Let's Burn in '06

Summary of a Fr. Gerry Creedon homily from January 1, 2006

"The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!" Numbers 6:26

ON THE FIRST DAY of the New Year, Pope Benedict presented the annual Papal Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace. "At the beginning of this New Year, let us ask her (Mary, Mother of the Prince of Peace) to help all of God's People, wherever they may be, to work for peace and to be guided by the light of the truth that sets us free."

A central theme in his statement is the important role of truth-telling in the quest for peace. "The truth alone can create a sensitivity to justice and an openness to love and solidarity, while encouraging everyone to work for a truly free and harmonious human family"

Truth is at stake when religion is distorted at the service of hate. The papal message is no subtle critique of a current conflict where the intelligence on which it was justified is seen as flawed or manipulated. A British official indicated that the facts were fixed to fit the policy. "Any authentic search for peace must begin with the realization that the problem of truth and untruth is the concern of every man and woman; it is decisive for the peaceful future of our planet." His words have special significance for those whose professional careers involve the review and presentation of intelligence.

Another theme Pope Benedict emphasizes is the priority of development in the path to peace. He calls upon governments 'to strive for progressive and concerted nuclear disarmament'. "The resources which would be saved could then be employed in projects of development capable of benefiting all their people, especially the poor." This is a continuation of a line of papal teaching. Paul VI gave us the famous slogans: "Development is the new name for peace" and "If you want peace, work for justice". The imbalance referred to is clear in our budget where 450 billion is allocated to defense, with 15 billion for development.

The plight of the poor received the focus of Benedict's Christmas message. At our Spanish Misa de Navidad, five creches were laid at the altar according to Bolivian custom. The manger can be sentimentalized and romanticized. A replica of the original scene was pointed out to me when I visited Bethlehem. It was a cave in a limestone rock used by farmers to shelter their animals before the following day's market. It is not a place one would choose for childbirth. Mary's companions were shepherds, a class of workers on the margin who were not entitled to all the rights of citizenship, such as witnessing to a marriage. At Christmas we are not called to minimize poverty. We are called to eliminate it and the misery it brings.

"A united humanity" proclaims Benedict, "will be able to confront the many troubling problems of the present time: from the menace of terrorism to the humiliating poverty in which millions of human beings live, from the proliferation of weapons to the pandemics and the environmental destruction which threatens the future of our planet." When we focus on the world, we tend to think first of Iraq.

The Holy Father in his review of the most worrying and tension-filled areas in the world begins with Africa. For that continent he appealed for the prevention of fratricidal conflicts and 'the protection of the most elementary rights of those experiencing tragic humanitarian crises'. One can expect to live to the age of 78 if you live in a rich country. An African can expect to live to the age of 47. 20,000 people die daily of hunger and related diseases - 10,000 of them live in Africa. The international community has a consensus to halve the billion people who live on one dollar a day by the year 2015. The Vatican supports that goal. There are 10 million orphans in Africa alone, many of them victims of AIDS, malaria, and other preventable and treatable diseases.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed and immobilized. However, St. Charles is doing something. While we cannot save 10 million orphans, we can assist some. After today's liturgy, a video presentation will summarize what our congregation has achieved over the past year through our Africa/AIDS Outreach. Support has been offered to orphans and their caregivers, many of them teenagers taking care of their younger siblings. Education and micro credit has been made available.

With our existing relationship with the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Philippines as well as our domestic programs, I was initially reluctant to embark on a new initiative. I was sensitive to compassion fatigue. However, I believe that at the end of the day, we have the choice of rusting out or burning out. Let's burn in '06!

Today's Gospel identifies the newborn as Jesus. He would save the earth. He comes to save us that we might in turn save others. Teilhard de Chardin said, "I focus less on saving my soul. I want to save the earth, and myself in the process." More info on St. Charles Africa/AIDS Outreach is available at www.stcharleschurch.org/ministry/aids-africa.php under social justice.