With the U.S. President’s furious tone last week in his response to Kim Jong Un with these words ‘’will be met with fire and fury’’ and that the ‘’US military solutions are now fully in place’ and ‘locked and loaded’ should the North act unwisely; the war of words per se was so scary to be honest. 

Combined with the history of heated arguments in decades over D.P.R.K’s nuclear ambition, the U.S. Pacific Command signaling its readiness to fight if need by using the ‘’fight tonight’’ motto; which he said better than spoiling for a war within days, plus the fresh death of a young U.S. citizen in Kim Jong un’s hands a couple of weeks earlier and other U.S. citizens now in custody in North Korea without a just reason as far as U.S. is concerned; the continuous launching of I.C.B.M. missiles one after another; the situation was unbearable as anybody could have imagined and war was inevitable. 

On President Donald Trump’s watch, the ‘’cup is full’’ and military action is right now.

 My last piece on the rhetoric exchange was Thursday 10th August 2017. My article titled ‘’Continue to pray to avert a war in the Pacific ’’ as the tense was at boiling point and at brink of war from Thursday 10th up to Monday 14th. The week end was full of worries as I closely monitor the situation and keep on with my daily Rosary praying and attending daily Mass with the same prayer intention ‘to avoid war.’ And as I watched TV after morning Mass on Tuesday 15th the same day the Universal Church commemorated the Solemnity of Mother Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, I have noted a turn of events and some positive changes, that every other person in this world would have liked to see, slowly but surely coming into the picture - and thanks to the powers of all your prayers.  

The need to avert any war in the Pacific Rim given Samoa’s location and the effect of a nuclear radiation considering the rapid built up of D.P.R.K. nuclear arsenal it might dispose in a war; as well as more than two thousands of nuclear warheads and weapons US has, not mentioning China and Russia nuclear weapons piles as well; the threat of war and its consequences is so real as many millions will die as a result. I say this because it takes years if not centuries to heal nuclear radiation as people slowly dying bearing strange symptoms on their bodies in endured suffering. 

Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan’s atomic bombs 72 years ago on 6th and 9th August 1945 are an excellent example of fear. I wrote the only ‘’solution’’ left for us as Christians, the Church - the Body of Christ ‘‘is our oneness in prayer - in spirit and truth for God’s intervention to avoid any war’’ as we see the world leaders human ability and knowledge to resolve the situation failed and completely exhausted and it needs to be heavenly re-charged if you like. 

And I could see how effective it was with the unexpected change in Trump’s stance against North Korea and both way on Monday and Tuesday last. It is miraculously amazing. 

Thanks to all Samoans and the Church for praying. Jesus once taught us via his Apostles before they were commissioned to go and preach the good news to pray constantly not ones in a week or a day ‘‘for without me you can do nothing’’ said Jesus. This teaching applies to this case definitely and Jesus was absolutely right as He foresaw within them [his apostles] this type of ‘lukewarm faith’ and we see that type of faith in our world today; even in Samoa. But we should keep trying and do not let Satan take control over us; the People of God.

Just want to give some other examples of God’s intervention in this state of affairs as a result of prayers. All of the sudden China, Russia [the two closest allies of North Korea] with German, France, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and Australia came into the picture on Tuesday 15th.  

They engaged in peace exchanges with U.S. President Donald Trump either by phone or by sending a US diplomat for talks according with the C.G.T.N. news stated. About President Donald Trump; He is a Christian. His parents are former Presbyterians. 

The first lady Melania Trump is the first Catholic first lady in the White House since Jackie Kennedy and according with their Biographies and US State Records, As Christians both Donald and Melania Trump can feel what all other Christians around the world feel about the dangers of wars. 

Might be one reason President Donald Trump prolongs his military attacks on North Korea. Kim Jong Un is an atheist as there are no religions in D.P.R.K. Atheists do not believe in God as they are gods of their own but there is the cult of the Kim dynasty which very much looks like a religion. 

And we cannot judge Kim Jong un over religious beliefs but we have to pray for him for the Holy Spirit’s help and a total conversion because of the dangers he poses. 

Every human being - religious or not; we are ALL equal before the ‘’EYES of GOD’’ So our task is to pray and leave the rest to GOD.  South Korea President on the other hand, according with the latest news is considering sending a special envoy to jumpstart diplomacy with its brother North Korea in due course. Let’s hope this can be achieved as the world is longing to see Reconciliation between North and South as they are brothers in blood and flesh being separated by disagreement, indifference and wars due to pride and greed. That course of positive action would spark a new line of negotiations. 

In the gospel of Mathew Chapter 18:15-18 shortly after the establishment of HIS Church in Chapter 16: 16-20, our Lord teaches us a process if a brother sins against us. First go tell him his fault and if he does not listen, take one or two as witnesses; if he still refuses to listen then, go tell the Church and if he still does not listen to the Church then anathema or treat him as a tax collector. 

And we can see that decision of the Church to anathema and treat a person like a tax collector will be bound in heaven.  Jesus said in verse 18; ‘’Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven’’ In this case, North Korea as a non-Christian nation does not believe in Scriptures but seems to be in the U.N. perspective, sinning against them by ignoring international agreements already in place in relations with nuclear weapons and its continuing built up and stock piling of these prohibited weapons. 

Continual issuing sanctions were their next course of action against the north.  

In verse 21, St Peter enquired by asking our Lord ‘’If my brother sins against me, how often must I [Peter] forgive him? As many as seven times? Our Lord answered Peter; ‘’I say to you, not seven times but seventy–seven times.’’ We always overlook this very important piece of teaching of complete forgiveness in our lives and so as the world leaders. Forgiveness is an ongoing virtue and wouldn’t it be a precious thing to do; North and South Korea ‘’to forgive each other and reconcile’’ and for the United States to take the lead in such move? If that happens then there will be no more threats on the Korean Peninsula and this part of the world will live in peace and harmony. 

So let us people of God and the Church continue praying in Mass, Rosary, Divine Office, in prayer services and other devotional prayers for the Eternal Father’s endless mercy and the treasury of inexhaustible compassion to intervene kindly upon ALL leaders of this world in particular President Donald Trump and Leader Kim Jong Un for a renewal, a change of heart, conversion and a total surrender to GOD. 

In difficult and worrying moments like this one, we pray as well that we might not despair nor become despondent but with great confidence submit ourselves to HIS Holy Will which is Love and Mercy.  Virgin Mary; Mother of God; pray for us sinners, pray for world peace and for God’s blessings over Samoa.