Social Justice

Novena for Justice: Pray for Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Note: I will add to this novena daily until I have reached 9 days. Mary, Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States

Novena Intention:

For the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, for the protection of all who are unjustly detained, and for the conversion of our nation toward justice, compassion, and truth.

Day 1: Mother of the Lowly

Scripture:

“He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.”

—Luke 1:52

Reflection:

Holy Mary, you yourself fled as a refugee to Egypt. You know the fear of the innocent pursued by the powerful.

Today, we ask you to look upon your child, Kilmar Abrego Garcia—torn from his family and unjustly (mistakenly) sent to a gang prison in El Salvador infamous for its human rights abuses. Intercede for him that justice may be done swiftly and mercy shown boldly.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, hold Kilmar close under your mantle, in the crossing of your arms, safe in your Immaculate Heart. Protect him in that terrible place. Give hope to his wife and children. By your prayers may the light of the Holy Spirit of wisdom, courage, fortitude, righteousness and compassion SHINE into every courtroom, agency, and hardened heart. Inspire those in power to act with courage. And guide us, your children, to build a nation that defends the dignity of every life. Mary pray with us that the mighty will be humbled and the lowly lifted up.

O Mary, conceived without sin,

pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Patroness of the United States,

pray for us

Day 2 Mother of Immigrants and Refugees

Scripture

When an immigrant resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress them. The foreigner who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the immigrant as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:33-34

Reflection

Mary, you carry the hope of the refugee deep in your heart. You understand their desperation, how hard it is to leave community, family, and ones country behind. You always did what you had to do for Jesus, impelled by your love for him and for us too who are all your children.

Please forgive us as a nation, for how we have treated our brother, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. We bring Kilmar and his family to you , as well as all others unjustly detained and imprisoned. Draw them all into your Immaculate Heart full of tenderness and the protective love of a mother. Intercede for their release.

Intercede for the hard of heart, the stubborn, the arrogant and the cruel. May the Holy Spirit blow through their lives upending their schemes and granting them the highest of graces; repentance and humility. May those opposed to justice receive a strong desire to right their wrongs.

By the flames of the Holy Spirit that burn in your heart, Holy Mother, illumine every place and person handling this case and others like it with Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.

The Memorare

Remember, O most compassionate Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your assistance, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, Our Mother. To you we come, before you we kneel, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer them. Amen.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

Day 3 Mother of the Accused

Scripture

But Suzanna cried aloud, “Eternal God, you know what is hidden and are aware of all things before they come to be:

you know that they have testified falsely against me. Here I am about to die, though I have done none of the things for which these men have condemned me.”

The Lord heard her prayer.

Daniel 13:42-44

Reflection

Mother, the night your Son was betrayed and arrested, falsely accused, beaten, mocked and tortured, your heart felt every blow even if you could not see them. As his mother you wished you could take the abuse yourself instead of him. You prayed for him, burying your tear stained face in the Father’s chest.

Pray for Kilmar, for all of the unjustly detained and imprisoned now, for whom your Son gave his face to slapping and spitting with no resistance. Intercede for his release, intercede for his family and everyone fighting for him. Give them all strength and hope during this terrible time. Protect him in that terrible prison. He is your little son. Give him a mother’s presence.

Kontakion 4 (an Orthodox hymn to Mary)

A tempest of many misfortunes … doth beset me, and no longer can I endure its ragings.

But as Thou art the merciful mother of my Savior and God, lift up Thy hands to Thy Son,

beseeching Him to regard the bitter sorrow of my heart

and to raise me up from the abyss of despair, who cry to Him.

Day 4, Mother of Mercy

Scripture:

One of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, and immediately, blood and water poured out.

John 19:34

Reflection

Holy Mother, you stood at the foot of the Cross of your Son, your immaculate heart pierced through with trauma and grief. You suffered with your Son in profound solidarity and compassion. Help our entire nation to grow in compassion. May our leaders have their hearts opened and no longer mock empathy, but repent and receive mercy themselves. May the love and mercy expressed in the outflow of blood and water from Jesus’ side, be deeply received by each of us. Mother, by your pierced heart, by your sorrow and faithfulness, by your willingness to stand at the side of the condemned come what may, urge us to rise up and join you in standing with those who suffer. Show us how to bring the mercy of your Son, the love he bears each of us, to everyone. May the love and sacrifice of the Lord, his mercy and grace, comfort Kilmar, and all of the unjustly detained and imprisoned and their families today.

