Sept. 11, 2011

Reflecting on Our Responses to Conflict
9/11 was a tragic moment connected to a cycle of tragic choices and responses to conflict. How we respond to conflicts are one of the most pressing challenges and opportunities of our human adventure. Some conflicts are healthy. Consider a person discerning a difficult decision or when two people at an impasse sit down, listen deeply, and reach a new mutual understanding and a shared commitment. Jesus gives us many examples of how conflict need not be feared, i.e. being prophetic, and how conflict can be an opportunity for personal and social transformation. Consider his decision to return to Jerusalem on a donkey knowing the religious and political leadership were both resistant to his way of love. Jesus invites us to respond to conflict by tapping into a power that says violence and death are not the final word. This alternative power is sometimes called “integrative power” in academic circles or the power of true love illustrated ultimately in the Resurrection of Christ. This power invites us beyond mere conflict resolution to “end” a conflict and into conflict transformation so as to transform the personal, relational, structural, and cultural levels.

Reflection: What is one conflict you’re involved in and how do you sense God inviting you to respond?

Holy Trinity is offering some responses to transform the popular 9/11 narrative and to more deeply consider our responses to conflicts: Quiet Spaces at Holy Trinity and the 9/11 Unity Walk take place on Sept. 11. The walk starts at the Washington Hebrew Congregation at about 1:30pm. Also, we are offering the Engaging Conflicts Just Faith Module which begins every Tuesday from Sept. 27-Nov. 15 at Holy Trinity. For more info. see www.trinity.org/socialjustice/justfaith and to sign up contact Eli McCarthy

Apr. 17, 2011
Jesus offers His life for our Justice and Peace 
             
Today and this coming week Jesus invites us to enter into the danger of Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Washing of the Feet, the Cross, and the Resurrection. What does all this mean for social justice and peacemaking? Didn’t Jesus just die to “save us” so we could chill and get to heaven some day?

Jesus returns to Jerusalem knowing the attacks he has previously and will likely experience again from those in religious, economic, and political power. He arrives in the power of humility on a donkey. This strikingly contrasted with the many Jewish expectations for arriving with arrogance on horses and armed chariots, which were the great symbols of power in his day. The Last Supper centers our ongoing Eucharistic ritual in the practice of washing each other’s feet. This represents the social justice practice of a direct service to the poor that specifically prepares us to offer our lives in the way Jesus did. In this commitment to the Eucharist and direct service, we are enabled to enter with Jesus into the Cross. This means to follow the Jesus, who not only directly served and listened to the poor and marginalized but who also responded to them by challenging the unjust structures—such as the religious, economic, and political structures—which in large part perpetuate the suffering of the poor and marginalized. This was one of the key reasons he got crucified. When those benefiting from these unjust structures came to arrest him, he states clearly to those seeking to be his disciples “put down your sword.” In Luke’s gospel, Jesus cares for and heals the ear of his “enemy” as his last act before the arrest. This kind of carrying the Cross, this way of resistance and peacemaking, is what created the space for the beautiful possibility of the Resurrection. The Resurrection is the climax of Jesus’ “way of love.” Therefore, Jesus invites and challenges us to also enter into His “way of love,” i.e. the direct service, the challenging of unjust structures, and the clear loving of our enemies. This is the Cross of justice and peacemaking, which ushers in the Joy of the Resurrection and the Glow of Easter.

Reflection: This is potentially the most revealing week of the year for insight into Jesus’ commitment to justice and peacemaking. What are you discovering about this commitment?

Feb. 7, 2011
Striking Reality of Structural Racism

This morning I visited Jubilee Jobs. They are one of HT’s grantees and a place that one of our committee members, John Hisle, volunteers at regularly. As I arrived, the door person said that people already filled the orientation and I must come another time. But one of the near-by workers spotted me and asked who I was. Although both of these people were African-Americans, I didn’t yet think much of it. I told them I worked at Holy Trinity and the one worker said, “oh yes, of course please come in.” If I wasn’t white, would I have even been asked who I was? Then as I entered the orientation, I more clearly sensed the answer. About 140 people sat in rows of chairs. Ages were mixed, but probably about 50-60% were under 30 yrs. All of them, except one was African-American or darker colored. The few whites in the room were either facilitating the program or visitors like me standing on the side. Why were these 140 people here? They wanted to learn how they could have the chance to break into a minimum wage job: $8.50 hr. in DC. One of the facilitators asked, “did anyone here cause the recession?”…no one raised their hand.

