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| Image credit: https://orangeshirtday.org/merchandise/ |
The Orange Shirt Society has published a book, "Orange Shirt Day" © 2020 Medicine Wheel Education. Chapter 6 is titled, "How to Participate in Orange shirt Day". This contains some excellent suggestions, not just for the day itself, but also some things that can be done anytime, throughout the year. Here are some of the suggestions.
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| Image credit: https://www.wltribune.com/news/indian-residential-schools-canadas-sad-legacy/ |
In the well known and beloved prayer, popularly known as "The Prayer of St Francis", even though the prayer did not exist before the 19th Century, there is a petition that states, "Where there is injury, (let me sow) pardon." In the prayer that Jesus taught us (Matthew 6:12,) we pray, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." And Jesus told Peter (Matthew 18:22) that we need to forgive not just seven times, but even seventy times seven times. This all rings extremely hollow and self-serving when the people preaching these texts and lofty sentiments are the very one who need to be forgiven. Indeed, Jesus also taught, "If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24)
As we approach National Day for Truth and Reconciliation it behooves Christians and, especially, Catholics to acquaint ourselves with the shameful truths surrounding the sad and scandalous history of Indian Residential Schools, as they were known. Some of these 'truths' are listed in the public apology that former Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued in the House of Commons on June 11, 2008. Let this help us remember that there are many, many brothers and sisters who have much against us. They have known the truth for generations, but they now want the truth to be known by us; but the good news is that they don't want revenge. They want reconciliation with us to follow our knowledge of the truth. We need never be afraid of the truth. Jesus says that the truth will set us free.
Here are some excerpts from that apology by the Canadian Government. Read it slowly, and let your heart be touched as well as your mind.
Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer an apology to former students of Indian residential schools. The treatment of children in Indian residential schools is a sad chapter in our history. In the 1870's, the federal government, partly in order to meet its obligation to educate aboriginal children, began to play a role in the development and administration of these schools.
...These objectives were based on the assumption aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. Indeed, some sought, as it was infamously said, "to kill the Indian in the child." Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.
...The government of Canada built an educational system in which very young children were often forcibly removed from their homes, often taken far from their communities. Many were inadequately fed, clothed and housed. All were deprived of the care and nurturing of their parents, grandparents and communities. First Nations, Inuit and Métis languages and cultural practices were prohibited in these schools.
...It has taken extraordinary courage for the thousands of survivors that have come forward to speak publicly about the abuse they suffered.
...It is a testament to their resilience as individuals and to the strength of their cultures. Regrettably, many former students are not with us today and died never having received a full apology from the government of Canada.
...Therefore, on behalf of the government of Canada and all Canadians, I stand before you, in this chamber so central to our life as a country, to apologize to aboriginal peoples for Canada's role in the Indian residential schools system.
To the approximately 80,000 living former students, and all family members and communities, the government of Canada now recognizes that it was wrong to forcibly remove children from their homes and we apologize for having done this.
We now recognize that it was wrong to separate children from rich and vibrant cultures and traditions, that it created a void in many lives and communities, and we apologize for having done this.
...There is no place in Canada for the attitudes that inspired the Indian residential schools system to ever again prevail.
The full text can be found here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prime-minister-stephen-harper-s-statement-of-apology-1.734250
Does the society of St Vincent de Paul only try to alleviate immediate needs, such as feed the hungry in the spirit of Matthew's Gospel, chapter 25?
The following is from clause 3.20 of The Canadian Rule and Statutes of the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
The Society is concerned not only with alleviating need but also with identifying injustices that cause it. Therefore, it is committed to identifying the root causes of poverty and contributing to their elimination. In all its charitable actions, there should be a search for justice.
Affirming the dignity of each human being as created in God’s image, Vincentians envision a just society in which the rights, responsibilities and development of all people are promoted. The distinctive approach of Vincentians to issues of social justice is to see them from the perspective of those in need who are suffering from injustice. The Society helps those in need to speak for themselves. When they cannot, the Society must speak on their behalf so that they will not be ignored.
The Society opposes discrimination of all kind and strives, through charity, to foster new attitudes of respect and empathy for the weak, for people of different cultures, religions and ethnic origins, thus contributing to the peace and unity of all the people of the world.
The Society’s vision goes beyond the immediate future and looks towards sustainable development and protection of the environment for the benefit of future generations.
If charity facilitates maintaining an unjust status quo, then it is not true charity but a sop, which is an insult to Christ who lives in the poor.
