October 16, 2021
Dear Friends in Christ,
In Sunday’s Gospel reading, the apostles James and John make an audacious request of Jesus Christ, asking him if they can sit in positions of honor when he enters his kingdom. As he has done throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus Christ takes the opportunity to gently correct his apostles, but sets the stage for a countercultural lesson – and the teaching is as provocative today, as it was then.
“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus’ teaching of achieving glory through service to one another remains a central belief in the practice of our Catholic faith. It is something we all naturally do for our families, good friends, and neighbors. Yet, it’s innately more difficult to do for people with whom we disagree, those who have hurt us, or those who cannot repay us in kind. It is in interactions with these latter groups of people where Jesus Christ says we achieve glory – environments where our patience and care for the humanity of others are tested and our discipleship is demonstrated through our actions, rather than our words.
In our daily lives, this service is demonstrated in innumerable ways. Taking the time to help an elderly person learn how to log on a Zoom call and access the audio. Restraining oneself from arguing with someone on social media and choosing a peaceful path. Noticing that someone looking ill at ease would like to feel welcomed and appreciated. Service to others often means taking the more challenging or time-consuming path, but it speaks volumes to others who see your joy in giving freely of yourself.
This week, let us strive to serve others – not only in the ways and for the people for whom it is easy, but especially in those situations and for those individuals where we must call upon God’s grace.
On another note, I also invite you to read a letter from Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory on the upcoming Archdiocesan Synod process. Synods are meetings of Catholic bishops, in which they seek the input from a full spectrum of those in our faith – lay Catholics, monks, and men and women of the cloth – to inform a discussion brought forward by our Holy Father. I have also written about the process in the October 17 bulletin. Read more on the Synod.
Have a blessed and wonderful week!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John
Saturday, October 16:
- Confession from 3:30-4:30 pm in the church. Heard by Fr. John Dillon.
- Mass at 5 pm in the church. Celebrated by Fr. Ted Hegnauer. Mass Readings.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
Sunday, October 17:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
- Mass at 8 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. Tom Weinandy. Mass Readings.
- Mass at 9:30 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon. Mass Readings.
- Mass at 11:15 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon. Mass Readings.
- Mass at 5 pm in church. Celebrated by Fr. Ted Hegnauer. Mass Readings.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
Monday, October 18:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
- Mass at 9 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon.
- Virtual parish Rosary at 4 pm. Led by Fr. John Dillon.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
Tuesday, October 19:
- Morning Prayer at 7:30 am. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
- Mass at 9 am in church. Celebrated by Fr. John Dillon.
- Rosary in Spanish at 6:30 pm. Led by Deacon Will Garcia.
- Evening Prayer at 7:30 pm. Hosted by parishioner Lois James.
Parish Resources:
The Justice Thought - Systemic Racism in the Criminal Justice System
One of the most egregious examples of systemic racism in our country can be found within our criminal justice system. This article is based on information compiled by the American Bar Association (ABA).1
Protests that erupted in 2020 were related to police brutality against people of color. Those events focused on dialogues for avoiding violent first interactions between officers and individuals of color. However, those first interactions are not the only ones that are unjust. The criminal justice system’s pervasive problems with racism start before the first contact and continue through pleas, conviction, incarceration, release, and beyond.
The net effects of history’s injustices are staggering. According to statistics the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) examined, although black people make up 13.4 percent of the population, they make up:
- 22 percent of fatal police shootings,
- 47 percent of wrongful conviction exonerations, and
- 35 percent of individuals executed by the death penalty.
African Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at five times the rate of whites. Black men face disproportionately harsh incarceration experiences, compared with prisoners of other races. While youth committed to secure juvenile facilities has steadily declined from a high point of 77,835 in 1999 to 26,972 in 2017, troubling spots remain. Youth of color still enter the criminal justice system much more frequently than white youth and are more likely to be sentenced to harsher terms of punishment than their white peers. In 2017, 226 Black youth per 100,000 people were sentenced to secure placement in the United States, compared with 55 White youth per 100,000 people that same year.2
According to the Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition, “Racism is not only a sin of individuals who unjustly discriminate or fail to reflect about their own bias. Racism is also a sin woven into and perpetuated by institutions and structures to which we are all connected. To resist racism requires action by all to unmask and recreate these structures.”3
Future Justice Thoughts will explore these individual areas to shed more light on detailed causes and possible corrective actions for these injustices.
References:
- American Bar Association Website article by Shasta N. Inman, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/publications/after-the-bar/public-service/racial-disparities-criminal-justice-how-lawyers-can-help
- Sickmund, M., Sladky, T.J., Kang, W., & Puzzanchera, C. (2019). Easy Access to the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement. http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezacjrp.
- Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition, https://www.catholicprisonministries.org/racism
