Grace, mercy, and peace to you!
1 Timothy 1:2
As part of our identity as a peace-loving parish seeking to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we are celebrating a Week of Nonviolence from January 17-23, 2021. Monday, January 18 is the national holiday when we honor and reflect on the life and witness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Friday, January 22 is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Scroll down to read daily Scripture quotations, reflections, action steps, and prayers during this week focus on the call to uphold the God-given dignity of every human life from conception to natural death and use nonviolent ways to create social change and build beloved community.
Click here to read a letter from our pastor, Fr Joe, to parishioners on Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, Day on our call to make peace and reverence life.
Quotations: Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6)
“Thou shalt not bear false witness.” (Exodus 20:16)
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
“We claim something as true in the realm of fact not because we have perfect knowledge but because the evidence (based on observation, data, and/or logic) is so substantial it would violate reason not to assent. And it is important that we be able to say certain things are true, lest we be unable to live daily life. As the philosopher Wittgenstein reminds us: What would it be like if every morning we had to wake up and ask ourselves, “Is it really true that I have two hands, or is that just a figment of my imagination?” - Ann Garrido, DMin
Reflection: Truth is a core value for all those who claim Jesus as Lord. The Greek word for truth (aletheia) appears nineteen times in the gospels. Yet not all those who claim Christ as Lord hold the same perspective on what the truth is. Amid this polarization escalated to the point of violence, many of us have experienced the pain and bewilderment of trying to remain in intimate, authentic relationships with others whose perception of the truth is wildly different from our own. At best, we see those on the side of any divide as well-intentioned but deeply mistaken. At worst, we see them as dangerous or deluded.
Our “camps” become more set and the dividing line between “us” and “them” grows starker. Trust is eroded, shame and outrage grow, and we become less able to hear and validate the emotions behind another’s beliefs and engage in fruitful dialogue. We move further from beloved community and can easily slip into dehumanization of those on the other side.
The “echo chambers” created by social media and the universal human tendency for confirmation bias (the tendency to select, favor, and recall information that confirms or supports already-held beliefs) exacerbate the problem. Rather than praising a person for revising their beliefs based on new data or deeper reflection, that person is often labelled “wishy washy,” a “flip flopper,” or disloyal. Since all human beings are on a continual journey of growth, when our perspectives shift due to new information or experience, it is a sign of maturity and humility.
As followers of Jesus, we must reverence truth: seeking it, pursuing it, holding accountable to leaders when they perpetuate misinformation, admitting when we realize we have been mistaken in something that we said because we were misinformed.
Resource for going deeper: Watch this one-hour webinar (recorded on February 26, 2020) with Ann Garrido on her book Let’s Talk About Truth oriented for faith leaders.
Action step: Practice an examination of conscience about how you reverence truth in your life.
Quotations:
“Twenty-five years ago, Pope St. John Paul II wrote that the Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus’ saving message to the world (Evangelium vitae 1). In taking on human flesh, dwelling among us, and sacrificing his very life for our redemption, Christ reveals the profound dignity of every human person. This God-given dignity does not change with our stage of life, abilities, level of independence, or any other varying circumstance. Rather, it is rooted in the permanent fact that each of us is made in the image and likeness of God, created to share in the very life of God himself.” (From U.S. Bishops’ statement)
“Empathy leads to a genuine encounter – we have to progress toward this culture of encounter in which heart speaks to heart.” – Pope Francis
“We must never allow the throwaway culture to enter our hearts, because we are brothers and sisters. No one is disposable!” – Pope Francis
Reflection: As Catholics, we believe every human being is created in God’s image and likeness. As followers of Jesus who came that we might have life, and have it in abundance (John 10:10), we celebrate human life from conception to natural death. In the face of disregard of human life – both direct threats like abortion and capital punishment, as well as poverty, war, racism, lack of access to food and health care and other basic necessities – we seek to support, sustain, and advocate for life and the flourishing of the human person. Regardless of age, stage of development, race, religion, citizenship status, ability level, or any other identity marker, each human person bears God’s image.