Salve Regina

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

Day 5, Mother of those who Mourn

Scripture

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Reflection

Oh Mary Desolate, let us comfort you and make reparation to you for all you have suffered by loving and standing for those who are unjustly imprisoned, torn from their families and communities, mourned by their friends. Teach us to stand with you in standing for them and those who mourn them. May we offer you sweet solace in our friendship and solidarity with you and your Son today, with prayer and acts of service. In sitting with you in silent hope, may we be sitting with them as well just as you do. May Kilmar and all the unjustly imprisoned and detained feel uplifted and supported by you and by us. To this we dedicate this day.

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

Day 6

Mother of the Risen

Scripture

For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

Luke 1:49

Reflection

Mary who can imagine your joy when your Son was returned to you? When all of life had been restored by his resurrection? How beautiful the whole world looked to you! How beautiful the face of your Son glorified. You probably wanted never to stop holding him. I bet you wanted to cook him all of his favorite foods. You would not have been able to keep your eyes off him, even though your sight of him was blurred by your joyful tears.

By the joy your heart knew that day, intercede for other mothers, wives, children, desperately wating for the return of their sons, their husbands, their fathers. Intercede for the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to his home and family. Pray for all of the unjustly detained and imprisoned that they may be brought home soon. Pray for our country as we spiral into disregard for the lives of immigrants and the rights and dignity of all of the marginalized. Mother of the risen, help us to rise. Help us grow in justice, righteousness and compassion. Let us reflect the Heart of your Son, and the love of your Immaculate Heart in our lives.

Regina Coeli

Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia

for the Son whom you merited to bear alleluia

has risen as he said, Alleluia

Pray to God for us, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia

For the Lord is truly risen alleluia

Day 7 Mary,Mother of the Church and Queen of Apostles

Scripture

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus.

Acts 1:14a

Mother of the Church and Queen of Apostles, intercede for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to take a strong clear stand on behalf of migrants and refugees, and in defense of the poor and all who stand to be harmed by this administrations policies and actions. lift your kindly hands to your Son, on behalf of Kilmar Abreago Garcia all the others who are unjustly imprisoned or detained, all who are afraid now. Obtain the release of the prisoners, the conversion of those who would oppress. Your Son did not give us a spirit of fear, but of the power of love. He gives us courage. Remind us, especially Church leaders and government leaders, that when we speak up, we are not to worry what we are to say; it will be the Spirit of Our Father speaking through us. In the spirit of Pope Francis, let us be brave on behalf of the powerless.

Prayer by Pope Francis for our world in danger

O Mary, our Mother, we come again here before you. You know the sorrows and struggles that weigh heavily on our hearts in this hour. We lift our gaze to you, immerse ourselves in your eyes, and entrust ourselves to your heart.

You, too, O Mother, have faced difficult trials and human fears, but you were courageous and bold. You entrusted everything to God, responded to Him with love, and offered yourself without reservation. As the intrepid Woman of Charity, you hurried to help Elizabeth, promptly addressing the needs of the couple during the Wedding at Cana; with steadfastness of heart, on Calvary you illuminated the night of sorrow with the Easter hope. Finally, with maternal tenderness, you gave courage to the frightened disciples in the Upper Room and, with them, welcomed the gift of the Spirit.

And now we beseech you: heed our cry! We have need of your loving gaze that invites us to trust in your Son, Jesus. You who are ready to embrace our sorrows, fly to our aid in these times oppressed by injustices and devastated by wars, wipe the tears from the suffering faces of those who mourn the loss of their loved ones, awaken us from the stupor that has darkened our path, and disarm our hearts from the weapons of violence, so that the prophecy of Isaiah may quickly be fulfilled: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not take up sword against another, nor shall they train for war again” (Isaiah 2:4).

Turn your maternal gaze upon the human family, which has lost the joy of peace and the sense of fraternity. Intercede for our world in danger, so that it may cherish life and reject war, care for those who suffer, the poor, the defenseless, the sick, and the afflicted, and protect our Common Home.

We invoke you for the mercy of God, O Queen of Peace! Transform the hearts of those who fuel hatred, silence the din of weapons that generate death, extinguish the violence that brews in the heart of humanity, and inspire projects for peace in the actions of those who govern nations.

O Queen of the Holy Rosary, untie the knots of selfishness and disperse the dark clouds of evil. Fill us with your tenderness, uplift us with your caring hand, and grant us your maternal caress, which makes us hope in the advent of a new humanity where “… the wilderness becomes a garden land and the garden land seems as common as forest. Then judgment will dwell in the wilderness and justice abide in the garden land. The work of justice will be peace…” (Isaiah 32:15-17).