Should I have raised my hand? Is there anything about how I live that contributes to the social conditions and habits that spurned the recession and the obvious racial gap of those suffering intensely from the recession? Who do I spend my time with? What do I invest my money in? Do I support companies that too often cut jobs (or pay low wages) rather than more evenly distribute revenue? Do I support pubic policies that contribute to these conditions and habits? Am I silent or nearly silent about the lack of distributive justice and restorative justice?

This Lent, Holy Trinity will offer opportunities to pray deeply and share in small groups, to enter direct service together with the poor and marginalized, to learn about “solidarity” with guest speakers, and about Catholic Social Teaching and the federal budget in our Just Faith module, and to advocate for affordable housing in DC. I invite you to pray about joining us in one or more of these…Peace be with you!
 

Dec. 20, 2010
Christmas as the “Coming of God’s Presence”

Advent is a time we prepare ourselves to be receptive. We are invited to become receptive to God’s intimate bodily presence in Jesus. In our receptivity, we become enabled to offer a more “holy presence” to others, as well as to ourselves. I recall one unique Christmas in my house growing up, when a family member decided to offer something different than the usual wrapped “presents” from various chain stores. The y invited us to sit down, took off our slippers and socks, and washed out feet. During the washing, they slowly and lovingly said,

“In response to our Gift (Jesus), I offer myself to you as a servant and as a friend, in times of comfort, laughter, and joy as well as in times of discomfort, challenge, suffering, and even death. I will not give you a kiss of Judas, but rather I offer you a kiss of love."

They were offering a commitment to be a “holy presence” in our lives. My little brother (25) recently brought up this memory and wondered how he might do something similar for his new lady “crush.” He desires to enter into something deeper, something beautiful, something more Christ-like.

At Christmas, my family usually got “caught up” in the “buying” of “gifts” as the common way of celebrating Christmas. Often this led to opening the “gifts” and then spreading out to our respective areas of the house to “play” with “our” gifts. But this Christmas described above was different, in fact, better. We spent more time together, seeing each other, listening to each other, laughing together and becoming a more “holy presence” to each other. I suspect that Jesus’ invites each of us to become a more “holy presence” to each other. At Holy Trinity, a couple other ways to do this is to participate in our Winter Shelter with persons who are homeless or to open up to the Families-to-Families adventure that the Religious Education ministry has been cultivating.
 

Nov. 28, 2010
Thanksgiving and the Jesuit Martyrs

July 31, 2010
Exploring Catholic Social Teaching   
Theme: Global Solidarity and Development

We are one human family. Our responsibilities to each other cross national, racial, economic and ideological differences. We are called to work globally for justice. Authentic development must be full human development. It must respect and promote personal, social, economic, and political rights, including the rights of nations and of peoples. It must avoid the extremists of underdevelopment on the one hand, and "superdevelopment" on the other. Accumulating material goods, and technical resources will be unsatisfactory and debasing if there is no respect for the moral, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of the person.

“Solidarity” is the firm and persevering commitment to the universal
common good. Solidarity entails attentiveness to others, empathy with the feelings and struggle of others, and offering our resources and perhaps our very lives toward the full human development of all persons. Solidarity always arises in a posture of humility that is receptive to learning from others, and functions with a clear priority to those in most urgent need. Fr. Oscar Romero was a great example of living solidarity.

“We have to move from our devotion to independence, through an understanding of interdependence, to a commitment to human solidarity-” US Bishops in Economic Justice for All, 1986.

