Sunday, September 26, 2021

Apostles for Today Sept.2021

 

Apostles for Today

September 2021

“God is love; whoever remains in love remains in God and God remains in him.” (1 Jn4:16)


Pope Frances introduces his encyclical “Fratelli Tutti”, on Fraternity and Social Friendship, by talking about the writing of St. Francis of Assisi where he “invites a love that goes beyond the barriers of geography and space.” St. Francis

“declares blessed the one who loves the other ‘when he was as far away from him as if he were next to him.’ St. Vincent Pallotti, teaches this same universal love when he says, “If we are really animated by the spirit of love, we will always treat all with love, we will look on all with love, we will think of all with love and we will speak of all with love.” OOCC 338

We may ask ourselves, where is this fraternity present in the world? Where is this universal love? Never more so than now can we see a world divided, a world where people are more concerned with their own needs, their own rights, their own desires rather than those of others; rather than the common good. Where is this spirit of love? Although we live in a world made smaller through the wonders of modern travel and technology, we live in a fragmented world in which at times there seem great chasms of divide and perhaps even callous disregard or indifference for our fellow human beings.

Pope Frances calls us to move beyond ourselves, “From the depths of each heart, love creates bonds and enlarges existence when it brings the person out of himself toward the other.” “...love makes us tend towards universal communion. No one matures or reaches their fullness by isolating themselves...love requires progressive openness, a greater capacity to welcome others...” says Pope Frances. “You are all brothers.” (Mt. 23,8)

St. Vincent Pallotti also writes, “Members of the Society must control and animate all their thoughts, words and deeds, even indifferent ones, such as those directed towards their self-preservation with a fervent and humble spirit of faith, hope and charity towards God and their neighbour. And this spirit of faith, of hope and of charity, in its turn, will ensure that the object of all our thoughts, words and deeds is always God, from whom all good things come.” OOCC II 62-63

During this pandemic, in an effort to maintain our own safety or the safety of others, many of us have perhaps found ourselves cocooning in a state of isolation. It can be extremely difficult to maintain close relationships from afar without physical presence. As each new wave of the Covid -19 pandemic comes and goes we find windows of opportunity to connect with others in person, when it is safer to do so. There is a feeling of great freedom and joy when these opportunities arise. Just as we expand our personal little world to include others during this time, is it not also possible to expand our minds and our hearts to think and care for others who are not in our immediate periphery? Our brothers and sisters who do not fall within the boundaries of our “little world”.

Recently, a young couple invited people to attend their wedding in person or virtually, in an effort to not only provide safety but at the same time be inclusive to those who were at different stages of opening their small world to others. The couple also let their invited guests know that they did not wish to receive any wedding presents; that they had everything they needed. Instead, if people wished, they could donate to an organization whose vision is that every child in the world receives one daily meal in their place of education and that all those who have more than they need, share with those who lack even the most basic things. What more perfect and selfless gift than to celebrate their sacred union and their love for each other by inviting their guests to open their eyes and they hearts to those in need around the world. What a beautiful portrait of love!

In Chapter three of his encyclical, Pope Frances says, “...no one can experience the value of life without concrete faces to love. Here lies a secret of authentic human existence, because “life exists where there is a bond, communion, brotherhood; and it is a life stronger than death when it is built on true relationships and bonds of faithfulness. On the contrary, there is no life where one pretends to belong only to oneself and to live as islands: in these attitudes death prevails.”

We have seen time and time again during this pandemic the segregation of people into groups, in a sense on their own islands, especially those interested in self-preservation above and to the exclusion of their brothers and sisters in the world.

We are called to open our hearts and our minds to those who are not in our physical proximity, who are beyond our small “island”. We are called to strive to be perfect in our love for every person, not just those who are near and dear to us. We are called to a love that extends beyond borders; one that is genuine and makes it possible for a true universal openness.

“Whoever looks at his people with contempt establishes in his society first and second-class categories of people with more or less dignity and rights. In doing so it denies that there is room for everyone,” writes Pope Francis.


St. Vincent Pallotti urges us to use all possible means, talents, knowledge, associations, professions, occupations, human relationships, material things and prayers to renew faith in Jesus Christ and to increase love all over the world. He tells us that “...God judges the perfection and value of the work of his creatures according to the intentions of their hearts according to the abilities of each.”    OOCC III 145f

Pallotti also tells us that “God, in his very essence, is love. He loves us and unceasingly seeks what is for our benefit. He did this in the most perfect manner possible by sending his only begotten Son to redeem us by his death on the cross.

Since all human beings, as creatures, are living images of this love, they must strive to be perfect in their love for every person...” OOCC IV 308

Pope Francis ends his introduction to “Fratelli Tutti” “...with the desire that in this time that we are given to live, recognizing the dignity of every human person, we can revive among all a worldwide aspiration to fraternity.” He describes it as a beautiful dream and goes on to say that “Nobody can face life in isolation [...]. We need a community that supports us, that helps us and in which we help each other to look forward. How important it is to dream together!

      [...] Alone you risk having mirages, so you see what is not there; dreams are built together.” We, as individuals and as a Pallottine community must work together to recognize the dignity of every human person and to create an open world, a fraternity. We are not meant to live as islands. Our God is a God of infinite love and mercy. If we are made in his image, are we not then called to strive towards this perfect love for our brothers and sisters? Perhaps we too can be like the good Samaritan who interrupted his journey to help the wounded man in need. We can open our eyes and hearts to those in need and interrupt our journey to stop and help those who are suffering, abandoned or ignored by others. At times, the task might seem rather daunting in a world that appears to be so fragmented and chaotic. Cardinal Francis X. Nguyen Thuan was imprisoned for thirteen years - nine of which he spent in solitary confinement. Even though he was isolated in the cruellest of ways, he wrote often of hope. In his words, “The road of hope is paved with small acts of hope along life’s way. A life of hope is born of every minute of hope in that lifetime. “

Reflection:

  • How do I move beyond my “small” world to reach out in love to others?
  • How do I consciously cultivate fraternity with those I encounter?
  • Have I ever felt abandoned, ignored or isolated from others? Am I able to empathize with others who may be feeling this way? How do I reach out to them?
  • How do I recognize Christ in every human being?
  • Pope Francis ends his encyclical with the following prayer: 


Our God, Trinity of love,
from the powerful communion of your divine intimacy
pour out the river of brotherly love among us.
Give us the love that transpired in the gestures of Jesus,
In his family of Nazareth and in the first Christian community.
Grant us Christians to live the Gospel
and to recognize Christ in every human being,
to see him crucified in the anguish of the abandoned
and forgotten of this world
and risen in every brother who stands up.
Come, Holy Spirit! Show us your beauty reflected in all the peoples of the earth, to discover that all are important, that all are necessary, that they are different faces of the same humanity loved by God. Amen.