Justicia, Paz y Tierra / Justice, Peace and Earth: November 2024

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Laudato Si Movement Local Community Encounter in San Antonio

A day after the election, Laudato Si Animators gathered for the “Encounter” to share stories, pray, reflect, and encourage each other to continue building a more sustainable world by working on our local communities, and the organizations we belong to. The meeting was held on November 6 at 6:00-8:30 pm.

We started with a prayer and closed with a prayer especially chosen for this event. We had a pizza as a prize given to UIW Laudato Si for being a good contributor to advocacy for Care for Creation.

Through this community where we belong, we brought hope that everybody was learning about building a more sustainable society through educating ourselves, reflecting our lifestyle, and bringing others into the awareness. Some are grieving due to the lack of interest in Climate Action from the upcoming leadership in the United States. Some were learning what actions to take. We centered our hearts in contemplation and pondered the joys, surprises, and challenges. One shared about the abuse of natives by taking away their lands and now working towards reconciliation of these families or individuals wounded by the past. Some projects were about care for creation beyond gardening.

How could we support renewable energy in concrete actions while having a just transition away from fossil fuels? This contemplation moved us to share our own individual hopes and communal dreams. The Laudato Si Movement's new executive director stated that "it is through our Catholicity that we embrace universality, diversity, and unity and bring the mission of the organization for the care of all in creation."

There is a lot more work to do. However, in the community, it makes the work collaborative and not seemingly daunting and overwhelming. Through the stories and works shared, we have become a container of information for the inspiration of the animators. We need each other to restore the creation to a healthy state.

The last item on our agenda is to live in hope. Working for justice is knowing that it is a continuous effort of collaboration and education. We raise awareness about resiliency amidst the uncertainty of the coming year.

Next year is the 10th anniversary of the publication of Laudato Si. We look forward to our collaboration together for creation, making space for the future generation.

More Information:

International Season of Creation 2024
2025: A year of adventure - Laudato Si' Movement
Laudato Si' Movement
On the synodal road to 2025 - Laudato Si' Movement
Animators - Laudato Si Animators

Co-create “Peace on Earth by 2030”

by Sister Martha Ann Kirk, ThD

You are invited to the next information meeting of the “Peace on Earth by 2030” movement on Wednesday, December 11 from 11 to 12:30 pm, Central time. See the information on this flier and here is the Spanish version.

This is part of our growing effort locally. See information on the Camino of Compassion and Peace https://saccvi.blogspot.com/2024/06/nobel-peace-laureate-summit-monterrey.html. Events can be found here: https://peace2030.earth/events/.

Sr. Martha Ann kirk@uiwtx.edu 210-883-5934 is happy to answer questions.

A New Liturgical Season: A Generation of Circular Justice

December 1 marks the start of the liturgical season. We are beginning the new year through our preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ in this Advent season. The King who is coming is not dressed in gold, riding in a chariot, and wearing expensive perfumes. He is gentle (Mt. 11:29), an encourager (Mt. 9:2, 14:27), a teacher (Lk 6:40-42), a reconciler (Jn 21:17-20), and a redeemer (Jn 3:16). As Christians, we bring the presence of Christ to others and we experience others in our encounters.

How would you end your year? A life of compassion or a life of hurt or anger? Should our generation have a legacy of healing and reconciliation or death and revenge? What is in your heart? An invitation to monthly prayer is here: Prayer Vigils - Catholic Mobilizing Network

An invitation to ask Mr. President Joe Biden to commute the 40 federal death row prisoners: CMN Take Action Commute Federal Death Row

An invitation to view the state-scheduled executions and advocate to stop: execution: Executions - Catholic Mobilizing Network

We open this new liturgical season with hope. As Christians, we are called to be bearers of hope, knowing that God is with us. We shall sing "O Come, o come, Emmanuel." On December 7, 9-10am, join the Incarnate Word Sisters Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation in collaboration with Pax Christi to pray for peace. Peace is the theme of advent for the second week in Madeleine Room 2nd floor of Incarnate Word Campus Heritage Building. This peace comes in all forms, love that transcends differences in opinions, races, status in life, circumstances, beliefs, religion, gender, origins, and nationality.

A Generation of Circular Justice

There are twenty-one states where the death penalty is legal and still in place namely, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and U.S. Gov’t U.S. Military. Six states have put a hold on execution. These are Arizona, California, Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Some people know the death penalty is an archaic system while some people think that it is necessary to get back to people who did horrible things to someone. Everyone will have a legacy. There will be something that your heart will carry through your life and even until death. What would that be in today's generation? We have a choice to pursue something that will come back with good intentions and not create new wounds from division and darkness.

