Saturday of the Fourth Week
“Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But others said, ‘The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?’ So a division occurred in the crowd because of Jesus.” The sad reality is that religious division still exists in our world that continues to divide countries, families, nationalities, and nations, often causing great division, war, inequality, injustice, and poverty. So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him (Jesus)?” The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
Imagine how powerful Jesus’ words and deeds were, that He could touch the hearts of the guards to be moved so deeply that they were able to return to the chief priests and Pharisees without having arrested Jesus. Do I allow the words and deeds of Jesus to touch my heart so deeply that I reject the wrongs against another person? Do I ignore where a person is from and accept them no matter where they came from, or the color of their skin, or their nationality, or religious beliefs and practices? Do I speak up against injustices to a person, or culture, or the inequality that exists all around me? Do I challenge caste systems in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer? Do I challenge the destruction of our earth, or do I just give lip service to it? As Nicodemus asks, “Does our law condemn a person before it hears a person and finds out what one is doing? Am I someone who does not participate in the destruction of human life and dignity, but stand by and let it continue to happen? Or do I speak out and work toward justice?
Prayer
Sister Laura Della Santa, RSM, M’84
No comments:
Post a Comment