Question for reflection: What person, group, or part of God’s creation is calling toward our personal heart for solidarity?
 

July 18, 2010
Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Theme: Peace and Disarmament

Last week we explored the meaning and implications of Peace (making). The term disarmament refers to 1) the urgency to eliminate all nuclear weapons; 2) the challenge to the arms trade; and 3) the imagination for transforming our arms (transarmament) into those of nonviolent peacemaking as we spoke about last week.

The horribly destructive capacity of nuclear arms makes them disproportionate and indiscriminate weapons that endanger human life and dignity like no other armaments. Their use as a weapon of war is rejected in Church teaching based on “just” (limited) war norms.

“If development is the new name for peace, war and preparations for war is the major enemy of the healthy development of peoples. If we take the common good of all humanity as our norm, instead of individual greed, peace would be possible.” Pope John Paul II 1987 On Social Concern

“The arms race is one of the greatest curses on humanity and the harm it does to the poor is more than can be endured… Diverting scarce resources from military to human development is not only a just and compassionate policy, but it is also a wise long-term investment in global peace and national security.” US Bishops 1993 Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace

Social Reality: The Five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (China, UK, France, Russia, U.S.) account for 76% of global arms sales and 65% of global arms spending. (The U.S. accounts for 45% of global arms sales and 47% of global arms spending.)

Questions for Reflection: In light of the Gospel and CST above, how does our conscience stir us to respond to this social reality? How does this impact the discernment of our vocations and careers? Is the above social reality primarily a contribution to preserving a just peace or is something else going on?
 

July 11, 2010
Exporing Catholic Social Teaching
Theme: Peace and Disarmament

Another theme of Catholic Social Teaching is Peace and Disarmament. Peace is a positive, action-oriented way; it is not just the absence of war. Nonviolent Peacemaking is the central practice and a key part of God’s vision for human society. The Way of Peace involves solidarity, human rights, development, and forgiveness. Peace and Justice arise together. “No justice, no peace and No peace, no justice.”

“War is a defeat for humanity” — Pope John Paul II

“Loving the enemy is the nucleus of the ‘Christian revolution’” — Pope Benedict XVI

“One must ask, in light of recent history, whether nonviolence should be restricted to personal commitments or whether it also should have a place in the public order with the tradition of justified and limited war... New styles of preventative diplomacy and conflict resolution ought to be explored, tried, improved and supported. As a nation we should promote research, education and training in nonviolent means of resisting evil. Nonviolent strategies need greater attention in international affairs.

“Moral reflection on the use of force calls for a spirit of moderation rare in contemporary political culture. The increasing violence of our society, its growing insensitivity to the sacredness of life and the glorification of the technology of
destruction in popular culture could inevitably impair our society's ability to apply just-war criteria honestly and effectively in time of crisis. In the absence of a commitment of respect for life and a culture of restraint, it will not be easy to
apply the just-war tradition, not just as a set of ideas, but as a system of effective social constraints on the use of force.”
— US Bishops, Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace, 1993

Questions for reflection: Do we have the Courage to “love our enemies” by becoming nonviolent resistors and peacemakers in the Spirit of Christ? If we are ready, what are the next training steps for us to take?

June 13, 2010
Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
Theme: Economic Justice

The economy must serve all people and creation, not the other way around. All workers have a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, and to safe working conditions. They also have a fundamental right to organize and join unions. People have a right to economic initiative and private property, but these rights have limits. It is unjust to amass excessive wealth when others lack the basic necessities of life.

Catholic teaching rejects the notion that a “free market” automatically produces justice. Distributive justice, for example, cannot be achieved by relying entirely on “free market” forces, hence the support for a fair market or “fair trade.” Markets must be kept within limits, because there are many needs and goods that cannot be satisfied by the market system.

Questions for Reflection: How have “free market” policies impacted the immigration flows to the U.S., especially from Central and South America? Why would supporting “fair trade” be relevant?
 