There are three people on death row for execution in December 2024 in the United States. These are Christopher Leroy Collings, convicted of murder with rape of a girl, Joseph Corcoran, convicted of mass murder, and Kevin Ray Underwood, convicted of murder. There is no escaping from the fact they have committed serious crimes. Some people are angry and it may be a feeling that may linger and persist for a long time even for a lifetime especially if the victim is your loved one. The people on death row interrupted the lives of people, society, and whose lives had been forever changed due to hurt and anger from the loss. Some on death row have their lives changed as well for wrongful convictions. What does society do to amend these? Have we stopped enough to listen to the other side of the story?

The question with this system is not whether they deserve to die just as many families of victims would say and the proponents of the death penalty. Bryan Stevenson of EJI said in arguing for the reason for its abolishment, that it is not the question of whether the person deserves to die or not. The question is, whether we deserve to kill a human being? Apart from not working on the root causes, the death penalty system unveils racism, injustice to the poor for the lack of funds to pay for a good lawyer, and lack of mental health services and social services given to the individuals. Does the killing of the convicted make the survivors of the victim feel justified? Are the people any safer in killing the convicted on death row?

There are several issues:

1. The absolute punishment puts people to death even the innocents.

2. The government funds and those involved in the justice system in the United States are used to kill a person. This means that there are fewer funds used for other restorative and affirmative programs.

3. Some people will have to be hired to execute death row inmates, whether or not they are conscious of that outcome. Imagine your job is to kill someone. You will be part of the death team that will bring the person to his death from a dose or doses of lethal injection, electric execution, firing squad, or gas chamber. We are all part of this death team, the only difference is that there are people who are directly involved in the execution of the death row inmate so that the victim or family of the victims will have to receive what the current system calls justice. There are moral implications to their psychological being having taken direct involvement in the killing of a person on death row.

4. The Death Penalty can be a cause of injustice in sentencing. People of color and people without money or underprivileged have higher chances of being convicted compared to someone rich and guilty as Bryan Stevenson of EJI also claimed. With money and power, people who can hire competent lawyers can escape any convictions or further trials.

People are put under absolute penalty whether there are mistakes. According to studies, 4% of people on death row are innocent. When we put our funds into the trials, it means that the taxes or the money of the government and people go to these litigations instead of investing the money on rehabilitation, mental health, family, and social support services.

This generation shows advanced technological improvements, astonishing scientific discoveries, and a world working to end poverty and address climate change. It is a time for society to favor integrity, dignity, equality, compassion, human rights for all, and protection of the innocents? Where do you stand? Would you rather be an absolute executioner not to miss punishments of the guilty, spend money, and put someone to death for the crimes they committed with the thought that some may be innocent? Or would you rather be the merciful judge to put both the convicted and misjudged individuals into life imprisonment without parole allowing the misjudged to be retried and to be released for the crimes they have not committed?

As Catholics, we have Pope Francis whose theme of his papacy from the beginning has been about mercy. Fratelli Tutti of Pope Francis has clearly stated that "the death penalty is inadmissible (FT, 263)" He affirms the inalienable dignity of all human beings including the worst of criminals (FT 269). He is calling for its abolition worldwide (FT 263).

How you can be a bearer of hope for this issue? Go back to the invitation at the top of this article to pray, reflect, and take action.

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Remembering the Pearl Harbor and Prayer for Peace on December 7 @9am

December 7, 1941, the infamous date, when the Japanese attacked the "Pearl Harbor" to weaken the defense in the Pacific with Japan's intent to expand its empire. The history of Pearl Harbor reminds us of the lessons learned that human beings are capable of something terrible, which we can see from the wars happening in the world. If we look at the dreams of leaders or individuals in isolation and do not see the collective impact of one's action or group's actions, we will succumb to destructive power. If we analyze the root cause of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we may understand why pride, oil, and power are a dangerous combination. Japan wanted power, resources, and control. Pearl Harbor was a strategic position, located in Oahu, Hawaii. Thereby, the hope of the Japanese troops was to create an offensive attack after being sanctioned economically by the United States due to its violent occupation of China. Then, it would loosen the western base in the Pacific to make the occupation in the region easier.

As a result of this surprise attack, the aggression killed 2,400 Americans and destroyed the naval vessels, battleships, and other casualties left behind. On December 8, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan.

Any war creates losses. On the other hand, we know that with Christ, we are reminded that we can live beyond ourselves. We can be winners when we let go of control, ego, and pride for the sake of another fellow with his right to live and a space to exist peacefully. On December 7 from 9 am-10 am, Pax Christi, in collaboration with Incarnate Word Sisters San Antonio JPIC, will host the morning prayer for peace and light refreshments. Consequently, December 8 is this year's second week of Advent with a theme of Peace.

Let us not stay silent for the voiceless and powerless. The world war II did not start overnight. A series of actions led to it and the sequence of events allowed one door after another for such to occur. Every human being has a dignity. Every life is unique and important.