Day 8 Mary, Throne of Wisdom

Scripture

God of my ancestors, Lord of mercy,

you who have made all things by your word

And in your wisdom have established humankind

to rule the creatures produced by you,

And to govern the world in holiness and righteousness,

and to render judgment in integrity of heart:

Give me Wisdom, the consort at your throne.

Wisdom 9: 1-4a

Reflection

Mary, today we bring the justices of our Supreme Court to you, upon so much of what happened next for Kilmar and all others unjustly detained or imprisoned, depends. Give them wisdom and just judgement in what they decide to do in the face of this administrations’ delays, denials and defiance, lies and various distractions. Give them fortitude and inner strength, a clear understanding of what is at risk for our country if they allow the president and his administration to defy court orders.

You are the Throne of Wisdom, who brought us the Son of God. You are the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, who is the power of love, the giver of life, the inspiration of wisdom. Your Immaculate Heart is filled with intelligence as well as tenderness, courage and love. Intercede for us, for Kilmar, and our courts, especially our Supreme Court.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit,

Come by means of the powerful Intercession

of the Immaculate Heart

of Mary,

Thy well -beloved spouse.

Day 9 Mother of the Americas

Scripture

”Behold your mother.” John 19:26

Reflection

Mary Mother of the Americas, and Patroness of the United States, pray for us. We ask this because this is about so much more than Kilmar alone. This is about our country’s slide into a competitive autocracy style of government where human dignity is disregarded. We appeal to your motherly protection, to your goodness and love of all people. Intercede for our nation which risks becoming a cruel and oppressive one.

We fervently and with great trust on this last day of our novena, commend to you our battered democracy. We bring to you with trust in your special love of the persecuted victims of injustice, your little son Kilmar Abrego Garcia and ask you to raise your sweet face to your Son, to ask for Kilmar’s release, for his safety and freedom, and that of all those unjustly detained or imprisoned. Please do not stop interceding for us and for them until our request is granted. Your Son said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice for they shall be filled.” We are here to be filled with his blessing then. Let us not be disappointed.

Traditional Prayer

to the

Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today,

Immaculate Heart of Mary,

pray for us

April 15, 2025 0

The Prophet Elijah: A Model for Holy Activism

I dreamed about the Prophet Elijah a couple weeks ago. We were sitting on a mountainside talking.The conversation we had is lost to me for the most part. It seemed significant that I dreamed of him. In the time following, I re-read the stories of Elijah’s life in Scripture.

*You can find these in 1 Kings chapters 17-19, and 21,

2 Kings Chapters 1-2, and in Sirach 48:1-11.

The pattern of his life that stood out to me as I read and reflected, is the path of the holy activist.

Elijah embodies the prophetic response to times of upheaval and injustice. He is an icon of a prophet arising in a time of darkness, burning like a torch. He spoke truth to power, confronted corruption, and defended the vulnerable. He drew his strength and inspiration from God as he served the hungry, healed the sick, and returned to a hostile land he had run in fear from. Sometimes he was afraid for his life, frustrated, burned out. Then he charged back into the fray, blazing, lit by God’s transforming love. Elijah’s life is a map lighting the path of the holy activist.

Elijah confronted corrupt leaders

King Ahab and Queen Jezebel were horrible, shameless, lawless people. They were greedy, murderous, corrupt idolaters and false accusers leading the people into apostasy. Elijah confronted them several times over killing the prophets and destroying God’s altars, taking from and murdering the poor, warning of consequences to come.

During one of his confrontations with Ahab, the king called Elijah his enemy, blaming him for causing trouble. This happens a lot to anyone who speaks up against wrongdoing. Elijah doesn’t care what the King says. He contradicts him briefly, undeterred. He doesn’t let himself be drawn into argument. He delivers God’s message with its warning and walks away, leaving the results in God’s hands.

If you have to call out corruption or injustice, remember to detach from what happens after you have spoken. You can do your part and the rest is up to the hearers to choose how to respond.

Elijah spoke truth to power

Baal, a pagan god whose worship included child sacrifice, was popular at the time just as destructive ideologies have so much sway now. Elijah was the only prophet of the God of Israel left and the Queen was trying to kill him as well. Sometimes we have to speak the truth at great risk.

Elijah called the priests of Baal to meet him for a duel between their false god and the true God of Israel. The prophet of God stands alone against 450 priests of Baal and before his own people who had gone over to them. He trusted God to act. Dramatically and miraculously, God came through, sending fire from Heaven to consume Elijah’s sacrifice.

