#BeingCatholic Update is out! http://t.co/V5yYbiZ4hL ? Top stories today via @CatholicsHome @EndPoverty @1missionfamily
Posted on May 24th 2013, 19:09
@MagnificatMag it was a pleasure meeting you as we'll!
Posted on May 23rd 2013, 19:01
RT @asmcentee: "if we reduce the New Evangelization to a program, it's not going to work" AMEN. #disciplescalledtowitness #NCCL2013
Posted on May 23rd 2013, 15:19
Posted on May 23rd 2013, 15:12
@Eillax Amen.
Posted on May 23rd 2013, 14:05
The #HolySpirit must be central to our Catechesis - Dr. Ospino #NCCL2013
Posted on May 23rd 2013, 13:12
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  IS IT JUST US? OR IS IT JUSTICE?March 26th, 2012
The title of the 1979 U.S. Bishops Pastoral on Racism is entitled, “Brothers and Sisters to Us.” I’ve wondered aloud many times, who is identified as “Us”? The title of the pastoral does infer that people of color are equal partners. It was for this very reason I was interested to hear how Monsignor Morris would “break open” his topic, “What We Have Seen and Heard: Reflections on the History and Future of African American Vocations.” He gave an excellent address which included a statement [paraphrase] “that pope/s encouraged U.S. Bishops to evangelize to the 4 million freed slaves in America. Yet, the U.S. Bishops refuse to respond to the request to evangelize the more than 4 million freed slaves in favor of outreach to the new immigrants from Europe.” Monsignor Morris insinuated that the failure of the U.S. Bishops to evangelize these 4 million freed slaves had a direct impact upon the number of African Americans Catholics in the Catholic Church, and the deficit of African American vocations [clergy and religious]. His insights reminded me of a conversation I had with Rev. Clarence Joseph Rivers who stated, “We will never make up for the loss of African American vocations due to the past and current racist attitudes in this Catholic Church.” This weekend, I walked into the neighborhood barbershop and as I waited for service, I joined in the conversation by barbers and customers about the shooting of Trayvon Martin. The pain and anger in these conversations was rooted in the reality of institutional systems that have failed to address the plight of African Americans and the elusive search for “justice for all.” In these conversations was a pervasive cultural reality/belief that the life of a Black male in America is less valuable than that of a White male. Historically, this has been a part of Black life from the writing of the Declaration of Independence and our present time. It is an intrinsic part of Black life for parents to worry about whether the “unjust systems” in America will cast their child, or their grandchildren into the “pit” of being less than human. As much as we can, my wife and I encourage our children to live without fear. But at the same time, we have to tell them that justice in America at times chooses not to be colorblind. Our hope for our children and their children is for them to see with their own eyes an America where all are seen and treated with care and love of one who has been created in the image of a Most Holy God. It is my hope the wisdom captured in the founding of this great country: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.,” will be realized in our time. Yet, if not with our own eyes, may we always remember that as we approach the Feast of Easter, the victory has been won! Yes, we believe that evil, hatred, racism and death has been defeated through the Paschal Mystery – the life, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus the Christ. IN PLURIMIS photo credit: Flickr/werthmedia
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In the second paragraph of this post, I didn’t communicate my thought that the title of U.S. Bishop’s Pastoral, Brothers and Sisters to Us, relegates African Americans and people of color to a second class status. For me, the title does not help in the task of breaking down the barrier of who is privileged in this relationship of equals. We are Brothers and Sisters to One Another, for we are all equal – “…It is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ…” Romans 8: 17
This was not a race issue when the event occured. What made it a race issue with the coverage and some who took the event as an opportunity to use it for their own advantage. I think African Americans would gain a lot more respect if they chose to have more rational leadership than Revs Jackson and Sharpton.
Yes, a young african american was killed and that is tragic. If it had been a white person shooting him because he was black, it certainly would have been racist evil. But it was a Mexican/caucasion person who was part of a watch program who saw a suspicious action by a young person and he was not even sure initially he was black. The media once again seemed more interested in being first that being accurate and also seemed to want to make someone guilty before trial. I note that many in the media are being questioned not only for the tone of coverage, but also for perhaps leaving out facts that did not fit their desired narrative. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2012/04/epic-fail-nbc-and-the-george-zimmermantrayvon-martin-story/
I also found it horrible that the poltiticans whould jump on the story to try to make political capital of the event. When the nation needed to take a deep breath and calm down, many were our beating the drum and stirring up emotions often based on little information and in some cases grossly distorted information.
We have racial problems in this country, but in many cases, this type of action only drives us further apart.
Greta, thanks for your response.
The question about whether the shooting of Trayvonn was a race issue or not, I personally do not dispute. But, beyond the race issue, the issue is about justice. Some could say, that there are a lot of “issues” the African American community could be addressing rather than “sticking their noses” into a questionable shooting. There can be an uproar about politicians and the “so-called leaders of the African American community. But without voices for the people and from the people, we would not had the advances in justice we now see in American. Yes, there are a lot issues in the African American community, some of them are being addressed and some not. Some are being ignored, as if we have blinders on and can see only what we want to see. But the tragic history in America of not enforcing justice for all; of not treating people of color as equal citizens reopens deep psychological wounds. There are events that re-ignites the flames of the injustice that African Americans have endured throughout the history of America. It is in these times that the lens of “our reality” of being one is shattered and broken.
I thank God for the progress we’ve made in America to respect all of humanity. And, I pray that God will continue to uproot the systemic ills in our society, so that one day, we will truly understand and know, what it means to be brothers and sisters of the One Lord.
Frankly I see what is happening as not a call for justice as a call for injustice. With the distortions coming out on NBC which was not an error, but a flat out attempt to manipulate the news and with Al Sharpton who has his own show on MSNBC going into fits of rage over the police not rushing to judgement, I think that these actions have almost insured that there will never really be justice. Spike Lee posting Zimmermans address (bad but made worse by it being the wrong address) which is a flat out call for mob violence should have resulted in an arrest of Lee as was the reward from the new black panther party. Successful prosecution comes with getting everything well understood and all the fact laid out. That appears to be what the police there were doing. Now we see more threats to anyone who dares to speak well of Zimmerman.