May 30, 2010
Exploring Catholic Social Teaching 
Theme: Rights and Responsibilities

Human dignity can be enshrined and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are met. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency – such as food, clean water, shelter, employment, health care, education, fair wages, safe working conditions, unions, and peace. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to the larger society. 

CST affirms a more integrated set of rights that includes a) political and civil rights along with b) social, economic, and cultural rights. Social, economic, and cultural rights, such as food, housing, education, and health care, are understood to be pre-conditions to adequately exercise political and civil rights, such as the right to vote, freedom of speech, press, and religion, and due process. In contrast, some nations have been critiqued for failing to uphold human rights. For instance, China has been critiqued for refusing to officially ratify many political and civil rights, while the U.S. has often been critiqued for refusing to officially ratify many of the social and economic rights. (See the UN International Covenants on human rights for more information)

Questions for Reflection: Why do you think there is such an impasse on human rights, especially in terms of which rights, and in terms of actually following through on officially stated commitments to human rights? As Catholics, what can we do?
 

May 16, 2010
Exploring Catholic Social Teaching 
Theme: Priority for the Poor and Marginalized

Jesus made it a priority to care for the poor and marginalized. This allowed him to see and be the revelation of God’s Love. Our Bishops teach that the moral test of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation and global actors. We are called to assess lifestyles, social institutions, and public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor and marginalized. The "priority for the poor," is not an adversarial slogan that pits one group or class against another. Rather it recognizes that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor and marginalized wounds the whole community.

The priority for the poor and marginalized is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good, which was discussed last week. A healthy, just and flourishing family and community can be achieved only if its members give special attention to those with the most urgent needs, to those who are poor and on the margins of the family and of society.

Question for reflection: Who are the poor and marginalized that are calling out to you for the justice of relationship and basic goods?
 

May 9, 2010
Exploring Catholic Social Teaching 
Theme: Common Good and Community

The human person is both sacred and social. We recognize our dignity in loving relationship with others, in community. Human beings grow and achieve fulfillment in community. We are interdependent, i.e. we need each other, and we are interconnected, i.e. we affect each other by what we do and even on the subatomic level by the kind of presence or energy we generate. The popular thrust to become “independent” or “self-sufficient” is inadequate and too often destructive according to Catholic Social Teaching.

The Common Good is promoted when the basic rights of all people are ensured, when we are empowered to grow in virtuous relationships, and when we care for creation. All persons, institutions, and governments have the privilege and responsibility to promote the common good. The popular thrust to do what is best for most people, i.e. a utilitarian calculus, is not adequate compared to promoting the common good.

Question for Reflection: When have we settled for the interests of the many rather than promoted the common good of all?
 

May 2, 2010
Exploring Catholic Social Teaching 
Theme: Dignity of the Human Person

“Belief in the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the starting point for a moral vision for society. This principle is grounded in the idea that the person is made in the image of God. The person is the clearest reflection of God among us.”

Acknowledging our human dignity is recognizing that nothing we do or own can increase or decrease our dignity. This has serious implications for many social issues, particularly those which entail attempts to de-humanize individuals or groups based on what they have done, what material objects they lack, or some other identifying aspect.

Who needs to be re-humanized today?

Apr. 25, 2010
Caring for God’s Creation

This is one of the central themes of Catholic Social Teaching.  Pope Benedict’s recent World Day of Peace message was called “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation.” In this message he says,

“It is all too evident that large numbers of people in different countries and areas of our planet are experiencing increased hardship because of the negligence or refusal of many others to exercise responsible stewardship over the environment”

“The issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our life-style and the prevailing models of consumption and production, which are often unsustainable from a social, environmental and even economic point of view.” 
 
As we celebrated Earth Day April 22, we also encourage you to regularly measure your ecological footprint.

Apr. 4, 2010
Jesus’ Way of Nonviolent Peacemaking Ushers in the Joy of the Resurrection!       

