Indifference - The Opposite of Love

 

“The opposite of love is not hatred, 
it’s indifference…

and the opposite of life is not death,
it’s indifference.”

Elie Wiesel, quoted by Pope Francis on July 25, 2022 when the Pope apologized for the role of the Catholic Church in the abuse and forced assimilation of Indigenous Peoples:

"I think back on the stories you told: how the policies of assimilation ended up systematically marginalizing the Indigenous Peoples; how also through the system of residential schools your languages and cultures were denigrated and suppressed; how children suffered physical, verbal, psychological and spiritual abuse; how they were taken away from their homes at a young age, and how that indelibly affected relationships between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren.

I thank you for making me appreciate this, for telling me about the heavy burdens that you still bear, for sharing with me these bitter memories. Today I am here, in this land that, along with its ancient memories, preserves the scars of still open wounds. I am here because the first step of my penitential pilgrimage among you is that of again asking forgiveness, of telling you once more that I am deeply sorry. Sorry for the ways in which, regrettably, many Christians supported the colonizing mentality of the powers that oppressed the Indigenous Peoples.

I am sorry. I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the Church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools."

National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples 2024

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops remind us that on 12 December, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Church in Canada marks the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples:

This initiative of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has been coordinated since 2002 by the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council (formerly the Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council).

This year, the reflection by the Council is inspired by Pope Francis’s words of healing and reconciliation spoken during his “penitential pilgrimage” to Canada.

To mark the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, the Canadian Catholic Indigenous Council (CCIC) recalls the profound sorrow expressed by Pope Francis, during his Penitential Pilgrimage to Canada in July 2022, for the catastrophic effects of the residential school system on Indigenous communities, as well as the journey of reconciliation and healing we have embarked upon together. Two years later, the Pope’s words still compel us to recognize this painful legacy and walk alongside the Indigenous Peoples in a spirit of repentance, solidarity, and hope.

We contemplate the Holy Father’s words: “The Church is the house where we conciliate anew, where we meet to start over and to grow together”. This vision of the Church as a “living body of reconciliation” has guided us in our ongoing commitment to justice and healing. In this spirit, we reaffirm our pledge to work for healing and reconciliation, and to reflect on our efforts since the Holy Father’s visit to Canada in 2022.

Together we pray:

O God, Creator and Father of all,

with humility and hope, we, your children, 

acknowledge the relationship in You

of all living things.

For this we thank You and praise You.

We call on You, Great Mystery, our God who comes to us

in Jesus Christ, Your Son

– our Lord, teacher, prophet and brother –

to open our minds and hearts

as we continue to walk the difficult, yet critical journey

of reconciliation and healing.

In our world of such blessed diversity,

we see so many struggles and obstacles to oneness and unity.

We implore You to heal our brokenness and division.

Show us in Jesus the way to unity among the multiplicity

of Your peoples in our world.

We also pray that You will guide and lead us in the Truth,

and show us how to be a people who walk with You. 

May we be a people of

Respect, Humility, Courage, Honesty, and Compassion

- as we find Your Wisdom on the Spirit-led journey

that supports deep healing

and fosters renewed relationships.

Lord, make us channels of Your Peace, Hope, and Love!

+Amen

World Day of the Poor 2024

 

Image credit: https://allenbrowne.blog/2021/03/01/fig-trees-and-seasonal-change/

Extract from the Sunday homily by Deacon Steve.

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near."
    - Mark 13:28. From the Gospel reading for 33rd Sunday, World Day of the Poor.

As threatening as today’s gospel sounds, with all of its vivid and stressful imagery of pain and despair, in the end it is not a gospel of doom. Amid the collapse, Jesus is asking the apostles and us, to trust our Lord and have trust in God, even when our world appears to be turning dark. 

We are all very aware of the harsh realities of life going on in the world today. All we have to do is listen to the news or read the paper, and we are confronted with numerous stories of war and crime, not to mention the people suffering devastating illnesses, both chronic and terminal, as well as family tragedies.

Despite living with all of these harsh realities, Jesus invites us to read the signs all around us, to look well at all the small buds about to blossom, the harbingers of summertime. Distress is not the final word of the story. Jesus tells us to look more closely. What signs of hope do we see that lifts our spirits, ever so slightly, with hope. Hang on to them, they are reminders that God has not left us on our own. They in fact are assurances Christ is coming with new life for us.

In reading these signs we are to join in God’s work. Wherever there are human needs and situations that cry out for justice, reconciliation, compassionate action and peacekeeping there is an opportunity for encountering our Lord.

Pope Francis, in his message for the Eighth World Day of the Poor, which is being celebrated today (33rd Sunday), offers some insights to help us see the “small buds… from the fig tree… and learn its lesson, and know that summer is near.”

First, we need to keep in mind that the “poor” are not only those people who suffer financial problems, homelessness and starvation, but also people who suffer chronic and terminal illness in long term care homes, hospitals and hospices, as well as those who suffer mental illness, loneliness and depression.

And so, the pope writes, “In this year dedicated to prayers, we need to make the prayer of the poor our own and pray together with them… Indeed, humility generates trust that God will never abandon us and will never leave us without a response.’

“We all have had the experience of prayers that seem to remain unanswered…God seems not to hear our cry…However, God’s silence does not mean he is inattentive to our sufferings.”

The World Day of the Poor is an opportune occasion…to recognize, support …and thank the Lord for the people who make themselves available to listen to and support the poorest among us…[and] by their testimony give voice to God’s response to the prayer of those who turn to God. 

“God’s silence, therefore, is broken every time a person in need is welcomed and embraced.”

In the spirit of Pope Francis’ message, on this the Eighth Day of the Poor, let us thank all of our volunteers. To our Vincentians, who visit with those who are poor in our community. To our ministers who visit those who are poor in hospitals and nursing homes. And to our CWG and Knights of Columbus who work to raise funds as well as all parishioners who make donations to support all of these works. You are the “small buds,” the signs of hope, that remind us to have faith and keep going. You are the ones who break the silence for our poor.