National Day of Prayer
-Michael Sullivan
On May 2nd at the lawn of Courthouse Square, in the heart of Stroudsburg Pennsylvania, the Church of Saint Luke, led by Father Quinnan, gathered with representatives from other faiths to pray for America on the National Day of Prayer.
Semih Kiyma preparing with Father Quinnan before the event
To begin the event, Sharon Levadure read a proclamation making our observance the official one for Monroe County. Representing the most ancient faith tradition, Rabbi Daniel Zucker blew the Jewish ram’s horn, called a shofar, and recited a Hebrew prayer. Next, Sri Swami Swatmananda, a Hindu monk, explained the orange robes that have been worn from time immemorial. The orange signifying the light of the sun shining in the darkness. Our Catholic leaders followed the Hindu monk, Father Quinnan and Deacon Luis Rivera from Saint Matthews. Father Quinnan explained the Catholic understanding of the trinity and the sign of the cross. Islam came next, with Erol Dincer of the CRC reciting Arabic words of the prophet and doing a good job in translating them for us.
Then, a variety of non-Catholic Christians were invited to give an explanation of their churches and introduce themselves to the crowd. Father Bruce Gowe of Christ Episcopal, Pastor Beth Utley of First Presbyterian in Stroudsburg and Pastor Nicole Vogel of the Presbyterian Church in East Stroudsburg, Pastor Derrick Davis of Soul Care Church, and finally, Susan Odessky of the Unitarian/Universalist Fellowship spoke about her religion.
Stroudsburg’s Faith Leaders with event organizer Semih Kiyma
It was a positive sunny day in the city of Stroudsburg. A day of reflection and prayer. The various believers of every color and creed gathered on a Thursday evening to stop and pray for the health and future of our Nation. Too much have we engaged in sectarian conflict; party politics have blinded us to the reality that God created every human being. We gathered together on May 2nd to prove that doctrinal differences can be put aside to honor God and pray for America.
After the introduction of the various faiths by their respected leaders, we held lighted candles while members of different faith traditions joined in reading petitions for a whole host of issues including peace, national unity, and housing. We each said a silent prayer after hearing the words of an ex-president. I read a petition on Community Service and Jennifer Jakubowski read the quote from John F Kennedy on January 20, 1961. “Let us remember that a nation is built on courage and sacrifice; may we ‘ask not what our country can do for us but ask rather what we can do for our country.” Each petition was followed by “for this blessing, we lift our voices” and “hear our humble prayer.” The closing words were delivered by Pastor Nicole in the name of the Pocono Interfaith Council. The event concluded with everyone singing “God Bless America.”
The National Day of Prayer reminded us that the prayers of the faithful are never unanswered by God. The Bible is filled with scriptures that assure us that God hears our prayers. In Psalm 66:17-20, we hear “I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened, but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”
Petitions being read by faith members in front of the World War I monument
We pray that God hears the prayer of his faithful in America, whether they are from the Church of Saint Luke, Arsha Vidya, Soul Care Church, or any other house of worship across this vast land. And we pray that God heals this country and blessed its inheritance for this decade and the many decades left to come. America is our home, and the prayers of America’s faithful are the only insurance for the future of this great country.
Before we conclude we must acknowledge our fellow Church of Saint Luke parishioner, Professor Emeritus Anthony Stevens-Arroyo. The continued effort of Tony and his Faithful Neighbor Ministry has been instrumental in bringing our Church in contact with the other Christians and the different faith traditions. The ecumenical task is of great importance to the Catholic Church. The Vatican Decree on Ecumenism “Unitatis Redintegratio” says this:
“Catholics, in their ecumenical work, must assuredly be concerned for their separated brethren, praying for them, keeping them informed about the Church, making the first approaches toward them. But their primary duty is to make a careful and honest appraisal of whatever needs to be done or renewed in the Catholic household itself, in order that its life may bear witness more clearly and faithfully to the teachings and institutions which have come to it from Christ through the Apostles.”
Anthony Stevens-Arroyo has made strong strides in interfaith dialogue, proven by the success of the National Day of Prayer. My personal involvement with the Faithful Neighbor Ministry has broadened my knowledge of the religious communities in the Poconos area and it has also furthered my understanding of the importance our own Catholic tradition. I would like to thank Professor Emeritus Stevens-Arroyo for allowing me to participate in events like the National Day of Prayer and I would like to post this brief video of him singing “God Bless America”, showing beyond a doubt, that he is truly a man of many talents and, I must say, a man of great vigor and fortitude.