“For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?”
Mt 5:46
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
I agree with our bishop, Patrick J. Zurek, in putting forth in his Holy Week homilies this year the Encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, as the standard for love and unity in our diocese. Today, let’s reflect upon paragraph #236 and current events in that regard:
CHAPTER SEVEN
PATHS OF RENEWED ENCOUNTER
THE VALUE AND MEANING OF FORGIVENESS
“Our pastors can count on us to help get their parishioners back in the pews. … The more we dedicate ourselves to Christ in the Eucharist, the more we will be a sign of unity in an age of division and disbelief.”
236. There are those who prefer not to talk of reconciliation, for they think that conflict, violence and breakdown are part of the normal functioning of a society.
“The imaginary White European as the only model in the Americas provokes a wound which continues being open. “
In any human group there are always going to be more or less subtle power struggles between different parties.
“The pandemic should have taught us that without social contact, we are reduced in our humanity, and at the doors of Europe we have people who have truly been separated from everything. It pains me. We must do something.”
Others think that promoting forgiveness means yielding ground and influence to others.
“Cities have the right to regulate businesses and practices within their bounds. A municipality may choose to allow gambling, or even prostitution, or may criminalize it,”
For this reason, they feel it is better to keep things as they are, maintaining a balance of power between differing groups.
“It was the right thing to do.”
Still others believe that reconciliation is a sign of weakness; incapable of truly serious dialogue, they choose to avoid problems by ignoring injustices.
“What is worrying is the future. I hope that what has been done remains, that there is no going back as is feared,”
Unable to deal with problems, they opt for an apparent peace.
“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.
“The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.”
St. John wrote; “The light
A Reflection on Christian Life, Bishop Patrick J. Zurek
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn. 1:5 – Prologue)
I say this not by way of command,
From today’s 1st reading
Today’s 1st Reading could serve as the basis for the United Catholic Appeal, but not for the “quota”.
Amarillo—Wednesday, June 16 is the deadline to RSVP to a Family Social, on Saturday, June 19 at 6:30pm at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, 4512 NE 24th Ave., sponsored by the Engaged Encounter team and the diocesan Family Life Office. If you’re interested in finding out more about Engaged Encounter, this is a perfect opportunity, as the EE team is expanding its marriage preparation team. To RSVP or for more information, please call James Schulte in the Family Life Office at 806-414-1059. Childcare will be available upon request.
Rather than mandated prayers, “quotas”, or loving “those who love you“ and are not part of “the few”, evangelization of this type is the key to growing priestly vocations in the Diocese of Amarillo.
Today I pray that those of us in the Diocese of Amarillo, but especially those at St. Mary’s Cathedral and, “the few” , not limit ourselves to loving “those who love you“, but realize that “in any human group there are always going to be more or less subtle power struggles between different parties.“