God will give us everything we need to do as he asks; to stand up and speak out even if we are all alone in doing so, he is with us.

Elijah made use of humor

I want to add that Elijah made fun of the prophets of Baal as they called to their false god. He taunted them sarcastically about whether their god was sleeping, or deaf or busy. “Maybe you should yell a little louder.”

Making fun of the powerful can be a good thing at times like these so we aren’t overcome by fear or hopelessness. Those late night comedians keep me going sometimes. I’m all for it. After all, Elijah ends up slaying the false prophets and there are more ways than one to slay.

So if you can, find ways to laugh. Bring the powerful down to size with humor.

Elijah served the needy with faith and compassion

After a time of frustration and even despair, God sends Elijah on a journey to help a poor widow and her son who are on the brink of starvation.

By the prophet’s prayers and the woman’s trust, her oil jug never runs dry and her flour jar never runs out of flour until the famine is over.

Elijah prayed over her son when he fell ill and died while he was there, which brought the child back to life. Elijah shows himself to be a man of profound compassion and faith. His service to the widow renews him and helps him grow.

If you’re freaking out, an act of kindness or service will help your perspective and give you peace.

Defending the poor and oppressed

King Ahab and Queen Jezebel conspired to take the ancestral land of a man named Naboth after he refused to sell. It was already against Jewish law to press someone to sell their family land. Then Jezebel arranged false accusations against Naboth because of which he was executed. Then the King took over the man’s land. Naboth stands for all of the poor who suffer injustice and oppression, from the greed of the rich and powerful, from unjust systems.

Always defend the poor and oppressed and be sure that even if you don’t think you succeed in doing so, God will, either now or in the future.

Being guided by God, motivated by love

One of the times Elijah was in hiding, God asked him, “Elijah, what are you doing?” Elijah pours out his heart to the Lord. He tells him how scared he is with the Queen trying to have him killed. Then he tells God of his burning, intense love for him, which is the spark of his zeal. This is what it means to be a holy activist. Our inspiration, our strength, our courage to confront people in power, our compassion, our hunger and thirst for righteousness, are all from God.

Now and then it’s important for an activist of faith to do some soul searching with God. What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Is God with you on this?

Elijah experienced burnout and renewal

Twice in Elijah’s life story, we see him in hiding, scared and frustrated, overwhelmed to the point he wants to die and asks God to let him. He suffers from exhaustion, fear, frustration and self doubt. Twice God comes to him like a gentle parent, giving him bread, telling him to drink some water and have something to eat. Elijah rests, gets some sleep, and is fed by God until he is ready for a new mission, and sets out restored and reassured.

If you’re overwhelmed or burned out, let God care for you for a while. Rest, get extra sleep, until you’re ready and receive new guidance.

Elijah encounters God profoundly

God calls Elijah to the mouth of the cave he has been staying in, and invites him to experience him passing by. There is a mighty wind, but the wind is not God. There is an earthquake but neither is this God. When Elijah hears a “still, small voice” within himself, in a gesture of reverence as he covers his face with his cloak, recognizing the presence of the Lord.

Draw from the Source of all life, and practice attentiveness to God’s presence at all times. You will grow exponentially in love, strength and compassion, reflecting the Lord you love and listen to.

Elijah mentored the next generation to take on the work

An important part of activism is handing on the spirit of the work to the next generation. Elijah, after training Elisha at his side, grants him a double portion of his spirit before he is taken up to heaven. Elisha takes the mantle of his mentor over his shoulders, going on to do the great work of a prophet.

Whatever form of activism or mission you are involved in, always take time to talk to interested young people and pass on your wisdom and experience.

I’ve been so worried about so many things going on in our country, in our world. Maybe you have been too. Let us look to the Prophet Elijah to light our way, asking him for a double portion of his spirit, praying for the knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out. * from the 11th Step of AA

“The lord lives! I am standing in his presence.”

*Antiphon from the Carmelite proper, feast of Elijah the Prophet, July 20

April 3, 2025 0

Immigration, our Catholic faith, the present moment

Most of the people about to be deported and rounded up into camps are our fellow Catholics; people who are praying their rosaries scared to death. Our people. When the U.S. invaded Mexico Irish mercenaries were brought in to fight with the U.S.. But when they saw the flag of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the other side they refused to fight their fellow Catholics. They’re known as the San Patricios or The Saint Patrick Brigade, of 1846. I’ve been reflecting on their celebrated legacy in the wake of the protection of our churches as sanctuaries has been taken away.

