Although solidarity is one of the values of Catholic Social Teaching, it is easily forgotten that it is not just a feeling of sympathy with those who suffer. Solidarity is a constant effort to create a society centered on equity and justice. Kevin Kuehl gives us four characteristics of true solidarity and asks us to consider with whom do we practice solidarity in our following of Jesus: with those who are fighting for justice or with those who are perpetuating oppression?
Strong wind!!?? Earthquakes!!?? Fires!!?….A still-small voice…what’s your image of God?
Race is a social construct originally framed to create hard boundaries that could not be crossed by people of different skin color and for the purpose of segregation. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are still discriminated against and abused because of the color of their skin. Although race as a social construct was abusively imposed as a biological determinant of skin color, our society must not fall into the tarp of colorblindness as it prevents one from seeing the suffering of “BIPOC” members. Armel Setubi asks us to imagine a society without race, while warning us about the common mistake of thinking that colorblindness is the solution to racism. Inspired by St. Ignatius, Armel asks us to ponder God’s call to be anti-racist with three important questions: what have we done to fight the sin of racism, what are we doing now, and what will we do in the future.
Racism is not just violence and big displays of oppression. It manifests in everyday situations and in the mundanity of our lives. Jorge Roque shares some instances where the idea of white superiority affects how white people are racist toward minorities in a covert and harming way. Deciding to work against these harming habits require conversion. Jorge asks to allow ourselves to be scandalized and to pray with Jesus’s lament over Jerusalem.
Racism manifests itself as white supremacy in the United States. Ángel Flores Fontánez introduces these and other concepts, summarizes the history of white supremacy, and identifies white fragility as a great obstacle to defeat the sin of racism. He also invites us to imitate Jesus in his ability to accept correction and convert from wrong ways.
When Jesus tells his disciples to feed the 5000, it must have seemed like an impossible task. Martin Ngo, SJ, reflects on this command and the example that Jesus gives us to act with compassion.
The Jesuit Post presents “Know Justice, Know Peace: A Jesuit Antiracism Retreat.” In this trailer, Ángel Flores Fontánez introduces you to this four-week retreat which seeks to assist Christians in their growth as antiracist followers of Jesus. It will consist of twelve short talks published in the form of videos and podcasts and they will be published three times a week for a month.
On the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, Brian Strassburger, SJ, reflects on his legacy and his spirituality. In short, Ignatius teaches us the value of gratitude.
Awareness drives Ignatian Spirituality. Breathing is the fire that maintains the engagement of awareness in action. One needs God’s grace to learn how to breathe. In our next installment of “One Moment for One Thing,” Patrick Saint-Jean invites us to say nothing in our prayer except only to breath and listen.
If you were granted one wish, what would you ask for?