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| Archbishop Emeritus Sylvain Lavoie OMI |
A brief introduction to the Vincentian perspective on social justice by looking at what the Rule and Statutes has to say.
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| "Make the rough ways smooth." |
A friend sent me a refection on the readings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent by Louis J. Luzbetak SVD, of the Catholic Theological Union. In it he does a simple but striking job of creating similes out of the mountains, valleys, rough and crooked roads we hear in these readings. He writes:
"How do these images from Isaiah/Luke... invite us to reflect upon the implications of “preparing the way of the Lord” for us as Christian individuals and families during this time of Advent? What are the hills of self-centeredness and pride that need leveling and the deep valleys of depression, addictive patterns, and poor self-esteem that need to be acknowledged and filled? What are the rough ways of broken relationships, loss, and trauma due to COVID, that need to be smoothed out and healed?
"I suggest that we are invited to move from not only a personal and family level of reflection to include also the broader context of our society and church when we reflect on the implications of “preparing the way of the Lord.” Can we apply the “level ground” of Baruch to “creating a level playing field,” in our common language today? The past twenty months have made us more aware of the “age-old depths and gorges” of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of prejudice from our “us-them” categories in our institutions, country and Church itself."
When we take the first steps in tackling these challenges, we are not acting alone. "The One who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion..." (Philippians 1:6)
A priest friend sent me this reflection on this Sunday's readings (24th Sunday) by Christina Zaker, Director of Field Education at the Catholic Theological Union. Most homilies that I have heard on these readings over the years focus largely on the Gospel, "Who do you say that I am?" What I like about this particular reflection is how it uses the the first two readings to help us answer the challenging question of Jesus not just with our heads and hearts but with our lives.
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| Timothy Schmalz: When I was Hungry |
Reading 1: Isaiah: 50: 5-9
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm: 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10
Reading 2: James 2: 14-18
Gospel: Mark: 8:27-35
Today’s readings focus our attention on the very heart of Mark’s Gospel: Who is this man Jesus, and what does it mean to follow him? The question “Who do you say that I am?” that Jesus poses to Peter and his disciples is one we all must answer with our lives. How do we understand this person Jesus and his ministry, and how does this understanding shape the way we live our lives in response?
The first and second readings offer clues to what it means to follow him. In the second reading, the letter of James, we are implored to back up our faith with good works. If our faith only lives on our lips but is not reflected on and lived out in the work that we do or the way we build relationships with others, then our faith “is dead.”
The first reading points to the possibility of persecution for our faith. A living faith makes us have “ears that can hear” our God. When our actions reflect our hearing, we might suffer as a result. To have the courage to act authentically on our faith, means to disrupt the norms and challenge the status quo; to lean into discomfort for the sake of others. It is not always easy to live out our faith. However, Isaiah reminds us to set our “face like flint” and not sway from the path of our God. We will not be shamed if our heart is following God.
With these readings today, we are faced not only with the question Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?” but also the reality that to know him and follow his footsteps means being willing to follow him in his suffering on the cross. It is this reality that makes Peter scoff. He believes in Jesus as the Messiah, but he is not yet willing to accept that the path leads through persecution and suffering. In turn, Jesus’ rebuke of Peter is startling, but one we should each note. We may think we know Jesus, but we need to truly reflect on the times in our own lives where our apathy or fear have held us back from the work to be done. When our comfortable lives have led us to hesitate, to think “Do I really want to get that involved in dismantling racism or anti-Semitism when it doesn’t really affect me?” or “Do I want to change my habits to act for climate change when I’d rather just do my thing?…” When we hesitate to act, thinking we don’t really need to live our faith that way, those are the times we need to hear Jesus’ rebuke and reorient to his way.
Being a people of faith...
Read the rest of Christina Zaker's reflection following this link.
https://learn.ctu.edu/twenty-fourth-sunday-of-ordinary-time-2/
(The following reflection by Archbishop Emeritus Sylvain Lavoie OMI is reproduced from SSVP Canada News, Jun 23, 2021)
The discovery of 215 children found buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in unmarked graves on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation community is surely impacting all of us. We have probably all felt some or all of the emotions of shock, disbelief, dismay, anger, shame, sorrow and profound grief. And we have all have questions, many unanswered questions that need to be asked in the coming days and weeks: when did this happen, how did this happen, how could this have been allowed to happen, who could have allowed this to happen? This shared history of residential schools profoundly impacts residential school survivors, and indeed all Canadians, and certainly us as a Society.
