HAPPY MONDAY!
Some words of comfort got me thinking about today’s word-of-the-week…
COMMUNITY
Against a backdrop of grief, people representing a variety of faiths gathered a few weeks ago in Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross to pray for healing.
The common themes were reconciliation, forgiveness, resilience, and community.
I was especially struck by the simple, humble remarks of Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley. I’ve chosen some excerpts. I invite you to watch the video below and reflect on God’s design for us to live in authentic, loving community with each other.
- The generous and courageous response of so many assures us that there resides in people’s hearts a goodness that is incredibly selfless. We saw that when summoned by great events we can be remarkably committed to the well-being of others, even total strangers.
- This Patriots’ Day shakes us out of our complacency and indifference and calls us to focus on the task of building a civilization that is based on love, justice, truth and service.
- We must overcome the culture of death by promoting a culture of life, a profound respect for each and every human being made in the image and likeness of God, and we must cultivate a desire to give our lives in the service of others.
- Often in the Gospels, we can see the contrast between the crowd and the community. The crowd is made up of self-absorbed individuals, each one focused on his or her own interests in competition with the conflicting projects of others. A community is where people come to value each other, and find their own identity in being part of something bigger than themselves, working together for the common good.
- Like every tragedy, Monday’s events are a challenge and an opportunity for us to work together with a renewed spirit of determination and solidarity and with the firm conviction that love is stronger than death.
Can’t see the video in your email or reader? Click here.
Have a great week!
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