Pope Francis has spoken powerfully about a “throwaway culture” which values individuality, economic benefit, and convenience over human persons. In contrast to this, he speaks about a culture of encounter which is rooted in closeness to one another, solidarity, and empathy.
Where do you see signs of what Pope Francis calls a “throwaway culture” in your direct experience, in media, in organizations? Where do you see signs of a culture of life and culture of encounter in your direct experience, in media, in organizations? How can you resist the movement to see human beings as “disposable” and reverence all life as sacred and made in God’s image?
Resource for going deeper: Click here to view this brief video created by Catholic Relief Service on the first principle of Catholic Social Teaching: the life and dignity of the human person.
Action step: The U.S. Bishops have designated this day as a day of prayer for the legal protection of unborn life. Pray today for unborn children and their mothers, and pray for all legislators to be given wisdom and right judgment to reverence human life in their public service. How are you called to help promote a culture of encounter and a culture of life? What is one concrete step you can take to share your financial resources, skills, or time to promote the dignity of human life?
Prayer: Jesus, Prince of Peace, guide us in building a culture of encounter and a culture of life. Give us the grace and strength we need to be salt and light in this world, proclaiming the truth that every human being at any stage of life is a bearer of your sacred image.
Quotations: “Deeply rooted in our political and religious heritage is the conviction that every man is an heir to a legacy of dignity and worth. Our Hebraic-Christian tradition refers to this inherent dignity of man in the Biblical term the image of God.” (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr)
“Let us make humankind in our own image and likeness.” (Genesis 1:26)
“A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men to not argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a place where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of all human personality, and men will dare to live together as brothers – that is the dream. Whenever it is fulfilled we will emerge from the bleak and desolate midnight of man’s inhumanity to man into the bright and glowing daybreak of freedom and justice for all God’s children.” (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Reflection: Social scientists tell us that every genocide in human history begins with dehumanization. History is filled with examples of a particular group of people in a given society being scapegoated as “other” and excluded from the collective “us.” This population is systematically described as sub-human, using words like “infestation,” “aliens,” “beasts,” “animals,” or “monsters.” Even though our God-given consciences guide us to treat others with respect, dehumanization causes us to act our consciences. In the extreme, this can lead to atrocities like trafficking, murder, and genocide. If we are led to believe that “they” are not human like “us,” humans will collectively act against the basic tenets of respect and compassion that are at the core of all great religious and spiritual traditions.
In contrast to dehumanization, as Catholic Christians we seek to be salt and light in the world, proclaiming the truth that every human being in bears God’s image and likeness. Moreover, we express a particular concern for those who are most vulnerable and marginalized, those who are most likely to be dehumanized and considered expendable. In recalling Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 that He is particularly present in those who suffer and are pushed to the margins, we seek to proactively and nonviolently stand in solidarity with those who are scapegoated and dehumanized.
Where do I see dehumanizing words and images in my life? On the news, on social media, in conversations? When do I use dehumanizing words or images, even if only subtly or with humor? Do I hold others accountable in my life when I see them using dehumanizing words or language? What are the groups of people that I might be tempted to view as “less than” and outside the “we” of our shared human family? How does God call me to be converted away from believing in a hierarchy of human value that marginalizing some in the human family in order to recognize all as bearers of God's image and all life as sacred?
Resource for going deeper: Click here to watch a thirteen-minute presentation on YouTube by Dr. David Livingstone Smith on dehumanization and our collective human need to be aware of this tendency in creating a better world for all.
Action step: The U.S. Bishops have declared January 22 as a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection for Unborn Life. Join together with those across our Archdiocese in prayer. Archbishop Hebda will preside at a prayer service at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 22, and the prayer service will be live streamed on the Cathedral of St. Paul Facebook page. Click here for more details on the Archdiocesan prayer service.
Prayer: Jesus, Prince of Peace, give me the grace to see your sacred image in each and every human being, especially those I find most difficult to love. Give me the strength to uphold and reverence that image in all that I say and do.