Probably many of us have received messages or comments from others – family, friends, acquaintances, fellow workers, expressing some of the above reactions. A friend who was a former chief, politician and businessman, called me to express his frustration, indignation and anger. He had international connections, stressed that the impact of this was huge, and that it was placing the church, as well as the Oblates, in a very dark, negative light with especially the media. One person even questioned her involvement with a program that is being hosted by our Star of the North retreat Centre, precisely because it is an Oblate centre. Another former parishioner wrote to say she was questioning the church now.
What makes something that is already bad perhaps even worse, is the fact that one of our venerable bishops, Vital Grandin, is quoted saying something that is as racist as even the first prime minister seems to have been – that Indigenous children need to be taken away from their families and civilized until there is “nothing Indian left in them except their blood.” And I read in the Delmas history book, my home parish, how Fr. Delmas worked to convince the Indigenous to trust the government’s offer for basically the forced take-over of their land and wanted a favour to establish a French Catholic colony there.
So, what are we to make of all this, and how should we respond, as a Catholic society dedicated to serving the poor and marginalized, when this ugly reality reveals the poverty, mistakes and weakness of the Church, and threatens to marginalize us?
Psychologists offer us three options when danger or threat is on the horizon, as this development surely is – fight, flight or freeze. We can react by being defensive and fight back, as some are urging us to do (“Why is no one defending Bishop Grandin?” is a question posed to us already). We can try to flee into defensiveness, justifying and rationalizing. Or we can simply sit and do nothing, trying to ignore all the painful revelations and comments, hoping it will all pass.
None of these responses, tempting as they are, will help in any way. Our best response is to be humble, honest, open and transparent, and see this as a moment of purification and humiliation for the Church, and for us all. We need to remember that God turns everything to the good for those who love God, and trust that in all of this darkness and pain, God will draw some good, even if it is a more humble, compassionate and faithful body of believers.
We need to be patient, and meet the challenge of doing three things exceptionally well – face the reality, accept the reality, and deal with the reality. We need to face the truth of what has happened, and what will continue to surface as surely more such scenarios will be discovered. We need to accept that members of our faith community, and in my case, religious community of the Oblates, somehow, in whatever historical context they were in, allowed this to happen.
Then we need to move towards what Jesus teaches us in the gospel of Matthew – forgive the perpetrators of this awful reality, and apologize for the fact that it was done by whomever was responsible. Above all, we need to listen from the heart to the pain that especially the Indigenous peoples are feeling, as this will trigger past memories of abuse, racism, discrimination, neglect, indignity, and humiliation for many.
One lady who attended a Catholic day school, not a boarding school, sent me an email sharing her anger at the treatment she received from one sister in particular as a Métis student, how the Métis all sat at the back of the class, how she was not allowed to go to the bathroom during class, then was teased for being smelly all day. She vividly shared the impact that abuse had on her, but also how she had managed to work her way through that intense pain to a place where she now experienced some serenity. What she needed to heal that inner wound, newly scraped open, was to be heard and affirmed. And that we can all do.
We need to let this development not just play itself out, but spur us on to even greater levels of compassion, understanding, and awareness as we continue to serve the poor. Let us resolve to work together with all levels of our church leadership to finally be more open, humble and honest about our mistakes in the past, and change any attitudes of not really caring in the present. May we all work together to heal this dark history, encourage the bishops to unite around the call for a papal apology, and be willing to provide funds to help the process of truth-telling, instead of giving it to lawyers to mitigate litigation.
And above all, let us pray for greater compassion and understanding for all of us – Indigenous and non-Indigenous, that this dark night of the soul will lead us all to a place of greater wellness as a church, a society and a country.
Archbishop Emeritus Sylvain Lavoie OMI
National Spiritual Advisor
Prayer for Truth and Reconciliation
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| Image credit: https://traditionalnativehealing.com/native-healing-circle-and-smudging |
(Reproduced from St Elizabeth Seton Facebook page. At this time the author of this prayer is unknown to us. We will be happy to give a full attribution on receiving information about the origins of this prayer.)
God, our Creator,
we pray for all the lives impacted by the Residential Schools program for First Nations, Inuit and Metis children that swept across our country and continues to affect the lives of all Indigenous peoples:
For all the children who did not return home, may they rest in your peace and love.
For all survivors, may they find healing, sanctuary, and peace.
