The New Wine Press vol 25 no 8 April 2017 | Page 4

Editor’s Notes
A Precious Blood Attitude
by Fr. Richard Bayuk, c.pp.s., Editor
As I write this I am in Guadalajara, Mexico for three weeks brush-
ing up on my Spanish and enjoying the people, food, and culture of this
wonderful country. While I can still access newspapers from the U.S.
through my computer, it is nevertheless quite interesting to get a grasp of
the news from this side of the border, especially as it pertains to relations
between our two countries.
One recent incident that received significant coverage down here
concerned a group of college spring-breakers on a cruise ship off the
coast of Cancun, filled with tourist from both countries. These young
Americans—evidently irony-immune—felt moved to vocalize their sup-
port for nationalism and xenophobia as they chanted, “Build the wall!”
According to one newspaper article they chose not to stop the chant,
despite the complaints of some Mexicans who had to endure such offen-
sive and rude behavior. I guess if you are racist at home you will be racist
while traveling in another country.
As I reflect on the different articles in this issue, I am aware of how
much our spirituality and charism and call is an invitation to some-
thing quite opposite of the attitudes reflected in the previous incident.
Consider these brief quotes from throughout this issue:
“Pope Francis goes on challenging us to not only give money, but as we
give, to reach out and touch the person—look them in the eye and ac-
knowledge them as a brother or sister. More than just passing by or tossing
a coin, this human engagement lessens the distance between the haves and
the have nots and invites the giver and the receiver into a relationship.”
“Our work of reconciliation is about breaching the barriers and dis-
mantling the walls that keep us apart and disconnected. It calls us to
move beyond what is comfortable to the uncomfortable.”
“The work of inclusion, like the work of creation, is at times hard and
can often be overwhelming. When our boundaries are expanded, we
enter into what [author Eric Law] defines as the ‘grace margin,’ which
allows each of us to have the time and space to explore, discover and
reflect upon what has drawn us together.
“In her [Companion Rose Schmidt] world everyone was welcomed.”
“Jesus still enters locked rooms, tight places, and desolate corners of
our world through you and me. He will go anywhere to be with his loved
ones. The ‘where’ just doesn’t matter to him. It’s the ‘who’ that matters,
continued on page 9
2 • The New Wine Press • April 2017