We all need to think about how we will respond to possible raids during holy mass. What will you do?

Our Holy Father has said the way we treat migrants and refugees is as important as the way we treat the unborn. The Scripture says we must treat the alien as our native born and not persecute or oppress them. (Lv. 19: 33-34) The Catechism teaches us that they are to be treated in such a way as respects their human dignity, and with compassion.

The Church understands we can’t accept everyone who comes to us asking for asylum but that we should always treat them with empathy and understanding regardless. Catholics believe in the unconditional dignity of the human person made in the image and likeness of God. Jesus says whatever we do to the lowly we do to him. (Matt. 25:40)

The following are quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the topics of migration and immigration.

¶1911: Internal quote is from Gaudium et Spes: “The unity of the human family, embracing people who enjoy equal natural dignity, implies a universal common good. This good calls for an organization of the community of nations able to provide ‘for men’s different needs, both in the fields of social life—such as food supplies, health, education, labor and also in certain special circumstances which can crop up here and there, e.g., the need to promote the general improvement of developing countries, or to alleviate the distressing conditions in which refugees dispersed throughout the world find themselves, or also to assist migrants and their families. to alleviate the distressing conditions in which refugees dispersed throughout the world find themselves, or also to assist migrants and their families.’”

¶2211: “The political community has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially… the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work and housing, and the right to emigrate.”

¶2241: “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.”

¶2433: “Access to employment and to professions must be hope to all without unjust discrimination; men and women, healthy and disabled, natives and immigrants. For its part society should, according to circumstances, help citizens find work and employment.”

We may be having a moment here; a moment when God is asking us to stand up even though it’s scary. Everyone worries about the reputation of the Church. We have made our mistakes, often because of that worry. But we know what is right. I hope we won’t blow this and let this moment pass us by. We haven’t always stood up when we should have. We always worry about the balance between appeasing authority to effect change or avoid interference in our affairs, and being faithful to our mission and our call to radical love and to “speak truth to power” as some say. I hope our leaders won’t just straddle the fence. In some of what’s going on we will have to pick a side. Let it be the side of the lowly, the persecuted and the oppressed, the stranger, the immigrant, the refugee.

A friend asked, “I wonder how many of them are named Jesus’. “

“All of them,” I said.

January 26, 2025 0

Take refuge in prayer and service on Inauguration Day

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

This post is for those of us for whom the 2025 Inauguration of our incoming president will be a day of grief, or at least a difficult day.

I am very very sad for my country too and worried as well as I have said before. I am horrified by the ugliness and hate this administration is already unleashing into society – bringing out the worst in all of us.

Here are my survival plans for January 20.

I am not watching the inauguration, not in any way. In fact I’m not listening to the news at all that day. Spiritual reading or audio book sounds a lot better.

I plan to celebrate MLK whose day it is. I can do this by being grateful for him, by posting about him, by reading some of his writings, by talking about him with my family, especially with my grandchildren. Locally we have an MLK day March that because of weather will be a caravan this year. We plan to join it.

If you’re home for the MLK holiday then you can make this a mini retreat day for yourself to recharge and put on the armor of God

.
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Ephesians 6:11-17

Pray. Because when we pray we are truly putting more love into the world , in whatever way we choose to pray. If we pray with love and attentiveness God will work through us in secret and powerful ways; our soul becomes a door of grace for the movement of divine love into this world. We don’t have to say anything. We only bring ourselves to God with an open heart. He will only do what is right.

So pray in whatever way you can. Pray as much as you can.

I plan to dedicate my actions that day and any suffering I feel or any happiness, all my thoughts words and experiences of the day, to the cause of truth and justice and right. God knows what those truly are so I don’t even have to be specific.

Next, make this a day of service. Do a good deed. Make a connection with someone. You can pick up trash in your neighborhood. Perform a random act of kindness. Volunteer at a local charity. Spend some time really listening to a child and let them lead the conversation or the activity of their choice. Kids remember things like that. Do someone else’s chores. Pay it forward at a drive through. Give someone flowers. Ask a homeless person how they are. You know what to do.

I also think at least for that day Philippians 4:8 has excellent advice for what to keep in mind. I’m going to try to master my thoughts and put that verse into action.

“Finally, brothers, sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Philippians 4:8

I plan to listen to beautiful music and also to take refuge in poetry. I’ve been reading a lot of poetry lately.

Make good use of that dark day of worry fear and grief. Make it something beautiful for God and for others, for yourself.

