“Blessed are you when they insult you…”
Mt 5:11
Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Our task is not one of producing persuasive propaganda; Christianity shows its greatness when it is hated by the world.
From St Ignatius of Antioch’s letter to the Romans
There is no dialogue anymore; only
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, A Reflection on Christian Life
accusations!
In his Holy Week homilies Bishop Patrick J. Zurek put forth the Encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, as the standard for love and unity in our diocese. Today, let’s reflect upon paragraph #232 and current events in that regard:
CHAPTER SEVEN
PATHS OF RENEWED ENCOUNTER
THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF PEACE
232. There is no end to the building of a country’s social peace; rather, it is “an open-ended endeavour, a never-ending task that demands the commitment of everyone and challenges us to work tirelessly to build the unity of the nation.
“Be pastors with the scent of your sheep, persons able to live, laugh and cry with your people — in other words, to communicate with them,”
How does imposing a “quota” or denouncing “the few” for their “accusations” show that Bishop Zurek is a pastor that is willing to work tirelessly to build the unity of the diocese by “taking on the scent” of his sheep and crying with them?
Despite obstacles, differences and varying perspectives on the way to achieve peaceful coexistence, this task summons us to persevere in the struggle to promote a ‘culture of encounter’.
“We are trying hard to respond to the needs of people including those in far-flung areas,”
When faced with, “obstacles, differences and varying perspectives”, does Bishop Zurek “respond to the needs of people”, with counter or encounter?
This requires us to place at the centre of all political, social and economic activity the human person, who enjoys the highest dignity, and respect for the common good.
May this determination help us flee from the temptation for revenge and the satisfaction of short-term partisan interests”.[218]
Violent public demonstrations, on one side or the other, do not help in finding solutions.
Mainly because, as the Bishops of Colombia have rightly noted, the “origins and objectives of civil demonstrations are not always clear; certain forms of political manipulation are present and in some cases they have been exploited for partisan interests”.[219]
“The Glenn” in conjunction with the Laudato Si’ Action Platform has pledged to develop a Laudato Si’ Plan, which we can use to discern and implement our response to Laudato Si’. This part of the blog will update readers on this journey.
Borger—Parishioners at St. John the Evangelist Church are selling tickets for a Springtime Drawing. Tickets are a suggested $20.00 donation, with the drawing taking place on Sunday, June 20. The owner of the winning ticket will have their choice of a half-side of beef or a Traeger Wood Pellet Grill, both valued at $1,700. Third prize is a camping gear package of two sleeping bags, tent canopy, two camp chairs and a cooler, valued at $300. For additional information or to purchase tickets, please contact Isela Soto at 806-341-6793.
Today I pray that those of us in the Diocese of Amarillo, but especially those at St. Mary’s Cathedral and, “the few” , realize that when we are insulted it is either a blessing or a consequence of not living the “Beatific” life, and that we come to know which one it is through the “Breaking of the Bread”.
