Do we look at what others have and want more or can we be happy for the blessings that others receive? Austin Kleman, SJ, reflects on the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.
Atomic Pilgrim: A Book Review
In his forthcoming memoir Atomic Pilgrim, James Patrick Thomas recounts his cross-continental pilgrimage from Washington State to the Holy Land and his later activism back home. Writing for The Jesuit Post, Luke Lapean, SJ reflects on how the memoir provocatively asks whether true success in the struggle for change lies in measurable outcomes or in the quiet, interior transformation of the one who walks the road.
Our Political Idols: Why We Mislabel the Popes (and Ourselves)
Media narratives try to force Pope Leo XIV into political boxes that no pope can check. Alex Hale, SJ warns that politics now replaces religion in shaping American identity and calls Catholics to rise above division in pursuit of unity.
Eating Vegan and Healthy Isn’t Selfish — It’s Faithful
The Catholic faith esteems the human body as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Given the negative health outcomes of animal-based foods, Daniel Mascarenhas, SJ reflects how loving God, neighbor, and self through a plant-based diet seems to be a no-brainer.
Accountability and the Oppressed Jesus | Know Justice, Know Peace: A Jesuit Antiracism Retreat
When I speak about racism, am I generally more worried about how white people will feel, react, or think of me than I am about how people of color will? Does my Church, my workplace, my classroom consider mainly the sensitives, comfort and concerns of white people? Billy Critchley-Menor points the anti-racism conversation in the right direction when he explains that it is about white people being held accountable to People of Color. White supremacy has shaped society around the accountability of white people. Anti-racism refocuses our attention so we are held accountable by the oppressed in our society; those in whom Jesus lives according to the Gospels.
Solidarity and Anti-Racism | Know Justice, Know Peace: A Jesuit Antiracism Retreat
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?
Racism and Colorblindness | Know Justice, Know Peace: A Jesuit Antiracism Retreat
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.
Mundane Racism | Know Justice, Know Peace: A Jesuit Antiracism Retreat
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.
When COVID Cancelled My Plans, God Showed Up in A Scarf
On a bitterly cold Thursday night in February of 2019, I was sitting on the ground hanging out with a group of folks experiencing homelessness down by the Chicago Art Institute. I spent most Thursdays this way, as chaplain to the student-run Labre Homeless ministry. Despite the bitter cold, we laughed a lot. After a particularly icy burst of wind rushed through, one of the men, named Wiz, looked at me and said “Gimme a scarf.” Jake Braithwaite, SJ, offers us a compelling parable about death and resurrection.
Racism and White Supremacy | Know Justice, Know Peace: A Jesuit Antiracism Retreat
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.