For all intergenerational trauma survivors, may they find hope in their grief, solace in their fear, and compassion in their anger.
We ask that you bless these lives and walk with them in their healing.
Watch over them, love them, guide them.
We pray for the priests and nuns, religious communities, Church leaders, and others who were involved in the genocidal agenda of the Residential Schools and other systems, that they seek truth and justice, no matter how painful. May they come to recognize their errors, repent of their failure to extend God's love, and seek to make amends to all Indigenous communities and families.
We pray for all non-Indigenous Canadians that they will have the courage and wisdom to find, face, and act upon, the truths of Indigenous peoples' history in our country.
We are sorry for the times we remained silent. Help us find the strength to correct our harmful actions, and inactions, against Indigenous peoples. Help us hold space for those grieving and hurting because of Residential Schools and their intergenerational effects. Help us be humble and kind, not 'flushed with anger', but filled with your deep and divine mercy.
Holy Spirit, we ask for your guidance, your wisdom, and your courage to love truth, and speak the truth with love. Teach us, as First Nations, Inuit, Metis and non-Indigenous peoples, who we are as your beloved daughters and sons. Amen.
Following is a homily by Deacon Marian Pawliszko delivered at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, Newmarket, on 5th Sunday of Lent, 2021
On Wednesday, March 24, the Church will remember the anniversary of the assassination of recently canonized St. Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of El Salvador. Oscar Romero is probably known to many of you. He was murdered by government agents while presiding over mass in the hospital chapel on the 24th of March 1980.
Voice of the voiceless poor
Archbishop Romero had used his position to speak up against all kinds of social injustices. He was the “voice of the voiceless poor.” He was denounced by the government and their allies as a political agitator and received constant death threats. But this never discouraged him from preaching against the social injustices that plagued his nation during the civil unrest.
In his homilies he spoke against violence and repression, and all kinds of discrimination based on the exploitation of the poor.
He said that “preaching that does not denounce evil is not preaching the gospel… Preaching that awakens, preaching that illuminates, it can be compared to a light that comes on when people are asleep, naturally it will bother them. This is the preaching of Christ”. (Preached on January 22nd 1978)
At the mass in which he died, the gospel reading had been from the Gospel of John 12:23-26: “The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified…unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain. But if it dies, it bears much fruit…” In the short preaching that would be his final homily, Archbishop Romero said: ‘You have just heard in the gospel of Christ that one must not love oneself so much as to avoid getting involved in the risks of life that history demands of us, and that those who try to fend off the danger will lose their lives. But whoever out of love for Christ gives himself to the service of others will live, like the grain of wheat that dies…only in undoing itself does it produce the harvest. Seconds after finishing his homily, a single shot rang out, fired from the back of the chapel which hit Romero in the chest. He was rushed to hospital but died in the emergency room shortly afterwards. The year before, he had said prophetically: ‘Christ is saying to each one of us: if you want your life and mission to be fruitful like mine, do as I have: be converted into grain that is buried. Let yourself be killed; do not be afraid. The one who avoids suffering will end up alone. There is no one more alone than selfish people. But if, out of love for others, you give your life for others, like I am going to give mine, you will have an abundant harvest; you will experience the deepest satisfaction.’ (Preached on April 1st, 1979)
Today's Gospel Reading [Jn. 12:20-33] reaffirms what has just been said. In a parable, Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies; it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also."
Preferential option for the poor
To follow Jesus these days is not always easy. Many Christians in the Middle East and in all over the world are still unjustly persecuted today. There are still people who are preoccupying their worldly minds with wealth, violating the dignity of human life, not focusing on the preferential option for the poor, not to mention their ignorance towards the gospel values.
For three years Oscar Romero served as Archbishop, but his legacy is eternal, because it teaches us to build the beautiful structure of God’s Kingdom, that creates conditions of kindness, of trust, of freedom, of peace and of love even if we only accomplish a small fraction of God’s work in our lifetime.
Let us imitate Archbishop Romero’s courageous example as our model and guide to follow - and let us be mindful and stand up for social justice, always protecting and supporting those who are poor and marginalized in our society. As we approach the final two weeks of our Lenten journey let us deeply reflect on seeing God in the poor and being Jesus’ disciples in this world.
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| Image: Steve Greenberg |
Why Canada needs a law to combat environmental racism
Read the full article here
At a time when health and environmental crises dominate the public conversation, Black History Month in February was a stark reminder of the pervasive environmental struggles racialized communities, past and present, disproportionately face.
