JUSTICE JOTTINGS
April 2022
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We invite you to take a moment to read the poem below, and to ponder the questions at the bottom of this section. This reflection on Palm Sunday and Holy Week was a part of ASJP's most recent team meeting, and they wanted to share it with our MSJC community.
The Poet Thinks about the Donkey by Mary Oliver
'On the outskirts of Jerusalem
the donkey waited.
Not especially brave, or filled with understanding,
he stood and waited.
How horses, turned out into the meadow,
leap with delight!
How doves, released from their cages,
clatter away, splashed with sunlight.
But the donkey, tied to a tree as usual, waited.
Then he let himself be led away.
Then he let the stranger mount.
Never had he seen such crowds!
And I wonder if he at all imagined what was to happen.
Still, he was what he had always been: small, dark, obedient.
I hope, finally, he felt brave.
I hope, finally, he loved the man who rode so lightly upon him,
as he lifted one dusty hoof and stepped, as he had to, forward.'
- Where do you see yourself in this poem?
- What are your hopes or intentions for this Holy Week?
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WOMEN & JUSTICE ISSUE TEAM
A Church for Our Daughters - Virtual - Wednesday, April 20, 2022
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Time: 4 PM PT | 6 PM CT | 7 PM ET
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What: This is not just a listening event, but a sharing of experiences. There will be small and large group discussions to try to answer the following questions:
- Why is the Synod important to the future of the Church?
- How can the Synod be influential in terms of women's issues within the Church?
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What do you hope the Church will look like in 5-10 years?
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RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE TEAM
Racial Wealth Gap Simulation - Dayton, OH - Tuesday, April 26
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Time: 7 PM ET
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What: The Marianist Leadership Scholars, Marianist PULSE and the MSJC Racial Justice Issue team invites those in the Dayton area to participate in the Racial Wealth Gap Simulation facilitated by the Hall Hunger Initiative. Using the material designed by Bread for the World, the facilitators from Hall Hunger Initiative guide participants through a fact-based exercise with specific examples of policies and their consequences around poverty and hunger in communities of color. All are welcome!
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MSJC REFLECTIONS & RESOURCES
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DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Do What You Are Doing
Reflection by Bro. Tom Redmond, SM
“You worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one.” Jesus of Nazareth
These words came to mind toward the end of the annual weekend meeting of our MSJC Issue Team on Death Penalty Abolition/Restorative Justice. As our meeting ended on this cold mid-February weekend, I felt focused and centered even in the midst of looking at the list of tasks and goals before us. I recalled the old Latin adage, “Age Quod Agis” (do what you are doing.) I wonder if that is what Jesus was trying to tell Martha in that scene in Luke’s Gospel - be focused on what you are doing. (Read more here...)
Take Action for Melissa Lucio, Facing Execution in Texas
The system has failed Ms. Lucio throughout her life. At 53, Ms. Lucio is now poised to be executed by the State of Texas, an irreversible injustice which will ensure that the cycle of harm and damage that Ms. Lucio and her children have already experienced will be perpetuated and passed on to the next generation. Ms. Lucio’s death for a crime that did not take place can only deepen the pain and suffering of her family.
The district attorney, the courts, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and the Governor must undertake a meaningful review of Melissa’s innocence case before carrying out an irreversible injustice.
Here's how you can get involved:
CALL OR EMAIL THE BOARD OF PARDONS & PAROLE:
CALL GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT:
Phone number: (512) 463-2000
Sample Call Script: "Hello, my name is ____ and I am calling from _____ in regards to Melissa Lucio. I want to formally recommend that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles watch The State of Texas vs. Melissa and make a recommendation to Governor Greg Abbott to commute her sentence. There is compelling evidence in the documentary for her innocence, and I believe that Melissa should be granted clemency so that she can be released to her family."
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INTEGRAL ECOLOGY
- Virtual Way of the Cross for Economic and Ecological Justice
- Today: Good Friday, April 15, at 12 p.m. ET
- This is a LIVE presentation of an Economic and Ecological Way of the Cross co-sponsored by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, LCWR, and other organizations. This is an opportunity to reflect on the ways we have broken our covenant with God at the expense of other persons and creation. Each station will focus on a different economic or ecological challenge or sign of hope for our times. If you are unable to join at that time, you will be able to download the script and the PowerPoint for the presentation, which you can use to pray on your own or with your community.
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- Earth Day Prayer Resources
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The Integral Ecology Team offers this modified Catholic Climate Covenant Earth Day Program resource for individuals, families, and communities of the Marianist Family. The theme is “Integral Ecology: Pursuing the Common Good for Our Common Home.” The approximately one-hour educational program contains prayers, readings, discussion questions, a short video, and suggested activities (including an advocacy action and a personal sustainability commitment). Other resources include Lay Marianist Matt Naveau’s creation-themed Lenten reflections and MEEC’s Praying in Nature Reflection Guide.
- Encounter for Our Common Home
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This Spring, join Catholics across the country for a national Catholic campaign for climate solutions, culminating with encounters with our U.S. Senators the week of May 2-6, 2022. Education, training, and accompaniment for participants will be provided. Learn more.
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LGBTQ+ INITIATIVE
In this article from America magazine, Fr. James Martin, SJ, explores the origin of familiar expression "Hate the sin, love the sinner," and the fact that it's most often used to refer to LGBTQ+ persons.
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COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
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Seed Grant Application Process -- Supported by the Visitation Marianist State Community
Do you have a project that needs additional funds? The Visitation Marianist State Community is a virtual community of vowed lay Marianist that have a long history of serving the Marianist family. We have committed to put our financial resources toward projects which may need assistance to get started or expand into a new area. We are particularly committed to enabling small communities and fledgling service projects to thrive; to grow, and respond to the genuine needs of the young and the poor and to engage in the struggle for peace and justice. The four project categories are:
- Strengthen Marianist Lay Communities and Network
- Assist in building the Catholic church
- Impact the faith and involvement of young adults in the church
- Social justice areas: Economic Justice, Environmental Justice and Human Rights
The awards are granted each year to groups or ministries within the United States. The proposed projects are submitted for consideration via an applications form. Applications are due by the end of August and are evaluated and awarded in November each year. Here are the projects that were awarded in 2021.
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- When: April 22-24, 2022
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What: The Marianist Family Retreat Center in Cape May Point, NJ would like to invite you to a unique retreat experience, “Laudato Si: An Earth Day Retreat by the Sea.” This retreat is open to adults who are looking to strengthen their commitment to protecting the natural world. The program will use elements from Pope Francis' Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home and will also include Mass, prayer, personal time and sharing and free time to explore the natural beauty of Cape May Point in spring. Located a block away from the beach and within walking distance of the Cape May Point Lighthouse State Park, the Retreat Center is the perfect setting for exploring our personal relationship with and stewardship to God’s created world. For more information or to sign up, please see our website www.capemaymarianists.org or email jsherwen@capemaymarianists.org
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Cost: $145.00 per person
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Want to support MSJC's work towards justice?
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