"Are you doing everything you can?" Someone asked me that question months ago and it has been echoing in my mind since then. In October last year, I attended the International Gathering of Catholic Workers, which took place in Nevada. During the gathering, we participated in workshops on different topics related to our ministries as Catholic Workers. Over the course of the few days we were together, we also walked in a couple of protests.
In one of the protests, we went to Creech Air Force Base to protest the use of drones. When drones are used to attack, those who deploy the drones are able to be further removed from the people who are killed and from the property which is damaged. I took part in that protest because I want people to be conscious, aware, cognizant of what actions they are choosing to take and to recognize and realize the visible consequences of those acts.
When we had finished the protest, I was speaking with an unusually cordial, polite law enforcement officer. He appeared so collected in his demeanor that he seemed almost contemplative in how calmly he spoke. He also struck me in how he seemed to be listening so attentively to me. I was having with him the kind of calm, considerate, respectful exchange I envision ideally having with people who are in positions opposite me, that is, when I am conversing with someone who has views markedly different from the ones I hold. In addition to being surprised by his demeanor and by his listening skills, he also took me off guard by asking me, in the context of whether we were accomplishing what we wanted to do through protesting, "Are you doing everything you can?"
I replied, "It's a very good question. In fact, it's a question which each and every one of us should always be asking ourselves."
Now it looked like it was his turn to be taken off guard. It seemed that he did not expect me to suggest that he should ponder that same question. However, in keeping with how seemed to contemplate and process what was being said, I was not at all surprised that he appeared to be considering his own question.
It is a question for everyone to ask themselves. Are you doing everything you can? Are you concerned about the state of the world today? If so, what are you doing about it? And, if you are doing something about it, could you also be taking additional actions in addition to what you are already doing?
It is in this vein that I responded to a recent query from a friend. She asked, that in the midst of current affairs, if I was considering using certain means at my disposal for the greater good. I replied that yes, I do intend to do so in some form, since I want to be firing on all cylinders. That is, I am trying to use every last means at my disposal to have a positive impact on the world right now, given the present state of the world.
And so, as I have previously indicated, I protest. However, I do not endorse the use of violence, whether in protests or otherwise. I am greatly saddened and disturbed, and find unfortunate and distressing the resort to violence in protests this week as well as during protests in years past. I believe that violence towards others is unjustified, even when we find what others say to be offensive. If we become hateful, we become what we despise. Then we become hate.
In contrast, when we peacefully protest, we seek truth since we are objecting to injustice. When we seek truth, we love. To fulfill our duty to our neighbor, we protest and we also take other actions.
If we care, we will act. If we love our neighbor, we will take action. We act, rising up out of contemplation to apply those contemplative fruits for the benefit of both ourselves and our neighbor.
Most certainly we are to pray. Aware that we are nothing without God, we are to pray with devoted faith, sure of His great love for us. We are to petition Him to help us love each other here and now in this lifetime.
As vital as prayer is, we do not fulfill our duty to God solely through prayer. Faith without works is dead.* If we have true faith, we will act to show our love for our neighbor.
And if you truly love someone, you want to do all you can for that person. You utilize all the means at your disposal to love that person.
Since I love my neighbor, I seek truth, which I do when I peacefully protest, to object to injustices done. I protest to cry out against people's rights being violated.
In addition to peacefully protesting, I write to my representative in Congress and to my Senators. If we do not voice our opinions on what policies trouble us, how can we complain if and when those policies are later implemented?
If we do not do what we can when we can, later we will regret it. If we do not act now, we lose the time to act, which is now.
Saint Catherine of Siena has related to us that God told her that at the moment of death, our consciences will accuse us. We will be faced with what we could have done, but did not do. We must remember at that critical moment of our existence, that God has immense mercy. At that crucial point in our existence, we must not despair. We must call out to God and beg earnestly for mercy, for not having loved Him and our neighbor better than we did. For we will fall short. None of us can ever possibly do well enough to have no need of God's mercy. All of us are sinners.
I know God is merciful. As Pope Francis has told us, the name of God is mercy. God is merciful because God is love.** God is infinitely merciful, because God is infinitely loving. Insofar as God is infinitely loving, when we see God, we will be basking in a vast peace and a boundless joy which is infinitely beyond anything we have experienced or ever could experience in this life. We cannot comprehend how amazing God is. No one can see the face of God and live.*** When our souls pass out of our bodies, you can call it death, but it is truly eternal life if you are going to Heaven. I know that what awaits there is remarkable beyond measure. Therefore, I focus on what is coming.
I am not saying that you should not worry because everything will be all right. I am certain that dark times are ahead here on this earth. You should not worry because you cannot change anything by worrying. As Jesus asked us, can any of us add a single moment to our lives by worrying?**** So He told us, "Do not worry."***** On any given day, do what you can. Then rest. Rest, and get the proper nourishment and sustenance you need, or else the journey will be too much for you.******
Rest in a sure and certain peace. I have a deep peace and an abiding calm in me. I know what awaits me on the other side of death. It is infinitely better than anything we can possibly imagine.
I try to do everything I possibly can to try to help my fellow humans now in this world. I aim to die as much as possible at peace with what I have done. Then, at that moment of passing away, I will turn over to God whatever regrets I might have over having offended Him, and I will trust in His mercy. I rest confident in the gift of this faith God has given to me; I rest secure in the sure hope of the promise of God's great mercy.
