Scripture: John 16:21
When a woman gives birth, she has pain because her time has come. But when the child is born, she no longer remembers her distress because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
Thought for the Day: You would be hard pressed to find someone who dislikes a newborn child. There is something amazing and breathtaking about a birth. As the scripture suggests, there is a joy that eclipses everything else when the gift arrives. I offer these thoughts as I reread an article about the the sexual abuse by priests in Pennsylvania. These stories, and it would be horrible if it was just one story, are rampant and beyond comprehension. It is important to note that every denomination and tradition has failed in this area, and we should not sit smugly and point a finger. With that said, I believe there is much to be learned about institutional power and its ability to protect itself at the expense of those the institution was originally created to serve. The church, if it is truly of the Spirit, does not need our protection. Instead, it requires our humble service to the least among us even if that humble service requires us to dismantle the institution and allow the Spirit to rebuild it. A reformation is coming, and I doubt it will be limited to the Catholic Church. At this moment, we cannot dismiss this to “those priests” as such a dismissal turns it into a blame game that ignores the victims. Instead, we need to be confessional and willing to accept responsibility for all the times we have failed sisters and brothers because we were too busy protecting the institution. Of course, people need to be held accountable legally and morally, but let us not focus solely on “those priests” as a way of ignoring the responsibility we have within our own communities. I invite you to make this central to your daily prayers, and do not be afraid to raise the important questions that seek to serve and protect, not the institution, but the precious gift that is every child of God.
Prayer: For all those who are hurting, struggling and suffering because sacred boundaries were not respected, we pray for your healing Spirit to find creative ways of mending the brokenness. O Gracious God, the church has too often failed your great calling. Wherever we have failed those whom we were called to serve, or even worse, injured them, we ask for a forgiveness that is convicting and seeks true repentance. Allow this moment to be for the church a moment of self-reflection, honest confession, Spirit-filled transformation and a recommitment to the work of humble service. This we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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9am & 11am