This month, there may be good news on the horizon. Nova Scotia Liberal MP Lenore Zann has introduced Bill C-230 in the House of Commons, the National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act. It’s scheduled for a March vote.
The historical link between the civil rights and environmental justice movements is widely acknowledged, yet these struggles have become increasingly isolated over time. While environmental laws and regulations have grown exponentially since the NIMBY protests of the 1970s, the concerns of racialized communities have rarely, if ever, been at their forefront.
Instead, environmental governance and zoning regulations have often been deployed against the interests of Black, Indigenous and immigrant communities in North America. Well-known Canadian cases include Ontario’s chemical industry cluster that surrounds the Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Nova Scotia’s hazardous waste siting in historical Africville.
Environmental injustice is just one aspect of the systemic racial discrimination that continues to plague Canada from coast to coast to coast.
In December, researchers Amanda Giang and Kaitlin Castellani from the University of British Columbia published research showing that the cumulative air pollution burden in Canada’s three major cities (Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal) disproportionately affects racialized communities. In Montreal, immigrant residents consistently experience higher cumulative air pollution, while in Toronto, this burden falls on low-income residents. In Vancouver, it’s Indigenous residents. These disparities in exposure to air pollution are just one dimension of the generalized pattern of environmental injustice affecting historically marginalized groups: Indigenous Peoples, racialized newcomers and the urban poor.
Environmental racism occurs when racialised communities are targeted for the establishment of environmentally hazardous sites and the subsequent neglect of those communities in relation to the cleanup of those sites, especially where this happens with respect to environmental policy-making by any level of government.
A private member's bill that aims to address environmental racism is headed for debate in the House of Commons this month.
According to a CBC news article: "Introduced by Nova Scotia MP Lenore Zann, Bill C-230 is seeking a national strategy to examine the link between race, socio-economic status and environmental risk, as well as the connection between hazardous sites and negative health outcomes in communities where Black and Indigenous people and people of colour live." Read the full article here: Bill that aims to address environmental racism heads for debate in House of Commons.
The bill was inspired by Ingrid Waldron, associate professor in the faculty of health at Dalhousie University in Halifax and author of "There's Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous and Black Communities", which in turn inspired the 2019 Netflix documentary featuring actors Elliot Page and Ian Daniel.
If you have Netflix, do yourself a favour and watch this documentary, "There's Something In the Water."
Reproduced from the February, 2021 issue of THE VINCENTIMES
In 1926, African American historian Carter Woodson created Black History Month to heighten awareness of Black history in the United States. Decades later more countries recognized the event by issuing their own proclamations; similarly Canada in the early 1970s observed Black History week. Subsequently in 1995, the Government of Canada officially recognized February as Black History Month following a motion introduced by the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine.
Black History Month is necessary. It is a time for promoting the knowledge, culture and many contributions of Black Canadians. Oftentimes, the role of Black people in Canada has not always been prominently highlighted in Canada’s celebrated history. For example, few Canadians know that black enslavement occurred in Canada, or of how those who fought for their freedom helped to build our diverse and inclusive society.
Likewise, Black Canadians made significant contributions in the First and Second World Wars. The dedicated service of Black servicemen was exemplary and is remembered and celebrated as a cornerstone of the proud tradition of Black military service in our country. Black women also contributed to the war effort by serving in supporting roles so that more men were available for the front lines. Despite a past history that saw Black people bought and sold into slavery and continuing fights against racism, Black Canadians remain strong. Meaningful contributions and accomplishments of Canada’s black community continue to influence every aspect of Canadian life, history and culture.
Black History can and should be celebrated every day through the pursuit of knowledge. Therefore, let’s celebrate this 6th year of the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent.
Did you know...
Worth Reading:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: In 1951, Henrietta Lacks’s cancer cells, the source of the HeLa cell line, led to major discoveries in medical research.
Systemic Racism Working Group
Valerie Alexander, Member
St. Mary Conference, Tillsonburg
A spiritual reflection on the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time by Carol J. Dempsey, Ph.D., a Dominican Sister from Caldwell, New Jersey and professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Portland, Oregon.
This spiritual reflection speaks to everyone, but has special relevance for Vincentians.
Published August 29 in the National Catholic Reporter.
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| Mothers in Portland, Oregon. (CNS/Reuters/Caitlin Ochs) |
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| Dorothy Day in 1934 |