* James 2:17
** 1 John 4:8; 1 John 4:16
*** Exodus 19:21, 33:20
**** Matthew 6:27
***** Matthew 6:31
****** 1 Kings 19:7
In one of the protests, we went to Creech Air Force Base to protest the use of drones. When drones are used to attack, those who deploy the drones are able to be further removed from the people who are killed and from the property which is damaged. I took part in that protest because I want people to be conscious, aware, cognizant of what actions they are choosing to take and to recognize and realize the visible consequences of those acts.
When we had finished the protest, I was speaking with an unusually cordial, polite law enforcement officer. He appeared so collected in his demeanor that he seemed almost contemplative in how calmly he spoke. He also struck me in how he seemed to be listening so attentively to me. I was having with him the kind of calm, considerate, respectful exchange I envision ideally having with people who are in positions opposite me, that is, when I am conversing with someone who has views markedly different from the ones I hold. In addition to being surprised by his demeanor and by his listening skills, he also took me off guard by asking me, in the context of whether we were accomplishing what we wanted to do through protesting, "Are you doing everything you can?"
I replied, "It's a very good question. In fact, it's a question which each and every one of us should always be asking ourselves."
Now it looked like it was his turn to be taken off guard. It seemed that he did not expect me to suggest that he should ponder that same question. However, in keeping with how seemed to contemplate and process what was being said, I was not at all surprised that he appeared to be considering his own question.
It is a question for everyone to ask themselves. Are you doing everything you can? Are you concerned about the state of the world today? If so, what are you doing about it? And, if you are doing something about it, could you also be taking additional actions in addition to what you are already doing?
It is in this vein that I responded to a recent query from a friend. She asked, that in the midst of current affairs, if I was considering using certain means at my disposal for the greater good. I replied that yes, I do intend to do so in some form, since I want to be firing on all cylinders. That is, I am trying to use every last means at my disposal to have a positive impact on the world right now, given the present state of the world.
And so, as I have previously indicated, I protest. However, I do not endorse the use of violence, whether in protests or otherwise. I am greatly saddened and disturbed, and find unfortunate and distressing the resort to violence in protests this week as well as during protests in years past. I believe that violence towards others is unjustified, even when we find what others say to be offensive. If we become hateful, we become what we despise. Then we become hate.
In contrast, when we peacefully protest, we seek truth since we are objecting to injustice. When we seek truth, we love. To fulfill our duty to our neighbor, we protest and we also take other actions.
If we care, we will act. If we love our neighbor, we will take action. We act, rising up out of contemplation to apply those contemplative fruits for the benefit of both ourselves and our neighbor.
Most certainly we are to pray. Aware that we are nothing without God, we are to pray with devoted faith, sure of His great love for us. We are to petition Him to help us love each other here and now in this lifetime.
As vital as prayer is, we do not fulfill our duty to God solely through prayer. Faith without works is dead.* If we have true faith, we will act to show our love for our neighbor.
And if you truly love someone, you want to do all you can for that person. You utilize all the means at your disposal to love that person.
Since I love my neighbor, I seek truth, which I do when I peacefully protest, to object to injustices done. I protest to cry out against people's rights being violated.
In addition to peacefully protesting, I write to my representative in Congress and to my Senators. If we do not voice our opinions on what policies trouble us, how can we complain if and when those policies are later implemented?
If we do not do what we can when we can, later we will regret it. If we do not act now, we lose the time to act, which is now.
Saint Catherine of Siena has related to us that God told her that at the moment of death, our consciences will accuse us. We will be faced with what we could have done, but did not do. We must remember at that critical moment of our existence, that God has immense mercy. At that crucial point in our existence, we must not despair. We must call out to God and beg earnestly for mercy, for not having loved Him and our neighbor better than we did. For we will fall short. None of us can ever possibly do well enough to have no need of God's mercy. All of us are sinners.
I know God is merciful. As Pope Francis has told us, the name of God is mercy. God is merciful because God is love.** God is infinitely merciful, because God is infinitely loving. Insofar as God is infinitely loving, when we see God, we will be basking in a vast peace and a boundless joy which is infinitely beyond anything we have experienced or ever could experience in this life. We cannot comprehend how amazing God is. No one can see the face of God and live.*** When our souls pass out of our bodies, you can call it death, but it is truly eternal life if you are going to Heaven. I know that what awaits there is remarkable beyond measure. Therefore, I focus on what is coming.
I am not saying that you should not worry because everything will be all right. I am certain that dark times are ahead here on this earth. You should not worry because you cannot change anything by worrying. As Jesus asked us, can any of us add a single moment to our lives by worrying?**** So He told us, "Do not worry."***** On any given day, do what you can. Then rest. Rest, and get the proper nourishment and sustenance you need, or else the journey will be too much for you.******
Rest in a sure and certain peace. I have a deep peace and an abiding calm in me. I know what awaits me on the other side of death. It is infinitely better than anything we can possibly imagine.
I try to do everything I possibly can to try to help my fellow humans now in this world. I aim to die as much as possible at peace with what I have done. Then, at that moment of passing away, I will turn over to God whatever regrets I might have over having offended Him, and I will trust in His mercy. I rest confident in the gift of this faith God has given to me; I rest secure in the sure hope of the promise of God's great mercy.
* James 2:17
** 1 John 4:8; 1 John 4:16
*** Exodus 19:21, 33:20
**** Matthew 6:27
***** Matthew 6:31
****** 1 Kings 19:7
No comments:
Post a Comment