Friday, June 5, 2020

A Cry for Justice

Justice cannot be served when the fundamental dignity of a person is not respected. The ugly reality of racism...cannot be tolerated because we are all humanly diminished when we are not appalled at the mistreatment of others because of the color of their skin. As the representatives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stated, "We serve a God of love, mercy and justice." To serve justice, we must not tolerate...atrocities in our society. Yet our protests must be peaceful so that we may demonstrate respect for all people not just by our words but by our actions. 
In the midst of conflict and division, we know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace. Your Spirit changes our hearts: enemies begin to speak to one another, those who were estranged join hands in friendship, and nations seek the way of peace together. Your Spirit is at work when understanding puts an end to strife, when hatred is quenched by mercy, and vengeance gives way to forgiveness.

We pray that our hearts, our actions and our words will focus on making Christ's kingdom a reality.

Excerpts from a statement by our own Diocese of Worcester and from the Eucharistic Prayer for Reconciliation. Photograph by Brother Brian.