(I write these words on Monday, August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration, after spending an hour or so in prayerful reading of some of the heart-wrenching stories about this weekend’s shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.)
The First Reading for the Feast of the Transfiguration, from the Second Letter of St. Peter, says that Christ’s life and message is no “cleverly devised myth” about the power and the prophetic message of Jesus. The letter continues, “You will do well to be attentive to this message, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” 2 Peter 1:19
Attentive to the message
as to a lamp in a dark place
until day dawns
until the morning star rises in your hearts.
Does the aftermath of this weekend seem like a dark place?
Dawn will come and the morning star will rise in our hearts . . . if we are attentive to the message? What is the message?
Could it be as simple as:
We are all – ALL – victims, shooters, families, friends, bystanders – children of God, brothers and sisters to each other. This is how God intends us to see each other, to think about each other. Do we? Can we?
“You will do well to be attentive to this message, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” 2 Peter 1:19
HOW ARE WE OR CAN WE BECOME SISTERS AND BROTHERS?
Start or Join Anti-Violence Movements
Of course, we want no more violence like that of this past weekend and the first ideas, very good ones, usually are to address the problem of access to guns and other weapons of violence and our need to show compassion for those involved in such senseless shootings. We want to pray for the victims and their families and friends, for the accused and their families and friends. We want to gather and pray with others because we don’t want to be alone in our sorrow – a sign that we are communal by nature. Here in Cranford, the Cranford Clergy Council is inviting us to a Vigil of Prayer on Saturday, August 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the Snyder Chapel at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford. We encourage you to join us there.
I leave to you the web searching for links to websites where you can join initiatives. I do suggest some sort of an examination of conscience on the personal, spiritual and communal aspects of your or my life as a child of God, brother or sister to each other.
Yes, this weekend’s shootings could have put us in a dark place. How can my being attentive to Christ’s message that we are all children of God bring a better day to dawn? Stop and think about that. It does sound to some people like a “myth” but Peter assures us that Jesus’ message is the truth: God made us to be God’s children but also gave us the free will to accept this or reject it. Accepting it makes “a new day dawn” for all of us and “the morning star to rise in our hearts.” Accepting it changes us for the better and if others see the impact of that change in us, they, too, may choose to accept God’s gift, thus stopping the violence or at least lessening it.
Be the Person God Intends You to Be
If the message of Jesus is that we are all – victims, shooters, families, friends, bystanders – children of God, brothers and sisters to each other, perhaps we need to look at how much more “attentive” we need to be to this message so that fewer and fewer individuals step into or remain stuck in mindsets that lead them to become mass shooters. How do we do that? How do I do this? Could it be as simple as:
First, begin at home – with me and with my family.
Do I see myself as a son or daughter of God? What does that tell me about myself and how do I or should I think, speak and behave? Does thinking about this make me feel powerful or weak, proud or humble, hopeful or fearful, joyful or sad, peace-filled or angry? Why? What should I do about this?
Do I see others as sons and daughters of God? What does that mean? How does my being called to that make me feel? Why? What should I do about this?
St. Peter says, “Be attentive to Christ’s message.”
Does my family see me as a son or daughter of God and as one who treats others as such? Do my friends, neighbors and co-workers/co-students/associates know that about me? Is it evident in my thoughts and my actions? And, if not, what am I going to do about that?
St. Peter says, “Be attentive to Christ’s message.”
Second, my genuine commitment to Christ’s message branches out to the community, neighborhood, state, nation, society.
What initiatives can I start or join that will make our community, neighborhood, state, nation and society more of a community of brothers and sisters? Is something missing in our society ? Is it something that is needed for a person’s sound growth as a person with good interpersonal relationships that is not available to some of our brothers and sisters? How can I help either with my personal involvement or with my financial support to a program that can provide assistance? One such organization is former Yankees’ manager Joe Torre’s Safe At Home Foundation.
“. . . be attentive to this message. . . until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” 2 Peter 1:19
What would we and the world be like if we were more attentive to Christ’s message?
Sister Loretta Fernandez, RSM
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Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops
El Paso Bishop Meets with Victims of Mass Shooting, Family Members, Catholic News Service, August 5, 2019
A Mercy and Peacebuilding Approach to Gun Violence, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, March 2018
