Tuesday of the
Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
By Beth DeCristofaro
Brothers and sisters:
For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to
the yoke of slavery. …For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. (Galatians 5:
1, 6)
(Jesus said in reply) You fools! Did not the maker of
the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and
behold, everything will be clean for you.”
(Luke 11: 40-41)
Piety
Jesus, I feel
within me
A great desire to
please you but, at the same time,
I feel totally
incapable of doing this without your special light and help,
Which I can expect
only from you.
Accomplish your
will within me – even in spite of me.
(St. Claude La Colombiere, SJ)
Study
A recent study
conducted out of the University of Southern California and reported on a
National Public Radio broadcast, looked at the possibility that politicians who
sponsor legislation aimed at curbing suspected voter fraud could be acting out
of bias. Politicians who sponsor voter fraud legislation were 40% more likely
to not answer e-mail questions about voter ID requirements sent by constituents
with Latino names than legislative colleagues who did not endorse such
legislation. Questions by constituents
with Anglo-sounding names were more often responded to. The study determines in
part that “The implication is that discriminatory intent underlies legislative
support for voter identification laws.”[i] What is striking is that many of these civil
servants genuinely describe themselves as not racist nor discriminatory. However it appears that they are being swayed
by their internal, perhaps unrecognized, prejudices.
We’ve seen photos
of Pope Francis embracing with loving concern juvenile delinquents and others
who would not have been tolerated in a Pharisee’s dining room. Pope Francis, in a homily to the Bishops as
the Synod on the Family began, stated: “’God’s
‘dream’ is his people. He planted it and nurtured it with patient and faithful
love, so that it can become a holy people, a people which brings forth abundant
fruits of justice.” How are we loving
and holy people bringing fruits of justice while not laying on judgments?
Action
Take a moment to
consider with humility a group of people, a person, who grates on your nerves
because they do not follow the rules, or does not respect you for your
position, or in some way marches to her/his own drum. Examine that place of irritation within
you. Then reflect on the Other and seek
Christ. Examine the place of freedom
within you which opens as you let go of a tiny yoke of internal slavery. Invite Christ into the space and pray for the
Other as well as yourself.
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