It’s like putting flowers in guns I think. Only these flowers are able to bring about the change they represent.

This is it y’all. Let’s prepare ourselves with prayer, with beauty, with acts of service, with peace. That’s our real refuge.

January 17, 2025 0

Accept in order to Resist

I, like many, have been struggling with acceptance since Nov. 5th. Ive been thinking HOW are we, how am I, going to make it through this? I’ve made some plans, thought of some things to do to assist others who will be most affected. But I realized that one thing that could help is acceptance. It sounds obvious but sometimes it takes me a while to realize that I am in non- acceptance – which is the most painful, sticky place to be. If stuck in a glue trap or a spiders web, struggle only impedes escape. I – and we- have a lot of work to do, a lot coming that we will have to deal with. If you are familiar with AA and Al-Anon maybe you will recognize this:

“The level of my Serenity is directly proportional to the level of my acceptance.” – Alcoholics Anonymous, The Big Book

We should not accept what is evil, thats not what I’m saying. But for me it’s been hard to accept that this is where we are. Trump is here along with his clown car of malignant crazies. Yes they are cruel and destructive and authoritarian, racist, “Christian” nationalist, anti planet, sexist -etcetera etcetera, everything horrible. They are. But until I can quit being shocked every day by the awful things they say and do I can’t be very useful and I certainly will be emotionally drained. I’m chuckling a little thinking of how the Twelve Steps of AA would sound applied to Trump but maybe the idea of acceptance and sorting out areas of powerlessness from areas of responsibility and possibility is a pretty good idea.

Sometimes I listen to a spiritual speaker named Tara Brach. She is Buddhist but her talks can apply to anyone. She talks about having a heart ready for anything. To have that you need acceptance of the fact of what’s here. This is here. It “belongs” so to speak. Here we are. Am I going to go into this kicking and screaming? Or can I relax and untangle the web, roll out of the glue trap, and be open to what the Spirit is asking of me in these times ? I suspect there will be many glue trap days. But I can return to the first three steps of the twelve:

That I am powerless over the fact that for the next four years this is our government, yes, of madmen. Here they are. And I admit that my inner life has become unmanageable because of my reaction to this fact.
I believe that a power greater than myself can restore me to sanity.
I become willing to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understand him.

I think the 11th step is a big part of this too: I seek “through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God, praying only for the knowledge of his will for me and the power to carry it out.”

I do think intercessory prayer is going to be extremely important in what we are about to encounter. So I’m adding that of course, to my 11th step plans.

Sometimes the only way out is through. So let’s go through. And let’s do it with love.

And let’s remember this is also the Jubilee Year of Hope and we are Pilgrims of Hope.

Hate did not win. Love has not died. It never will. And we belong to love. Lies cannot become truth. They never will. And we belong to truth. Our country has not been overcome by darkness. Because our country has us.

January 14, 2025 0

Pilgrims of Hope

On Christmas Eve the Holy Father knocked on a normally sealed (with bricks) door in St. Peter’s Basilica and gave it a push. Symbolically and ceremonially the holy door was opened wide, ushering in the Jubilee Year of Hope for the whole world so in need of it now.

The holy door represents Christ, who said, “I am the gate,” and “I am the Way.” He is our door, his heart open wide in welcome, beckoning for us to step in to him, to open the doors of our hearts as well, to him, and to others.

This door and this holy year are not merely a symbol and a theme, not only a call from the Pope to renew and intensify our faith, to remember hope and to give hope, though they are those things too. Something very real is happening here, a release, a flood of grace from the treasury entrusted to the Church by Jesus, and to Peter who can unlock and lock, release and forgive.

Veteran Vatican journalist Gerard O’Connell described on the podcast “Inside the Vatican,” being present for the opening of the holy door for the jubilee year 2000 by Pope St. John Paul II. He said we often talk about “ being in the now” but this felt “beyond the now.” I think he was talking about a transcendent present. “Like being in another dimension” he said. I think that sense he had points to the truth of what is actually happening as the Church opens these holy doors all over the world.

Pope Francis urges us to remember that we are a people of hope, a people on a journey, and we have confident assurance that we are on the road with and to Christ. We know where we are going though we cannot see it with our eyes.

He also asks that we turn and give hope to others who need food, shelter, freedom, human dignity, people under relentless attack in war, the refugee and the migrant, the prisoner, the poor.

He is speaking not just to individuals but to nations, urging them to work for peace and to protect human life and dignity. He calls for rich nations to forgive the crippling and impossible debts of the poor ones. He asks for the richer nations to be mindful also of ecological justice for poorer countries as well.

