Break Up for Yourselves a New Field

July 9, 2008
Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

By Melanie Rigney

“Sow for yourselves justice, reap the fruit of piety; Break up for yourselves a new field, for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain down justice upon you.” (Hosea 10:12)

Rely on the mighty Lord; constantly seek his face. (Psalms 105:4)

As you go, make this proclamation: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:7)

Piety
Almighty Father, may your grace enkindle in us a love for those unfortunate people whom poverty and misery reduce to a condition unworthy of human beings. Arouse in us who call you Father a hunger and thirst for justice, and for fraternal charityin deed and in truth. Grant us, O Lord, peace in our days: peace to souls, peace to families, peace to our country, and peace to all nations. (From The Catholic Prayer Book, compiled by Ruth M. Hannon)

Study
Today's Readings
http://www.networklobby.org/

What is it about people? We feel the need to gather in groups so large that it can be difficult to find community if we don’t go with people we already know, and then what’s the point of that? Such events become so much larger than life that the purpose can sometimes get lost amid the pomp and speeches.

There’s the Summer Olympics in Beijing August 8-24 and the Democratic National Convention in Denver August 25-28, quickly followed by the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul September 1-4. Our own Cursillo National Encounter July 31-August 3 in DC doesn’t exactly fit, since community can be found in minutes even among Cursillistas who haven’t met before. But you get the point. All too often in our lives, we stick to our rut, to the people and routines and political views and issues we know. Stepping even slightly out of our comfort zones can be difficult.

Breaking up for ourselves a new field can involve things we can do from the comfort of our own homes, such as finding Christ in someone we find challenging or committing to prayer time each day to reap the fruit of piety. It also can involve reaching out to people we don’t know and embracing more fully the causes we support in spirit.

One such opportunity is the Convention for the Common Good, being held this Friday through Sunday in Philadelphia. The conveners are Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Network, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby; sponsors include Pax Christi USA, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, the Ignatian Solidarity Network, the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales, and others. The goals, according to organizers, are to adopt a platform for the common good, addressing issues such as a culture of life, healthcare, immigration, and economic justice; to engage politicians; to inspire action on behalf of the common good; and to integrate prayer and liturgy as the nourishing core of participants’ efforts.

Sister Helen Prejean will offer the closing prayer before attendees are encouraged to carry forth the platform for the common good into their own communities headed into the fall elections.

Action
If on the whole you’d rather not or can’t be in Philadelphia this weekend, look to one of the convention’s sponsoring organizations or to our diocesan programs or to a ministry in your own parish that you previously haven’t embraced but are interested in. Get involved. Don’t be an armchair Christian.