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Dear Friars,
I recently
spent a week at Saint John�s in Collegeville (Minnesnowda, of
course) on a
Conversatio
retreat and learned about peace and justice in two ways I never had
before. The
Conversatio
idea comes from Saint
Benedict�s
Rule
and means manner of life. For Benedict the way of life was a
balance, an integration of spiritual, physical and mental.
The balance or
lack of in my own life and how to put things in order was my first
lesson. It is actually, as scripture says, a discipline which
�brings forth the fruit of peace and justice� (Heb. 12:11.) I had
never thought before of what peace and justice means for my personal
life and how discipline fosters it.
As important
as achieving that balance is, Jesus� message always goes beyond the
individual to the communal, as I learned through reflection with one
of the theology professors. This second lesson taught me that what
Jesus did continually in the gospels was bring the
outcasts�particularly Gentiles and women�to the table of
fellowship. To create a more just society, Jesus crossed strict
cultural boundaries. This exposed the fear and wrath of the
established rulers and ultimately paved the road toward his
crucifixion.
To follow
Jesus� path today means no less than to open my table to those who
are outcast and feared�immigrants, gays, women and any who may be
the lepers for me. This is the path to peace and justice in
community, both of church and society. It is also the path to
persecution and even death, at least death to my presumptions with
whom I should be forming community.
I�d wager
every one of us�indeed every American�struggles with forming
community. We breathe individually and individuality. Yet is it
not the same Spirit and bread we all share? Saint Augustine�s words
regarding Communion, �Let us become what we receive,� give me
strength for the journey. How fortunate we are to have the Master�s
example to be broken and given out to the community, to lead a life
of peace and justice for ourselves and all.
Your brother in
Christ and Francis,
John
P.S. An
article on the horrors of human trafficking, and efforts on the part
of Franciscans International to stop it, may be found at
http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Jan2007/Feature2.asp.
.
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