This past week we have been invited to enter into Jesus’ Last Supper, Washing of the Feet, the Cross, and the Resurrection. The Last Supper centers our ongoing Eucharistic practice in the practice of washing each other’s feet, i.e. in the social justice practice of direct service. In this context of Eucharist and direct service, we are enabled to enter with Jesus into the Cross. This means to follow the Jesus, who not only directly served and listened to the poor and marginalized but who also responded to them by challenging the unjust structures—such as the religious, economic, political, and even military structures—which in large part perpetuate the suffering of the poor and marginalized. This was one of the key reasons he got crucified. When those benefiting from these unjust structures came to arrest him, he states clearly to those seeking to be his disciples “put down your sword.” This kind of carrying the Cross, this way of nonviolent resistance and peacemaking, is what created the space for the beautiful possibility of the Resurrection, which is the climax of Jesus’ “way of love.” Therefore, we are invited and challenged to also enter into Jesus’ “way of love,” i.e. the direct service, the challenging of unjust structures, and thus, the Cross of nonviolent resistance and peacemaking, which ushers in the Joy of the Resurrection and the Glow of Easter.

See this article for more discussion on Jesus’ nonviolence and Holy Week: http://ncronline.org/blogs/road-peace/washing-feet

 
Mar. 28, 2010
Lenten Journey: Jesus Turns (Us)  Toward “Jerusalem”

This week we are invited to enter into Jesus’ turning toward Jerusalem: the Last Supper, Washing of the Feet, the Cross, and the Resurrection. The Last Supper centers our ongoing Eucharistic practice in the practice of washing each other’s feet, i.e. in the social justice practice of direct service. In this context of Eucharist and direct service, we are enabled to enter with Jesus into the Cross. This means to follow the Jesus, who not only directly served and listened to the poor and marginalized but who also responded to them by challenging the unjust structures—such as the religious, economic, political, and even military structures—which in large part perpetuate the suffering of the poor and marginalized. This was one of the key reasons he got crucified. And yet, this kind of carrying the Cross is what created the space for the beautiful possibility of the Resurrection, which is the climax of Jesus’ “way of love.” Thus, we are invited and challenged to enter into Jesus’ “way of love,” which is the Glow of Easter.
         
Consistent Ethic of Life and Dignity
 
In Catholic Social Teaching, the Consistent Ethic of Life and Dignity calls us to evaluate how policy impacts the whole range of life and the dignity of all persons, born and unborn. Our human dignity is based on being created in the image and likeness of God as well as on being loved by God. Our dignity is not based on our actions, i.e. our “innocence” or “guilt.” We encourage parishioners to consider this as we each evaluate our personal and communal activity, as well as our public policy. We hope these evaluations, even when they differ, will be an opportunity for us to engage each other, learn from each other, and grow together as we seek the common good. This is a key practice and hope of a Christian community.
 
Mar. 7, 2010
Asking deeply, “Why are they poor?”
 
In light of the Gospel call to repentance and our own parish's Lenten focus on the ongoing needs of the homeless poor, we invite you to reflect on this quote by the US Bishops:

“The arms race is one of the greatest curses on humanity and the harm it does to the poor is more than can be endured… Diverting scarce resources from military to human development is not only a just and compassionate policy, but it is also a wise long-term investment in global peace and national security.” Source: “Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace,” http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/harvest.shtml Section 2.5.2.

In our prayer, we might consider how this Church teaching, which is firmly rooted in the Gospel, ought to affect our personal choices and our public policy.

“Why is it that, when I feed the poor, they call me a saint, and when I ask ‘why are they poor?’ they call me a communist?” Dom Helder Camara, Archbishop in Brazil and Dorothy Day

For our considered Reflection--U.S. Govt.’s Discretionary Budget:
 
Dept. of Defense:                                               56%    ($655 billion)
Dept. of Education:                                            4-5%    ($42 billion)
Official International Development Assistance:  2-3%    ($25 billion)
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2010/assets/summary.pdf
http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Garrett_GlobalHealth_ActionPlan.pdf
 
Lenten Presentation: February 21, 2010
Dr. Eli McCarthy: Orienting our Program and our Hearts to Christ in our Midst.
Written presentation