“Going to hell in a handbasket” means to go to one’s doom, to deteriorate quickly, to proceed on a course to disaster.” This ‘saying’ was first used during the national trauma of the American Civil War. With America dealing with the coronavirus and protests that have turned to rioting, violence and loss of innocent lives, it certainly seems America is dealing with another national trauma. And maybe it feels like we’re all in a giant handbasket on our way to you know where!

It is very difficult to watch the nightly news because it breaks my heart to see so misunderstanding, mistrust, and so much violence in the world.  The Evil One is masterful at taking good intentions and twisting them into attitudes and actions that cause harm.

Today’s protesters want their voices to be heard. It is a good thing to peacefully stand against injustice.  It is a good thing to stand up, speak up, and pray for justice and for the protection of life from the moment of conception to natural death. It is good to improve the training of our police officers. It is good to weed out potentially ‘bad cops.”  But some of what is meant to be helpful and bring about change clearly does more harm than good.

Destructive protests stand in contrast to what many faithful Christians do when they stand in a peaceful prayer vigil at Planned Parenthood praying for the mothers, fathers, babies and abortion workers. Maybe we all can learn from their example.

It is easy to get discouraged when we see the mess the world is in. But how does God want us to respond to the destructive course our society seems to be on? One great way to respond is prayer. What would happen if thousands of faithful Catholics committed to praying for the conversion of hearts by using the powerful prayers of the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet?

Can you and I agree to beg God’s mercy to transform hardened hearts? Can we look honestly into our own hearts and ask God to purify us of all hatred and bias? Can we together sing “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me”? Let us make a commitment to go before the Blessed Sacrament asking God to heal our world. If there is any hate lurking in our hearts, let us ask the Father to fulfill the words he spoke to Ezekiel: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ez 36:26).  And with our renewed hearts let us set out to love God and love our neighbor better than ever before.  God is love and it is only God’s love that can perform a heart transplant for America and its people.

Let’s never quit praying for those who have lost hope and don’t know that the change they seek can only come through God’s grace. May all of us who trust in Jesus Christ and know he is our only hope pray the words of the psalm: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps 51:10).