF COMFORT.
THAT’S WHY WE ASKED ARCHBISHOP
OF NEW YORK CARDINAL TIMOTHY
DOLAN.
DOLAN. HE’S WITH US BY SKYPE IN NEW
YORK CITY.
YORK CITY. YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO ME, CARDINAL
DOLAN BUT FAR AWAY.
HOW ARE YOU THIS MORNING?
>> HODA, FINE.
THANKS FOR THE INVITE.
I’M TEMPTED TO WALK ACROSS
ROCKEFELLER CENTER AND ST.
PATRICK’S TO BE WITH YOU BUT
THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS,
AREN’T THERE?
AREN’T THERE? >> THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
WAKING UP AND FEELING LOST,
AFRAID, ASKING GOD WHY IS THIS
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. WHAT’S YOUR MESSAGE TO THEM?
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO BE
HONEST WITH YOU, HODA, SOMETIMES
I’M TEMPTED TO SOME APPREHENSION
AND A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION
AND FEAR.
AND FEAR. SO I TURN TO THE BIBLE.
BE NOT AFRAID.
BE NOT AFRAID.
I REMEMBER THE WORDS OF JESUS
HIS SON, FEAR IS USELESS.
WHAT IS NEEDED IS TRUST.
I REMEMBER THE PROPHETS OF
HEBREW SCRIPTURES WHO SAY, YOU
KNOW, IT’S EASY TO HAVE TRUST
AND TO SKIP THROUGH LIFE WHEN
THINGS ARE PROSPEROUS AND
HEALTHY, WE NEED TO EXERCISE THE
FAITH MUSCLE IN TIMES OF
ADVERSITY, WHICH IS WHAT WE’RE
GOING THROUGH.
GOING THROUGH. SO GOD IS WITH US.
OUR JEWISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS
HAVE THAT BEAUTIFUL WORD
EMANUEL, GOD IS WITH US.
IT’S NECESSARY TO REMEMBER THAT,
HODA.
HODA. DON’T YOU HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE
SAY THAT GIVEN THE TRIBULATIONS
ALL AROUND, THEY STILL DIG DEEP
DOWN AND THEY FIND STRENGTH
INTERNALLY THAT THEY DIDN’T KNOW
THEY HAD.
THEY HAD. THEY FIND STRENGTH THROUGH OTHER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. AND MOST OF ALL, THEY FIND
CONFIDENCE AND PEACE THROUGH
GOD.
GOD. THOSE THREE SOURCES OF STRENGTH
ARE COMING THROUGH IN ABUNDANCE
THESE DAYS.
THESE DAYS. WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH FACE
MASKS.
MASKS. WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ENOUGH
VENTILATORS, UNFORTUNATELY, WE
DO HAVE FAITH AND TRUST AND
CONFIDENCE.
CONFIDENCE. >> WE DO HAVE THAT.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO TAKE
THEIR FOCUS AWAY FROM GLOOM AND
DOOM AND EVERY DAY NEWS EVENTS
AND TURN THEM TO FAITH AND LOVE.
I THINK ONE OF THE OBSTACLES FOR
SOME FOLKS IS THEY CAN’T
ACTUALLY GET TO CHURCH ON
SUNDAY, OR THEY CAN’T GET TO
THEIR SERVICES THEY WOULD
NORMALLY GET TO.
HOW ARE YOU KIND OF ADVISING
CLERGY AND HOW DO YOU ADVISE
YOUR FLOCK WHEN THEY ALL CAN’T
BE TOGETHER?
BE TOGETHER? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, I’M NOT
SURPRISED AT ALL THAT PEOPLE SAY
THEY REALLY FIND IT A SACRIFICE
NOT TO BE IN CHURCH FOR MASS AND
SACRAMENTS.
SACRAMENTS. THAT’S A REAL TRIBUTE TO WHAT WE
IN THE CHURCH HAVE.
