We are called to be a people of Faith in a time of growing
darkness. We live in a society that has
begun to operate on the foundation of division, explosive rhetoric and
violence, both verbal and physical. The
mass-shootings that have happened in our country are a symptom of a deeper illness
at work. We can feel helpless to face
this challenge and the many other burdens that our times place upon us. But there is an answer and it is close to
home.
While particular policies that are proposed on all sides of
the political divide may or may not work to alleviate the possibility of
specific events, nothing proposed at that level will solve the problem. The true solution has to come from a deeper
level.
We must all become more aware of the fact that we are
responsible for one another. When we
play the “blame game,” we miss that all of us ought to be involved in the
solution. As long as we promote
division, even at the level of ideas about how to proceed, we miss the
mark. If we don’t find a way to move
forward as one, our children in particular will be the losers.
Our Faith teaches us that God’s Spirit is at work in us,
transforming us into a People who are invited to share in the very Unity that
is lived by the Trinity. This is not
just a pious theological concept. It is
practical. We are a family invited to
share the life of the Family Who created our world. Love truly makes the world go around.
The Love being proposed is not a superficial “liking.” Rather, it is sacrificial love, the kind of
love that says we are willing to live and die for one another regardless of how
we feel about one another’s ideas and actions.
Charity is the name for this kind of love. Charity begins at home. Parents need to relate to their children as
persons, teaching, guiding and showing them how to live. This is expressed in the promises made by
parents and godparents at Baptism.
Practice of the Faith means participation in the life of
the Church and taking the message received through Word and Sacrament out into
the everyday world.
At the moment, we need to grieve with those who have
suffered such tragic losses. We need to
reach out to those who are near to ensure that they do not experience the
isolation and the hopelessness that led them to such violence and hatred. We need to do all we can to preserve unity
with our brothers and sisters, that is, with all who share the same Father. We are called to live in Faith.
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