“Take away from me
your noisy songs;
The melodies of your harps,
I will not listen to them.
Rather let justice surge like waters,
and righteousness like an unfailing stream”
What now?
We care for victims of abuse in our midst, whether their pain was caused by those in the Church or elsewhere. We listen to their needs, their demands, their requests and we help them find some measure of justice and healing. We do not pursue our own self-interest, but their best interest--not as we see it, but as they do.
We start with what we can control, ourselves and our own communities. We build up the Kingdom where we can.
We, the lower clergy, parish priests and deacons, resolve to live the Gospel in simple, authentic, and radical ways. No more Pharisees, only followers of Christ.
We, the laity, take on a larger role in the governance of our parishes and our dioceses.
We make noise that the bishops and the Vatican cannot ignore, we demand justice, reform, and renewal on the terms of the People of God.
Today is the feast of the Passion of John the Baptist, a stark reminder that the path of justice righteousness is not an easy one and does not always bring with it comfort and serenity. John the Baptist, the final and greatest prophet, did not seek to renew the world through politics, power, or public relations, but by radically relying on the Holy Spirit and following the dangerous paths the Lord laid out for him without fail. May God be with us and may "justice surge like waters, righteousness like an unfailing stream."