He wants to see restorative justice for prisoners emphasized more than the punitive emphasis we tend to favor. Francis went so far as to open a holy door in a prison (that leads to their prison chapel) and asks that society help these people have hope for their lives beyond prison.

We are called to works and an approach of mercy for all of these brothers and sisters in need of hope

We can also take advantage of the mercy and grace of this holy year by making a pilgrimage. Most of us can’t get to Rome but each diocese will announce pilgrimage sites closer we can journey to.

Here are the ones for the Diocese of Austin. For pilgrimage sites near you check your Diocesan website.

St. Mary Cathedral, Austin
Holy Cross Parish, Austin
Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Parish, Austin
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Temple
Our Lady of Wisdom University Parish @ Texas State University, San Marcos
Santa Cruz Parish, Buda
St. Joseph Parish, Bryan
St. Mary Church of the Assumption Parish, Waco
St. Mary Catholic Center @ Texas A&M University, College Station
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Lampasas
University Catholic Center @ University of Texas, Austin

In order to receive an indulgence:

Visit and Pray at a Pilgrimage Site
Perform a work of mercy or penance
Recitation of specific prayers (If you are homebound and cannot participate in pilgrimage)

We can apply this grace and mercy of the Jubilee Year to our beloved dead to help them in their journey through eternity, for their purification. This is commonly called a “plenary indulgence.” We share spiritual goods with the dead and with the living in the Communion of Saints. So we can access the special graces of the Holy Year for ourselves as well as others.

Another thing a plenary indulgence does is release us from temporal punishment for sins that have already been forgiven. In current parlance you could think of this as the antidote to “what goes around comes around.”

This is also a year for repentance and penance. We can take advantage of the grace of this holy year by returning to confession, making amends to anyone we have hurt, amending our lives, beginning again.

It’s a year of reconciliation and forgiveness. Any forgiveness we are holding back, this year we should let go. Forgive everyone, everyone. Don’t let anything anyone detain you on your way to Christ.

We are Pilgrims of Hope. There is a renewal of Christian Joy afoot! Grab your pilgrim’s staff, put on your pilgrim’s shoes. Let’s go!

December 29, 2024 0

Holy Innocents

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the toddlers and babies killed by Roman soldiers at Herod’s orders after Joseph fled to Egypt with Jesus and Mary.

I have never liked the traditional way of describing these kids as martyrs. A martyr chooses death rather than betraying Christ. Little children suffer and die before the age of consent and from the terrible things adults do.

I also am not sure abortion is exactly the best modern comparison to what happened that day. As far as we know the tiny innocents in their mother’s womb do not have consciousness yet. I imagine them, at least early on, as in a dreamlike bliss, violently but quickly disturbed and ended by abortion. Abortion is violent and tragic in several ways. However, as Pat Benatar sang, “Hell is for children.”

This is a good day to pray for children around the world who suffer the violence and callousness of adults, especially from state sponsored terror and genocide where there is no safety, no relief, where parents cannot protect them, such as in Gaza where parents write their children’s names on their limbs in case they are killed so they can be identified, where children are orphaned, maimed, under the rubble, starving, sometimes being operated on without anesthesia if they are lucky enough to find care at all. Surely their blood cries out to the Lord. We all know the outrageous numbers. Hell is for children.

Ukrainian children suffer war as well, and I am struck by the fact that Russia is taking the children away from their parents and into Russia. It reminds me of our child separation policy during the last Trump administration; something a lot of us lost sleep over, protested but felt powerless to stop. The damage to those little ones is profound and many of them were sexually abused as well, or never reunited with their families. It’s a method of torture I believe, to do this to kids and their parents. Some of those children were nursing babies.

In many countries life is so dangerous or poverty is so great that parents are forced to flee with their children to find safety or go where life is possible only to be rebuffed and unwanted, subjected to detention or camps or sent back to the dangers they fled after an often long and dangerous journey.

In Sudán, famine threatens and children die of malnutrition as parents look on helplessly. This is happening in so many countries.

I haven’t heard what life is like for the children of Haiti as their country descends further into chaos, violence, and gang rule.

We know children are forced to fight and kill in parts of the world. Children are trafficked and live lives of nightmarish abuse.

Children are abused in their churches, schools, and families and too often the abusers are protected instead of the children.

And here in America, the leading cause of death for our children is gun violence. .

These are things adults have done or conditions the world of adults have created that massacre the souls minds and bodies of children who deserve safety and love, freedom to be kids. These are the holy innocents of our time.

