The prolonged drought, dry brush and tinder from years ago, and the fierce Santa Ana winds remind us vividly how fragile our Southern California environment can be.

While the elements of wind, fire, and earthquake are part of God's creation, we recognize that the confluence of nature can bring about tragic results when these come together as we are now experiencing.

I invite all members of our Catholic community to lift up prayers to our loving God that those who have lost their lives or been injured find comfort in God's embrace, that those who have lost homes be strengthened with a new spirit of hope, and that those who are battling these fires be protected and given vigor as they work to protect us all.

We not only need to pray for a cessation of these storms of wind and fire, we need to ask God for an abundance of rain and snow for our State in the coming weeks. I urge each parish to include a general intercession for this purpose at all of our Masses for the foreseeable future.

May Our Lady of the Angels plead for us before our loving and merciful God!