Quotations: “Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’” (From today’s Gospel, Mark 3:1-6)
"The supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reflection: Feeling anger is a part of being human. We hear in today’s Gospel that Jesus “looked with anger” at those who were suspicious of his healing ministry. This means that Jesus knows and understands what it means to be angry; he can empathize with us when we experience anger. Jesus responds in today’s Gospel not by lashing out at those who provoke his anger, but rather by constructively acting with care and compasssion, inviting the man with the withered hand to receive his healing touch. Likewise, we are to be discerning when anger arises within us and seek God’s grace in knowing how to channel that anger.
In a January 7, 2021, America Media interview, Father Bryan Massingale offered this summary of St. Thomas Aquinas’ teaching on anger. “We can incur the sin of anger in one of three ways: by misdirected object. I’m angry at a spouse or significant other and I take it out on my coworkers at work. A second way we can incur the sin of anger is by excess, where anger becomes wrath or rage or out of control…the third way we incur the sin of anger is by deficiency. We incur the sin of anger when we’re not angry when we ought to be, as in the presence of injustice. Anger is the passion that leads the will to justice. He gives us a healthy way of discerning when anger is appropriate and necessary and when it is destructive and wrathful…the good spirit is always going to lead us to create a society of justice, and a society where justice is determined not but what is good for me individually but what is good for us as a people.” (Click here to view the entire interview on America Media's YouTube channel.)
Much about our current society stokes the second kind of sin that Aquinas wrote about. Inflammatory language used by pundits and on social media is intended to provoke outrage. This can lead to conflicts, obscure the truth, and exhaust us emotionally. Rather than a constructive “passion that leads the will to justice,” this outrage is destructive to ourselves, others, and society.
Questions for reflection: When I have I felt anger recently? When I have felt outrage? How can I prayerfully discern between the two as I seek to walk in Jesus' footsteps, showing compassion and care to a wounded world? How do I follow God’s call when, in the presence of injustice, I am moved to nonviolently and constructively work for the common good and for a recognition of the human dignity of all?
Resource for going deeper: NPR story Screaming Into the Void: How Outrage is Hijacking Our Culture and Our Minds
Prayer: Jesus, Prince of Peace, heal us from outrage. Transform the anger within me and the anger in our world so that it becomes a constructive force for justice that reflects your Reign of love.
Quotation from Scripture: “May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call.” (Gospel verse for Catholic lectionary reading for today)
Quotation from Dr. King: “...there is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we realize this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. When we look beneath the surface, beneath the impulsive evil deed, we see within our enemy-neighbor a measure of goodness and know that the viciousness and evil of his acts are not quite representative of all that he is. We see him in a new light. We recognize that his hate grows out of fear, pride, ignorance, prejudice, and misunderstanding, but in spite of this, we know God’s image is ineffably etched in his being...they are not beyond the reach of God’s redemptive love.” (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Strength to Love)
Reflection: The theme of sight and blindness is woven throughout Scripture. When we are blinded by fear, anger, ignorance, or pride, we are unable to see where God is working to bring about healing and abundant life. When Saul becomes Paul and is converted to faith after carrying out violence, scales fall from eyes (Acts 9:18). Regaining sight is a metaphor for conversion to Christ. We seek always to see as God sees, that is, to see that each and every human person is sacred and a bearer of God’s own image and is beloved by God.
With the help of God’s grace and in supportive community, we continue to grow in maturity and wisdom throughout our lives, and our “spiritual sight” grows sharper and clearer. This requires for us to have the humility to recognize ways we have fallen short when our spiritual vision was obscured by “fear, pride, ignorance, prejudice, and misunderstanding.” This might look like having the strength to recognize and admit, “now that I’ve heard more and thought about this more, my perspective has changed” or “In the past, I thought about this issue in one way, but upon learning more, now I think about things differently.”
