One Body September 16

Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Corinthians 10:17

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? Luke 6:46

Piety

Here I am Lord. I come to do Your will. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/091606.shtml

Paul reminds us that the Church is one body even though we have many parts. These days it is an easy lesson to forget. We have a lot of people who want to divide us into groups:

¬ There are the traditionalists and progressives.
¬ Then there are the liberals and conservatives.
¬ Then there are the republicans and democrats.

Then there are…oh you get the picture. You’ve probably been painted into one corner or another.

But that’s just the point…there are no corners. Every Sunday in the creed, we pray for “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.” Today, St. Paul reminds us of the “one” part.

Jesus comes along and exhorts us to action. Yesterday the men of the 113th Cursillo were introduced to the Tripod. Piety. Study. Action. With only two legs, the tripod will not stand. With only one leg, the tripod will not stand. We need all three dimensions in order to have stability and impact in the world.

Action

Please continue to pray for the men of the 113th Cursillo. However, take a broader view as well. There are needs throughout the world that we can not forget.

On the other side of our ONE globe, the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan continues unabated.

On Sunday in The Washington Post, Senator John McCain and former Senator Bob Dole once again tried to raise that crisis to our attention…but amidst the hundreds of deaths in Bahgdad, the DC mayoral election, the fifth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the first game of the Redskins NFL season, the pennant races in baseball, and other American diversion, did we even notice? They wrote:

“Make no mistake: At some point we will step in to help victims in Darfur and police an eventual settlement. The question is whether the United States and other nations will act now to prevent a tragedy, or merely express sorrow and act later to deal with its aftermath. Urgent action is required in the coming hours and days.”

Jesus wants us to listen to His words and ACT on them – around the family, in our community, throughout the nation and around the world. We can not be like the person who “listens and does not act.”

An article in Sojourners reminds us as well:

On September 9, the same day an American journalist was freed from a Sudanese prison, dozens of activists went to jail in Washington, D.C., to call attention to the plight of the people of Darfur. This protest marked the two-year anniversary of the Bush administration's declaration that genocide was under way in the region.

The protestors, organized by D.C.-based Africa Action, were arrested for obstructing the sidewalk outside the White House while holding signs. This planned act followed a rally in Lafayette Square, where speakers and scores of activists gathered to call attention to the ongoing atrocities in Darfur and demand intervention by U.N. peacekeepers. [1]

What can you do? See the Crisis Group website for action ideas. http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3060&l=1