Katrina: the most important donation for the victims

I've been asked to post links to those organizations to whom you should donate for the benefit of those who have survived the hurricane.

Others -- on the Internet, in the mainstream media, have already done so. You know how to find them. You've probably already made your monetary donations. God bless you for this.

At services tomorrow and on days to come, I certainly hope, opportunities will be offered to contribute still more.

I've been a bit haunted, though, by the lack of one intention that, perhaps understandably in all the chaos, has been neglected: the souls of those who have died in this hurricane.

And so, yes, I'm asking you to do something for the victims of hurricane Katrina:

Arrange for Masses for the souls of the dead. Do it tomorrow, do it during the week, do it sometime soon.

Arrange for them publically, with a donation of you can. Arrange for them privately, as you certainly are able to do free of charge. ("Jesus, I offer this Mass for the souls of those who have died during the hurricane Katrina.")

Pray, offer Masses, Rosaries, and other gifts for the dead of this disaster.

Don't even consider being thanked for it here on earth. You will, I promise, be thanked and rewarded in a way neither you nor I can ever expect or imagine to be.

Do not feel obligated to broadcast your gift -- spiritually, or materially -- to this world. Just please, please, do it.

Other people -- perhaps even you -- are giving money, diapers, water, toys, food, and all those things which are really important to those who have survived. That's great. But that's not enough.

I'm asking you to give something to those who can't ask for anything. You can do this. I'm begging you to do this.

Thank you.