Category: Justice

Greetings on this the Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Galatians 1:6-12; Psalm 111:1b-2, 7-8, 9, 10c; Luke 10:25-37

Summary

I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who called you by [the] grace [of Christ] for a different gospel (not that there is another). But there are some who are disturbing you and wish to pervert the gospel of Christ. [Jesus said] I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. (Gal 1:6-7; Jn 13:34).

The scholar of the law needed to take a journey: from the head to the heart, to the hands.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

1. Know the Goal: Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
2. Understand The Law: What is written in the law? How do you read it?
3. Application of the Law: And who is my neighbor?
4. Analysis: Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?

Reflection

My teacher-superintendent friend educator, I think, will enjoy this reflection.
The Gospel portion today is a classic application of Bloom’s taxonomy of learning.
Bloom’s taxonomy (see diagram) or go to: https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/blooms-taxonomy

Jesus takes us through the first four of the Cognitive hierarchy.
The Church offers an opening to the last two.

• Evaluate – How do you understand Jesus’ rationale in presenting the story of the Good Samaritan?
• Create – How can you create the goodness of the Samaritan within yourself?

He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Personal Reflection

So how do I become a good Samaritan?

The first answer is the strongest (opinion): Gratitude. Let us not forsake gratitude.
Let’s let the psalmist frame our gratitude and help us on the path of eternal life.

Bloom’s Affective domain has:

• Receiving – listen.
• Responding – to God and each other.
• Valuing – exposes, changes or adds new values to your value system.
• Organization – integrating change or reinforcing the value already present.
• Characterization – how do we ‘good’ together?

But expanding these are for another day.

I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart
in the company and assembly of the just.
Great are the works of the LORD,
exquisite in all their delights.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.

He has sent deliverance to his people;
he has ratified his covenant forever;
holy and awesome is his name.
His praise endures forever.

Finally,

The lawyer begins by asking for information sufficient to inherit eternal life. Jesus educates him until information becomes mercy—and then sends him out to practice what he has learned.

Reference using today’s gospel portion: https://deacongerrypalermo.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/samaritan-all.pdf

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100526.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Formation: https://www.usccb.org/resources/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship-pdf

Voting Guidance

https://aleteia.org/2026/09/16/us-bishops-issue-guidelines-to-help-people-vote-with-faith

Here the bishops list key points of Catholic teaching with which we should evaluate candidates and issues, including:

• Addressing the preeminent requirement to protect the weakest in our midst
• Keeping our nation from turning to violence to address fundamental problems
• Promoting family as the foundation of society, and providing better support for family life morally, socially, and economically
• Achieving comprehensive immigration reform
• Helping families and children overcome poverty
• Providing health care while respecting human life, human dignity, and religious freedom in our health care system
• Continuing to oppose policies that reflect prejudice, hostility toward immigrants, religious bigotry, and other forms of unjust discrimination
• Joining with others around the world to pursue peace, protect human rights and religious liberty, and advance economic justice and care for creation

Greetings on this the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
Readings: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a; Psalm 100:1b-2, 3, 4, 5; John 19:25-27

Summary

Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:31).

Our Lady of Sorrows comes immediately after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross as there is no greater sorrow for a mother. There is no greater Son than Jesus. In love, Mary has Sorrow. She is sorrowful for us, too. The misery we propagate through the ages in war and endless wars. Jesus is our Brother who entered the tomb we all share.

Reflection

Sorrow is universal.
It is reasonable to say that sorrow should bind together even the greatest of enemies in peace and silence before this great mystery.

Marmion; A Tale of Flodden Field

Nor yet suppress the generous sigh,
Because his rival slumbers nigh;
Nor be thy requiescat dumb,
Lest it be said o’er FOX’S tomb.
For talents mourn, untimely lost
When best employed, and wanted most;
Mourn genius high, and lore profound,
And wit that loved to play, not wound;
And all the reasoning powers divine,
To penetrate, resolve, combine;
And feelings keen, and fancy’s glow—
They sleep with him who sleeps below:
And if thou mourn’st they could not save
From error him who owns this grave,
Be every harsher thought suppressed,
And sacred be the last long rest.
.
.
.
The solemn echo seems to cry—
“Here let their discord with them die.
“Speak not for those a separate doom,
“Whom Fate made brothers in the tomb;
“But search the land of living men,
“Where wilt thou find their like again?”

(https://telelib.com/authors/S/ScottWalter/verse/marmion/marmion010.html)

Personal Reflection

We cannot lose sight of the horror of war. No battle video, toxic proclamations, lionizing war-making and warrior worship (beyond citizen-soldier) can match the perfect Sorrow of Mary. It is but a mirage and menagerie.

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091526.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

Peace be with you,

Deacon Gerry

Greetings on this the Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Readings: Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12; Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Matthew 10:1-7

Summary

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Making a comment on modern culture is always risky. But here goes.

Two fairly recent movies that illustrate that moral sense is far from dead but rather rises up from the ashes of our social nightmare. Writers and artists can bring the illumination we all seek even we are distracted by ordinary burdens.

Project Hail Mary – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Hail_Mary_(film)
Passengers – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passengers_(2016_film)

One combined summary is the triumph by living beings over mistakes, differences, challenges and the common good. Ordinary people/beings each with unique gifts subordinate to the needs of the Others even unto self sacrifice. I wonder if so many can see this why do religious people struggle with the ame question?

Reflection

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

It’s time to take the message of Jesus from words to action, its proper end.

It is at hand,

Personal Reflection

Enjoy your summer. Dream big dreams,

Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070826.cfm

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry

CCC 1869 Thus sin makes men accomplices of one another and causes concupiscence, violence, and injustice to reign among them. Sins give rise to social situations and institutions that are contrary to the divine goodness. “Structures of sin” are the expression and effect of personal sins. They lead their victims to do evil in their turn. In an analogous sense, they constitute a “social sin.”¹⁴⁴

See: https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_three/section_one/chapter_one/article_8/v_the_proliferation_of_sin.html

Peace be with you,

Deacon Gerry