The Valley Catholic
COMMENTARY
September 10, 2013
19
Jesus came to bring peace to the world; no one may doubt that.
I have come to set the earth on ?re and how I wish it were already blazing. ... Do you think that I have come to establish peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather, division. From now on a household of ?ve will be divided, three against two and two against three. This saying of Jesus is one of the most misunderstood teachings in all of Scripture and, because of this, from the time of Jesus’ birth until now, we have been able to cloak a lot of our
Spirituality
?re unites rather than divides. In answer to: “Do you think I have come to establish peace on earth?” Absolutely, without doubt. Jesus’ entire ministry and his death attests to this. Jesus came to bring peace to the world; no one may doubt that. How does division enter? Why does Jesus tell us that his person and teaching will bring about polarization, hatred and division? It is not Jesus’ message that divides; it is how we react to that message. We see this at the time of his birth. Some react with understanding and joy, while others react with misunderstanding and hatred. Th at dy n a m ic h a s cont i nued through the centuries as Jesus is not only misunderstood and seen as a threat by many non-Christians, but especially when his person and message are used to justify bitter and hate?lled divisions among Christians and to justify bitterness that characterizes public debates on religious and moral issues. Jesus still divides, not because his person and message are one-sided, divisive, or hate-?lled, but because we
By Father Ron Rolheiser
Rationalizing anger and moral indignations
too often use them in that way. We have perennially used Jesus to rationalize our anger and fears. The effects of this are seen everywhere: bitter polarization in politics, misunderstandings between churches, hate-?lled rhetoric of talk shows, and editorials and blogs that demonize others. We are bringing more the ?re of Babel than of Pentecost. Daniel Berrigan rightly suggests that a real prophet makes a vow of love, not of alienation. It is easy to get this in reverse, and we frequently do. Granted, there is a ?re that divides, even while remaining the ?re of love and Pentecost. But it is as ?re that is always and everywhere respectful, charitable and inclusive, never en?aming usZ with bitterness, as does so much of our contemporary religious and moral rhetoric. • Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser, theologian, teacher, and award-winning author, is President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX. He can be contacted through his website www. ronrolheiser.com.
lack of charity, lack of respect, bitterness, and hatred inside the mantle of prophecy, claiming that the divisions we cause are the divisions to which Jesus is referring when he said he is bringing ?re to the earth. But we are wrong. Why? First, the fire that Jesus longs to bring to earth is the ?re of the Holy Spirit, the ? re of Pentecost, namely, the ?re of charity, joy, peace, goodness, understanding and forgiveness. This
Achieving quality jobs and fair compensation
support the increase”? Or do employers By Stephen Kent keep their prices the same but reduce Catholic News Service the number of employees? Would Today’s economy is paying the price there be federal wage support along of the peak of the popularity of producthe same line as federal price supports tivity two decades ago. It was dif?cult for many agricultural products? How then to pass by a Borders, B. Dalton or many legislators would dare support Waldenbooks without seeing windows and shelves full of books touting the such action in the midst of an anti-tax environment? blessings of productivity. One way to create the quality jobs Productivity emphasized doing the bishops envision would be through more — or at least the same — with a major national infrafewer people. It was an structure repair similar idea whose time had to the space program. It come and is re?ected in The economy is set a speci?c goal and a today’s unemployment a system created deadline. This could be and underemployment done with no new taxes ?gures: Why have three by humans and if there were to be a masworkers on the payroll can be managed sive reallocation of taxes when two will do? from foreign wars and Productivit y meaand modi?ed by military misadventures. sures output per hour of humans. “Ethical and moral work. Weak productivbusiness leaders know ity suggests that companies may have to hire that it is wrong to chase pro?ts and success at the expense of because they can’t squeeze more work workers’ dignity,” the bishops’ statefrom their existing employees. Labor ment said. Day is an opportunity to take stock of For those who continue to chase the ways in which workers are honored pro?ts, what about an excess pro?ts tax and respected, the U.S. bishops noted in to lessen the appeal of the chase? The this year’s Labor Day statement. excess pro?ts tax was designed to raise Millions of workers, the bishops revenue in wartime by taxing increases say, are victims of unemployment, in income over normal peacetime profunderemployment, unjust wages, wage its. Another version, the high-pro?ts theft, abuse and exploitation. There are principle, is based on income in excess laws on the books to prevent or control of some statutory rate of return on the latter four, but unemployment and invested capital. The rate of increase underemployment remain a problem. of pro?ts could be related to rate of “The only way to reduce the widening employment and to jobs creation. gap between the af?uent and the poorFew disagree with economic justice est people in our nation is by creating and its principles, but few are ready to quality jobs that provide a just compenimplement necessary steps to accomsation,” the bishops say in a statement. plish them. It certainly seems beyond How? Who pays the price, the taxes the deadlocked legislative machinery and the disincentives for outsourcing? now languishing in the United States. The current federal minimum wage is It is not beyond repair. Complexity can’t $7.25 an hour. If the minimum wage be an excuse. The economy is a system kept pace with in?ation, it would be created by humans and can be manat $10.74 per hour. Many fast-food aged and modi?ed by humans, given workers have organized walkouts in their will to change. major cities to increase their wages to • Stephen Kent is the retired editor of $15 an hour. archdiocesan newspapers in Omaha and If this happens, are consumers’ Seattle. He can be contacted at: considfeelings for justice so strong as to say, “Yes I will pay more for my burger to [email protected]
Vatican’s U.N. observer calls for caution regarding Syria
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Rushed judgments in times of war and con?ict, especially by the media, do not always lead to the truth and will not bring peace, said Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Vatican observer at U.N. agencies in Geneva, including the U.N. Human Rights Commission. Speaking to Vatican Radio after reports of chemical attacks outside Damascus, Syria, Archbishop Tomasi said people are rightly concerned and outraged by images showing dozens of dead civilians, including children. “We must not rush to judgment without having suf?cient evidence,” he said. “The international community, through the U.N. observers who are already present in Syria, can shed light on this new tragedy.” Rushing to judgment in a situation of con?ict can make matters worse, he said, adding the only way forward is dialogue. “As the Holy Father already has underlined, violence will not bring a solution and, therefore, dialogue must begin so that we can arrive at Geneva II (Middle East peace conference on Syria), where representatives of all parts of Syrian society can be present, explain their thinking and try to create some kind of transitional government,” he said. The conference will fail, the archbishop said, if some groups are excluded, and nothing will move if countries and groups continue sending weapons either to the army or to the opposition. “You cannot create peace by giving them new weapons,” he said.
SEPT. 20-22
GRIEF RETREAT Fr. Aidan McAleenan MARRIED COUPLES RETREAT Fr. Mark Wiesner FRANCISCAN SPIRITUALITY Br. Bill Short, OFM BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Franciscan Friars
SEPT. 27-29
OCT. 4-6
OCT. 5
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