I ALSO WANT TO REMIND THEM OF
THE WHOLE ELEMENT OF FAITH.
FAITH, AS THE BIBLE TELLS US, IS
CONFIDENCE IN THINGS THAT WE
REALLY CAN’T SEE.
PROMISES MADE THAT WE TRUST ARE
GOING TO BE FULFILLED.
SO EVEN IN THE BEST OF TIMES,
HODA, WHEN WE’RE IN CHURCH, WHEN
WE’RE PARTICIPATING IN THE
SACRAMENTS, WE’RE TRUSTING IN
SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE SEEN.
OKAY?
OKAY? THAT’S THE ESSENCE OF FAITH.
REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID TO ST.
THOMAS, THE DOUBTING THOMAS.
THOMAS BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO
CANNOT SEE BUT STILL BELIEVE.
AND JESUS IS SAYING THAT TO US
TODAY.
TODAY. ACTUALLY OUR FAITH IS MORE
PLEASING TO HIM.
OUR FAITH IS MORE RADIANT
BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE THOSE
BEAUTIFUL CONSOLATIONS OF
RELIGION AND FAITH AND THE
CHURCH UPON WHICH WE USUALLY
COUNT AND YET WE’RE TILL
PERSEVERING.
PERSEVERING. >> THIS IS A GLOBAL CRISIS,
ARCHBISHOP, AND IT ENCOMPASSES
ALL RELIGIONS.
ALL RELIGIONS. IS THERE A UNIVERSAL PRAYER THAT
YOU THINK WE AS A GLOBE COULD
COLLECTIVELY SAY IN THIS TIME?
>> I THINK SO, HODA, AND THANKS.
THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD
CONSEQUENCE.
CONSEQUENCE. GOD CAN BRING GOOD FROM EVIL.
HE IS BRINGING US ALL TOGETHER,
ISN’T HE?
ISN’T HE? WHAT’S A PRAYER WE CAN ALL SAY?
I DON’T KNOW OF ANY RELIGION
THAT WOULD TAKE EXCEPTION TO
THIS PRAYER.
THIS PRAYER. DEAR GOD, YOU ARE OUR FATHER.
WE ARE YOUR CHILDREN.
WE TRUST YOU TO TAKE CARE OF US
AND HELP US TAKE CARE OF ONE
ANOTHER.
ANOTHER. I DON’T KNOW WHO WOULD HAVE AN
OBJECTION TO THAT SIMPLE PRAYER.
>> I THINK THAT PRAYER IS
BEAUTIFUL.
BEAUTIFUL. LASTLY, HERE AT NBC, WE LOST A
LOVED ONE HERE, LARRY EDGEWORTH.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE LOST
LOVED ONES.
LOVED ONES. I WONDER IF THERE’S A PRAYER FOR
LARRY AND HIS FAMILY, CRYSTAL
AND KIDS AND OTHERS OUT THERE.
>> YOU BET, HODA, THANKS FOR
ASKING.
ASKING. ETERNAL REST FOR LARRY, OH LORD
AND LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE UPON
HIM AND CONSOLATION ON HIS
FAMILY.
FAMILY. MAY HIS SOUL AND ALL THE SOULS
OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED DURING
THIS CRISIS REST IN PEACE.
AMEN.
AMEN. THANKS FOR ASKING, HODA.
WHERE IS AL AND SAVANNAH?
>> AL IS AT HIS HOME.
SAVANNAH IS AT HER HOME.
>> ARE THEY DRINKING BLOODY
MARYS?
MARYS? >> PROBABLY ON THE WEEKEND.
I THINK THAT’S PROBABLY A GIVEN.
TIMOTHY CARDINAL DOLAN, THANK
YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO
LIFTING US UP.
>> LOVE AND PRAYERS TO ALL OUR
LISTENERS.
LISTENERS. >> WE LOVE YOU.
WE SHOULD MENTION CARDINAL DOLAN