This is overwhelming. What are we supposed to do? Jesus was stern about any harm done to little ones.

We need to be a part of lessening their suffering, advocating for them, of challenging the structural sin of our world, and the wrong headedness of the powers that be. Nothing will change if we don’t.

Hell is for children, but we are allied with Heaven and we hold the gift of prayer given to us by God. As we stand up for children and help as we can, God makes our prayers and actions big and far reaching. We can be everywhere he is, holding frightened children, drying tears, giving strength, transforming the world.

Holy Spirit, we pray for the Holy Innocents of our time and we dedicate this day to them. You are the comforter and the giver of life, the one who strengthens, uplifts, transforms, the Spirit of Love and Truth, Father of the Poor. Make your way through this world bringing light and nourishment and peace. Make us repent of the sins of the world and show us what we must do. Guide our prayer for every child everywhere in need of rescue and relief of sorrow and fear. May our leaders prioritize the needs and rights of children to safety and freedom and family life.

Bless every little heart on earth on this day of the Innocents.

December 28, 2024 1

The face of Mary

It is Our Lady of Guadalupe day today. It is the only divine portrait of Mother Mary we have. And she chose to appear as an indigenous young woman, one of the little ones, the poor and oppressed of this world as we tend to forget she actually was in her earthly life. She deeply identifies with the poor and marginalized just as her Son does. And we can find her in all the places he said he would be; among those we tend to reject. Let’s not miss an opportunity to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face when she comes to us with hidden roses. May God imprint her image in our souls.

December 13, 2024 0

St. Dymphna

700 years ago in Ireland a young girl left her home in the middle of the night as swiftly and silently as she could. She left with a priest, two household servants and a court jester who were her friends. She was not fleeing a forced marriage to a foreign prince or running away to a convent. She was running from her own father who seemed to have lost his mind after her mothers’ death and was trying to make his daughter marry him in her place.

Dymphna and her friends were able to make it to a Belgian town called Gheel.

She must have been a hard worker and had a compassionate heart. She and her friends established themselves in the town and Dymphna began caring for the sick and the poor. She had a special sympathy for people suffering from mental illness. She still shows that sympathy now through her intercession.

Eventually her father, who was a minor Irish king, found out where she was. He had her priest executed as soon as he arrived and demanded Dymphna return home. When she refused he beheaded her on the spot. She was 15.

The people of Gheel eventually built a church over where Dymphna was buried. Over the years it began to be noticed that healings happened at her tomb, especially healing from mental illness.

Inspired by St. Dymphna’s special concern for the mentally ill the people of Gheel began to take into their homes the pilgrims who came to visit Dymphna’s tomb. In a time when the mentally ill were chained, beaten and locked away the families of Gheel made these sufferers part of their households with acceptance, freedom, dignity and whatever level of responsibility they could handle. Some stayed for a short time, some for the rest of their lives becoming members of the family.

Gheel became famous for this model of family care that seemed to work so well. This tradition is still ongoing though now combined with a hospital that is only used when absolutely necessary, and with modern medicine as part of overall treatment.

Gheel’s example makes us want to rethink the way we treat the mentally ill, especially those whose conditions are severe. Gheel shows us how it could be.

Among us here the mentally unwell often end up without homes or anyone to assist them. Federal and state agencies set up to help these people are understaffed and overwhelmed. It is a testament to serious failures on our society’s part. To see some poor emaciated sufferer shouting and waving his arms at traffic with toilet paper wrapped around his legs as I did last week breaks the heart. It’s wrong and we know it. Unfortunately our state is last in mental health access in the country.

Gheel and St. Dymphna challenge us. How can we as people of faith contribute in a respectful and merciful way to necessary change, to the well being of people who suffer mental, emotional or neurological difficulties? Our society is not set up for them. How can we help? How can we change that?

Perhaps we can begin by asking for St. Dymphna’s intercession and inspiration.

St. Dymphna, healer of mental and emotional suffering, pray for us. Pray for everyone in mental or emotional pain, especially those left on the outskirts without resources. You inspired a whole town to take people with mental suffering into their homes so that they might live near you and the place you are buried. They still come and stay with you and the people of your town today. Help us build a culture of compassion and acceptance so these children of God can live with dignity among us as the people they are and so that the rest of us don’t miss out on what they can give, on their potential part in building community. Show us the way. Amen.

St. Dymphna’s feast day is May 15th. She is the patron saint of the mentally ill, victims of incest and domestic abuse, and runaways.