Support mothers, support peace: Pray-Study-Act this Mother's Day

PRAYER - STUDY - ACTION

Mother's Day is all about peace

Sunday, May 9, 2021

Greetings of peace!

One of the gifts of each Mother's Day since I have been involved at Pax Christi USA has been to re-read the original Mother's Day proclamation (see below in the "Prayer" section). I know I am not alone in remembering this day all the "mothers" who are both examples of and inspirations for what it means to cultivate a commitment to peacemaking.

One of those extraordinary mothers is Sharmaine Brown, who lost her son Jared to gun violence and leads an organization started to honor his memory, Jared's Heart of Success. I serve with Sharmaine on the Interfaith Advisory Council for Everytown for Gun Safety/Moms Demand Action, and I hope you'll read one of the articles we're featuring today in the "Study" section, "Black Mothers are the real experts on the toll of gun violence", from this week in The New York Times. Today especially, I want to thank Sharmaine for her leadership and witness.

In a reflection on that original Mother's Day proclamation, Phyllis Jepson, former local and regional director of Pax Christi USA wrote:

"Julia Ward Howe believed that women have the power to promote life over death, peace over war, and love over hate, so it is in this spirit that we ask Pax Christi members and friends to respond to the violence that confronts us day in and day out. Let us arise and honor all of humanity by praying and working for an end to war."

I hope you'll join me today in wishing a happy Mother's Day to all those mothers and mother-figures who lead the way toward peace by their bravery, persistence, strength and conviction. We give thanks today and every day for each one of you.

In peace,

Johnny Zokovitch

Executive Director, Pax Christi USA

PRAYER

THE ORIGINAL MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION

by Julia Ward Howe

Arise then…women of this day!

Arise, all women who have hearts!

Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly:

“We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,

Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,

For caresses and applause.

Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn

All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

We, the women of one country,

Will be too tender of those of another country

To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

From the bosom of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with

Our own. It says: “Disarm! Disarm!

The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”...

Read the original Mother's Day proclamation in its entirety at this link.

STUDY

THE SANDBOX REVOLUTION: RAISING KIDS FOR A JUST WORLD

edited by Lydia Wylie-Kellermann

It is a complex time to be a parent. Our climate is in crisis, and economic inequality is deepening. Racialized violence is spreading, and school shootings are escalating. How do we, as parents, cultivate in our children a love of the earth, a cry for justice, and a commitment to nonviolence? Where do we place our bodies so we teach our kids that resistance is crucial and change is possible? What practices do we hold as a family to encourage them to work with their hands, honor their hearts, and nurture their spirits?

The Sandbox Revolution calls upon our collective wisdom to wrestle with the questions, navigate the challenges, offer concrete practices, and remind parents of the sacredness of the work. Written by parents who are also writers, pastors, teachers, organizers, artists, gardeners, and activists, this anthology offers a diversity of voices and experiences on topics that include education, money, anti-racism, resistance, spirituality, disability justice, and earth care....

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> Read this article, "Black Mothers are the real experts on the toll of gun violence", from this week in The New York Times.

> Find more tools for teaching peace from Pax Christi USA Teachers of Peace, 1) MJ and Jerry Park at Little Friends for Peace and 2) Jim and Kathy McGinnis's classic book, Parenting for Peace and Justice.

ACTIONS

SUPPORT MOTHERS WITH THESE ACTIONS!

DONATE OR VOLUNTEER TO JARED'S HEART OF SUCCESS AND HELP PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE: After reading Sharmaine Brown's testimony in the article in The New York Times (above in the study section), support on-the-ground efforts like Jared's Heart of Success (JHOSI) led by Brown and Black mothers. JHOSI is dedicated to advocating for gun violence prevention through education and youth empowerment.

Find out more about JHOSI at this link and offer to volunteer or make a donation.

> This Mother's Day, find an effort like JHOSI in your own community, led by Brown and Black moms working to prevent violence, and offer your time and support.

GIVE THE GIFT OF EQUALITY THIS MOTHER'S DAY! Join Sojourners and advocate for a world where the image of God in each human is given equal respect and opportunity in the church and under the law. The Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed amendment to the U.S. constitution that guarantees equality based on sex. The ERA addresses systemic sexism by promoting equal pay for equal work and by protecting women and LGBTQ individuals’ safety and livelihoods against discrimination and from gender-based violence. Take action to add the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution.

Click here to tell the Senate to support the ERA!

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> Sign the petition from Faith in Public Life to urge the Biden Administration to reunite and provide relief to all impacted families.

> Sign this petition calling for greater investment in home and community care services to support Black, Latina, Asian, and immigrant women and their communities now!