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China’s currency syndrome

16 Aug 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“The one who feeds on me will have life because of me,” Jesus promises in this Sunday’s gospel. China’s rapid economic growth in recent decades has fed economic growth around the world. But the nation’s rapidly weakening currency is shattering the economic juggernaut’s carefully managed image of prosperity and threatening to set back the U.S. recovery just as it is gaining traction. Homily hint: A shift in economic power among nations reveals how interrelated we all are in the global economy. Though we depend on each other, competition and conflict are common responses to world economic crises. Jesus promises to feed us all if we unite in holiness and care for each other. For more on China’s currency crisis, see: China’s yuan move puts global image at stake

holiness cooperation interdependence

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Who's listening?

11 Apr 2010 - Solemnity of the Second Sunday of Easter; Divine Mercy Sunday, Cycle C

A spiritual writer once said, “All problems are psychological, all solutions are spiritual.” In the aftermath of the first Easter, the people of Jerusalem and its surrounding area brought the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits to the apostles. It’s often our needs that bring us to religion, and that’s not a bad thing. The way of Jesus is the way of total reliance on God. The ones in our congregation who are suffering can show us the way to faith when they turn to God in their need, their weakness, and even in their despair.

needs interdependence Weakness Faith

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Exploring the word

23 Oct 2016 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Does anybody know what we celebrate this week? By “we” I mean Americans of every faith tradition, not just Catholics. It’s Pastoral Care Week! There’s no crepe to hang for this event, no special foods to prepare or rituals to enact. Still, the fact that so many people—clergy and laity together of every creed—bring a spiritual presence and values to those in need is worth an annual acknowledgement. Since 1985, Pastoral Care Week honors hospital and prison chaplains, military spiritual advisors and school counselors, nurses and hospice workers, long-term care facility employees and average folks caring for vulnerable family members—all making sure that God’s compassion and tender care is experienced in the flesh. Our parishioners who bring Communion to the sick or visit relatives whose mobility is limited might be included here too. If you’re on that long list of caring people, you should take a bow. As the American population gets greyer thanks to longer lives and better medicine, the number of people needing pastoral care is only going to grow. When you count up the percentage of Americans in the military (more than 2 million active members and 22 million vets), the incarcerated (1.6 million), those in hospice (1.5 million), or in hospitals and care facilities (900,000 and 700,000 respectively), you see the tip of the iceberg of those receiving some sort of pastoral support annually. That doesn’t count the rest of us who have taken, are taking, and will take primary responsibility for family members, neighbors, and friends for short durations or for the long haul. The face of pastoral care is all of us. How do we do this? How do the strong take responsibility for the weak, and the morally upright for those spiritually at risk? We might suspect it goes against the genetic code: Didn’t Darwin say life is a matter of survival of the fittest? This leads us to imagine that perhaps only the so-called superior creature should survive and leave the vulnerable and imperfect ones to their fate. In fact, Darwin himself made clear that life is only possible precisely because each generation makes sacrifices for the last and the next, and one creature is willing to make room for the needs of another. Interdependence is the natural design of things. By caring for the little, the lowly, the lonely, and the lost, we all become stronger and more human. As Paul says, he competes well, fights his fight, finishes his race—but never alone. God stands by him and gives Paul the strength to accomplish all that he does. Caregivers know that it’s by God’s grace alone that we fulfill our beautiful, vital, humane and holy ministry. Related scripture links Tax collectors paired with sinners: Matt. 9:9-13, 11:19; 18:17, 21:31-32; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32; 7:34; 15:1 God knows the human heart: 1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Chron. 28:9; Matt. 12:25; Luke 16:15; John 2:24; Acts 1:24, 15:8 Saul the Pharisee: Acts 8:1-3; 9:1-6; 22:3-5 Christians vis-à-vis Paul the convert: Acts 9:10-14, 20-22, 26-29 Catching fish: Matt. 4:18-20; Mark 1:16-18; Luke 5:1-11 Catechism links Sinners are forgiven: CCC 1443 Humility: CCC 525-526; 559; 724; 2540; 2559; 2628; 2631; 2706; 2713

Authors Alice Camille

pastoral care week caregivers interdependence

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