Sunday, January 01, 2017

A New Year of Peace and Nonviolence

In his address for 2017's World Day of Peace, Pope Francis calls nonviolence "a style of politics for peace." He describes nonviolence beginning in the heart of the individual and spreading from there through the family and community to the world. Yet the Holy Father emphasizes that the culture of nonviolence and love is the furthest thing from mamby pamby passivity and retreat from the world. On the contrary, he calls for active engagement on all levels. Only so can we resist evil and achieve the project of "peace founded upon truth, justice, freedom and love”."
As he points out, "An ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence between individuals and among peoples cannot be based on the logic of fear, violence and closed-mindedness, but on responsibility, respect and sincere dialogue." These fundamentals, that is responsibility, respect and sincere dialog, don't just happen; they must be worked at, developed and actively nurtured. Thus, nonviolence as a style of politics, as a lifestyle, is vigorous, active, a work in progress.
Let us commit ourselves this year to nurture and spread nonviolence in our own hearts and throughout those parts of the wider world that we touch. Through love and nonviolence, as the Holy Father reminds us, all things are possible.

“All of us want peace. Many people build it day by day through small gestures and acts; many of them are suffering, yet patiently persevere in their efforts to be peacemakers”. In 2017, may we dedicate ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming nonviolent people and to building nonviolent communities that care for our common home. “Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer. Everyone can be an artisan of peace”.
Love, Rise, Resist!

Link

Nonviolence: a style of politics for peace - Message for the 50th World Day of Peace

13 comments:

  1. Cat, this was all set to post, except it was still in draft, so I published it. Hope that's okay.

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    1. Drat! Can't trust me to do the simplest thing. Thanks for tending to it, Listener.

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    2. Don't understand though. Last thing last night I checked the post and pressed "Publish." So, I donno what went wrong. Thanks again for fixing it.

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  2. Ring Out, Wild Bells
    by Alfred Lord Tennyson

    Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
    The flying cloud, the frosty light;
    The year is dying in the night;
    Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

    Ring out the old, ring in the new,
    Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
    The year is going, let him go;
    Ring out the false, ring in the true.

    Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
    For those that here we see no more,
    Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
    Ring in redress to all mankind.

    Ring out a slowly dying cause,
    And ancient forms of party strife;
    Ring in the nobler modes of life,
    With sweeter manners, purer laws.

    Ring out the want, the care the sin,
    The faithless coldness of the times;
    Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
    But ring the fuller minstrel in.

    Ring out false pride in place and blood,
    The civic slander and the spite;
    Ring in the love of truth and right,
    Ring in the common love of good.

    Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
    Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
    Ring out the thousand wars of old,
    Ring in the thousand years of peace.

    Ring in the valiant man and free,
    The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
    Ring out the darkness of the land,
    Ring in the Christ that is to be.

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    1. Thank you. That's what I would normally have posted, only the Holy Father's message seemed worthwhile.

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  3. http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/38914-a-bad-year-ends-a-worse-one-begins-what-will-you-do-with-2017

    I loved this article I wish I could copy and paste the whole thing, but that would be wrong - so here's a taste:

    ***************************************

    I got a message from a friend today, the same one I've been getting for weeks: "How can I make a difference in this political mess?" My reply is below. May it be of use to you, or to someone you know experiencing the same feelings:

    The temptation is to GO HUGE because there is so much to do. My suggestion is to start within reach of your arm and work your way up. Volunteer at a food bank because people are going to need it. Volunteer to be an escort at a Planned Parenthood because women's rights are going to be under unprecedented assault. Let it be known that your home is a sanctuary for any undocumented immigrants if the round-ups start. The connections you'll make doing those things will take you into harder and more important work, but those things of themselves are hugely important ... and when you realize that you are actually capable of helping, your capacity to help will grow exponentially.

    Going tharn is for rabbits in the road. Not us. Not this year. No.

    ********************

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  4. Another clip from the above article:

    *********************************************

    There was also, of course, the election and the pestiferous campaign that birthed it. It has long been argued wisely and well that all the land-of-the-free "Exceptional Nation" crap we've been spoon-fed since grammar school is only a convenient mist to obscure a fell truth: The United States is a machine designed exclusively for the purpose of extracting wealth. Be it through war, fear, plunder or genocide, our history has been one long cashier's check written in blood to a small cadre of profiteers neither you nor I will ever meet.

    In 2016, that cadre decided to cash that check once and for all. They stopped dickering around the edges and went flat-out for the brass ring, and they got it. The entire campaign disgraced on a daily basis the basic notion of national discourse, and the corporate "news" media lapped it up with slaver running from their jaws. When all was said and done, virtually the entire government of the United States of America became a wholly owned subsidiary of fascists, nationalists, brigands, conspiracy freaks and murderers.

    It's enough to make you go tharn.

    *******************************************

    This reminds me of a meme I keep seeing on Facebook: "The United States is an oil company with an army."

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    1. Thanks, Susan. I'll have to read that article.

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  5. Just found out that 2016 took one more beloved celeb on the way out. RIP Bill Christopher

    William Christopher, Father Mulcahy on MASH, Dies at 84 - Click

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  6. Replies
    1. St. Francis Pledge - Click (to pray, act, and
      advocate to solve climate change.)

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  7. Universal basic income trials being considered in Scotland [Click]

    The day violent thugs were driven out by hippies with glowsticks [Click] Interesting psychodynamics…a lesson to be learned, I think, although I am not sure I can articulate it.

    Rare London Cheeses [Click] A new year that changed me: my partner said I would publish a book – so I had to. --Annie Freud

    Belfast chip shop goes viral after delivery order for cold and flu tablets [Click]

    The Only Way to Defeat Trump Is to Understand That Race and Class Are Inseparable [Click]

    The weather here this morning was pretty, but then the clouds moved in and it looked wintry. Supposed to be partly cloudy tomorrow, then maybe rain starting Tuesday afternoon and continuing for several days. That's OK.

    --Alan

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