Gospel Response to These Times
Introduction
We are faced daily with extremely difficult realities in our country and world. As followers of Jesus Christ we ask ourselves how we are to respond. What is ours to be and to do within our own unique circumstances and personal realities?
The National Leadership Conference of Women Religious has issued a statement that we will use as a basis for our reflection and prayer today.
Song: Song: For All the World –by Jan Novotka
For all the world we gather here!
For all the world we come,
We gather now as one, one in love.
1. We come together to honor and reverence the gift that each of us is. Taking the time to be present, to listen, with openness healing begins.
2. Look into the eyes of your neighbor and let division fade. See in the other the essence of being, the Light of Spirit within.
3. Here in this place… Deep in the stillness, we’re one in communion.
Reflection
“Over the course of the last several years, we have watched with grave concern a global and national shift in values and priorities that is negatively impacting the health of the planet and the lives of millions of its most vulnerable inhabitants. Policies enacted by many governments, including our own in the United States, as well as choices being made by citizens, point to a rapid dismantling of values that we consider bedrock for the future of the global community.”
How are we called to respond to these shifts as people of the Gospel, as followers of Jesus Christ? May we be the face of compassion and hope, collectively and individually, as we witness actions that create chaos and fear, holding fast to the principles women religious have labored for centuries to nurture and protect. Let us continue to support and collaborate with organizations and people of faith who share our deep concern in the face of powerful forces working against our deeply held values and priorities. “May we wholeheartedly embrace the call of the church to be people of hope and live this call with all our being for the sake of the world and its future.”
Contemplative Prayer—standing rooted in and open to God’s love for all
We strive to embody the following values, around which we have guided our lives:
• The belief in the inherent right to life of all human beings and the dignity of each life
• The commitment to the Gospel demands of love, welcome, and care for all people, especially those who are most vulnerable
• The duty to welcome immigrants and provide care and aid to all in our land, while insisting on comprehensive immigration reform
• The responsibility to stand against violence in all its forms
• The commitment to dismantle systemic racism
• The belief that care of our planet Earth requires our attention and action
• Respect for the journey of all persons into the wholeness of their humanness
• The work to alleviate poverty in all forms
Let us continue to strive to be “…bearers of love who refuse to relinquish our moral authority nor languish in despair. May we wholeheartedly embrace the call of the church to be people of hope and live this call with all our being for the sake of the world and its future.”
Contemplative Prayer—standing rooted in and open to God’s love for all
Song: For All the World
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