MONDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

-from Pope Francis’ editorial in the New York Times, “A Crisis Reveals What Is In Our Hearts,” November 26, 2020

III. God asks us to dare to create something new. We cannot return to the false securities of the political and economic systems we had before the crisis [pandemic]. We need economies that give to all access to the fruits of creation, to the basic needs of life: to land, lodging and labor. We need a politics that can integrate and dialogue with the poor, the excluded and the vulnerable, that gives people a say in the decisions that affect their lives. We need to slow down, take stock and design better ways of living together on this earth…To come out of this crisis better, we have to recover the knowledge that as a people we have a shared destination. The pandemic has reminded us that no one is saved alone. What ties us to one another is what we commonly call solidarity. Solidarity is more than acts of generosity, important as they are; it is the call to embrace the reality that we are bound by bonds of reciprocity. On this solid foundation we can build a better, different human future.

This essay has been adapted from Pope Francis’ new book Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future, written by Austen Ivereigh.

Here is the link to Pope Francis’ entire reflection:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/opinion/pope-francis-covid.html

Father Bill +