Action step: Think about a time when you changed your mind about something. Was your change of opinion gradual or immediate? What did you see, hear, or experience that made you reconsider your position? Who or what did you have to trust to make that change? Now think about someone in your life who you wished thought differently about something. How have you listened to them? What are the hopes or fears behind their explanation of what they think and why? How can you seek the grace to see them as God sees them, even though you hold a differing view?
Resource for going deeper: Human beings have a natural tendency to seek out information that reinforces what we already think and to dismiss or forget information that contradicts what we already think. This tendency is called "confirmation bias" and it clouds our vision and can get in the way of the Spirit's gift of right judgment. Read more about confirmation bias by clicking here.
Prayer: Jesus, Prince of Peace, enlighten the eyes of my heart to see as you see. Give me the humility to recognize my knowledge is limited and give me the faith to trust your image is present in every human person.
Quotation: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity. By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very nature, love creates and builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power.”
Today in the United States, we celebrate the life and witness of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, a Christian preacher, Civil Rights leader, and practitioner of non-violent social change. Here are Dr. King's, Jr.’s six principles of nonviolent resistance as a way to live out Christian love.
(Adapted from “Strive Towards Freedom,” read more at the Resource Center for Nonviolence)
Resources for going deeper:
1. Watch the “Force More Powerful” video segment “Nashville: We Were Warriors” on YouTube (starts at the 26:26 mark) to learn about the nonviolent sit-ins at lunch counter in Nashville as part of the Civil Rights movement to end segregation.
2. Listen to the audio of Dr. King preaching on love of enemies delivered at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church on November 17, 1957 by clicking here to go to YouTube.
Action step: Reflect on the question who is your “enemy” – in your interpersonal relationships or the public sphere? What fears and angers arise in you when you think about your enemy? Come before God in prayer with those fears and angers, trusting in God’s mercy and compassion, and ask for the grace of transformation.
Prayer: Jesus, Prince of Peace, help me to walk in your footsteps to courageously practice nonviolence, strengthened by the redemptive power of love.
“Agape means nothing sentimental or basically affectionate. It means understanding, redeeming good will for all men {people}. It is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. It is the love of God working in the lives of men {people}. When we rise to love on the agape level we love men not because we like them, not because their attitudes and ways appeal to us, but because God loves us.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reflection: We are surrounded by so many inner and outer voices all day long. We hear voices from the news, from social media, from pundits, from family, from friends, from those in positions of leadership. Unfortunately, often the loudest voices are not the wisest voices. The practice of Christian discernment is to sift through those voices and ask, “where is God’s voice in all of these competing voices?”
Many of the voices we hear appeal to fear rather than love. We can feel it in our bodies when fear has been activated within us. Perhaps our heart beats a bit more quickly, our face becomes flushed or our mouth gets dry. Our thoughts quicken, we become distrustful, and we become aware of perceived potential threats. When this fear response kicks in, we also become less capable of nuanced, careful thinking and fully using the intelligence that God graced us with. When we are listening to voices of fear, we are less able to live out a place of deep connection and union with God.
As we begin this week of nonviolence as a parish, we pray for the grace to become more familiar with the sound of God’s voice, which is always a voice of love which casts out fear. We can feel in our bodies and spirits when we are resting in God’s love. Scriptural images for this experience includes a sheep being tenderly cared for by the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23 and John 10), and a child resting a mother’s arms (Psalm 131). If we are going to practice Christian nonviolence with others, we must first cultivate the capacity to sit with an open heart in the presence of God’s love which casts out fear.
Resource for going deeper: Watch this eight-minute video of Trappist priest Thomas Keating teaching centering prayer to learn more about this practice of holy listening.
Action step: Notice what thoughts, activities, and input nurtures love within you. Notice what thoughts, activities, and input triggers fear in you. Spend ten minutes of centering prayer. Enter into prayer with the words from today’s Scripture: “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”
Prayer: Jesus, prince of peace, soften the voices of fear with me, and open my ears so that I can hear and trust the voice of your love.