BY HADLEY THOMPSON, NEWS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
On Monday evening, the St. Bonaventure community was invited to attend a candlelight gathering of music, images and reflection to pray for those in Ukraine and Russia.
A large Easter candle burned as people walked into the Great Room in the McGinley-Carney Center for Franciscan Ministry. Small prayer cards and individual candles with cups around them were passed out to everyone.
Alice Miller Nation, the director of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern, opened the night with a good evening and thanked everyone for coming. She then went on to say the purpose of the meeting.
“Sometimes when I don’t know what to do I do nothing,” she said.
She explained that she felt being uncertain of what to do could be a common feeling for many during this war.
Fr. Xavier Seubert O.F.M., guardian of the friary, addressed the icons displayed behind the burning Easter candle.
He told the story of the holy fools and how they went against the grain of institutional Christianity. He related their nature to Ukraine in the crisis with Russia right now, and how he hopes they stick to this nature. In the center of the two, the Ukrainian icon of the virgin and the child.
After a brief prayer, a video containing pictures of children staring at tanks, piles of rubble that once used to be buildings, packed bags and families were shown while violins played in the background.
After the video, Katie O’Brien, vice president for student affairs, read from “The Ledges of the Three Companions” as everyone let the video sit with them.
Br. Kevin Kriso read from “The Instruments of Peace Resource Manual.”
“Though brothers and sisters proclaim peace in word, they should cherish it equally in their hearts… Brothers and sisters should call all people into peace, gentleness and kindness,” read Kristo.
He explained how most conflicts in the world come from people imposing themselves on the culture of other people. That by forcing others to be like themselves, this illuminated their sense of pride, jealousy, nationalism and righteousness. He spoke of an old song that reflected this way of humans, as he spoke the words Miller Nation spoke them all quietly with him.
Kriso then shifted his message to how humans do not have to be this way. In the quiet time of reflection, he urged everyone to think of how wonderful they can be and how wonderful others can be when they pray for what others could be going through.
During the moment of reflection, chairs squeaked as students, faculty, children and friars all got up to light their individual candle. Some saying their prayer out loud, others saying nothing.
At the end of the ceremony, the small, laminated card with a prayer on it was read in hopes that in times of not knowing what to do, that prayer may be of some guidance.
thompshp20@bonaventure.edu