Let us create a space of prayer for peace in different countries who are at war and those countries who are supporting war in all means that the leaders of all nations and their constituents can put an end to war and violence. Advocate for non-violence. We need nature to teach us peace. Nature shows us that plants grow in diversity and allow time to grow together.

Poem by Contemplation by Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh about the Palestinian's life and death situation in Gaza and Israel's violent conflict.

thoughts of life and death
past, present, and yet to be
somehow, somewhere, sometime
yearning to understand
the eternal questions
looking to touch the mind of God
so distant
so powerful
so amazing
but hidden within each of us
perhaps all the secrets of life
are there to see

in a handshake

in a smile
in a child's eye
in a single cell
or in a kiss

Friday, November 22, 2024

Upcoming December Events (Justice and Peace)

Sunday, November 17, 2024

A Growing Ministry with Sustainability in Action

Sister Elizabeth Smith, a retired chaplain from CHRISTUS Spohn from years ago, founded the Weavers of Love in 2013. It is a non-profit 501c3 organization that provides meals and sandwiches to the elders, the disabled, and people who need extra help from the soup kitchen starting in 2015, and medical services offered by the clinic since 2022. Among her supporters are her previous co-workers from CHRISTUS Spohn, friends, community leaders, and public officials. Weaver of Love's soup kitchen is open every Tuesday from 11am to 1pm. The soup kitchen's salad is supplied by their community garden and greenhouse, which the associates maintain. They have nutrition counseling every Wednesday. The center provides nutritious food served by volunteers. Occasionally the board would come to serve as well. The Weavers of Love extends its services to grief counseling, free clothing for adults and children, and diabetic shoes in another closet room. The food pantry is coming up soon.

The Sister's Closet has a variety of collections of dresses, blouses, shirts, pants, and shoes. All of these have been set up in a store-like setting so that their patrons could walk into the room to pick their choice of clothing to upgrade their wardrobe, better clothes for an interview, or simply for daily use. The store has occasional promotions or deals where people can get more than one piece of clothing. The store also has volunteer students from Texas A&M. The service hours to this non-profit make a good collaboration for community experience.

On March 16, 2024, Sister Elizabeth was honored during the gala for her work with the underprivileged people of Kingsville, building community towards a common good. Sisters Carmen, Christi, and Marylou represented the Incarnate Word Sisters, San Antonio to rejoice with her on that momentous day. The people enjoyed the food, silent auction, dancing, conversations, and beautiful messages from supporters of Sister Elizabeth. It was certainly an evening to be grateful for the many benefactors who have supported the mission of the Weavers of Love.

The facility was closed in September and October for renovations. The soup kitchen has updated its structures and some remodeling done for a better experience for its patrons. Since November 12, the soup kitchen has been back to serve nutritious meals. The patrons have been welcomed by its new Executive Director Andy Patrick, replacing the retired CEO of the Weavers of Love Jose Johnson. We are very grateful to the previous leadership of Mr. Johnson for his years of dedication to the Weavers of Love.

The Weavers of Love also received a grant from the Incarnate Word Sisters Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) to support the center's sustainability effort to grow fresh fruits from its garden to its soup kitchen for its patrons. It is the fall season and a perfect time to plant trees and have their roots well established. Belinda, an associate of the Weavers, drove to Rio Grande Valley to buy trees from Texas A&M Citrus Center. She found out about the trees raised by the center under the leadership of research scientist Dr. Skaria. The center aims to have high-quality citrus with less space or land per fruit yield. Belinda and the other associates planted lemon, lime, navel oranges, mandarins, and grapefruit trees. All of these citrus trees from the center have been micro-grafted to adapt to the climate of Texas, with minimum watering. The associates plan to buy two more trees, one of which would be avocado trees. She will get an organic fertilizer later to keep the trees healthy and growing.

We hope that the Weavers of Love continues to thrive and influence its community on the value of growing local, supporting local, and serving each other for a more sustainable and resilient society.

More here:

Weavers of Love back open in Kingsville
'Weavers of Love' opens up to community following renovations
Why it is great to plant trees in the fall?

Weavers of Love

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Sustainability, Biodiversity, Inclusivity, the Green Patriarch and Socio-ecological Justice in Peace Day

On October 31, we had a Peace Day event at the University of Incarnate Word. Part of this event is to talk about Biodiversity, Sustainability, and Inclusivity in one segment. Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh (see qumsiyeh.org) shared with us information about human and biological diversity in the Holy Land (Palestine). He is the founder and volunteer director of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at Bethlehem University (see palestinenature.org). We learned about how colonization affected the environment in many countries but the focus was on damage done in Palestine (e.g. diversion and destruction of the Jordan River system, draining wetlands, uprooting millions of trees, the impact of war on nature). This he explained is a typical colonial system that declares war on human and biological diversity. Palestine was a multi-ethnic, multicultural, multi-religious, and multilingual society that was to be changed to become a monolithic Jewish state. This had consequences for both people and nature. Qumsiyeh also addressed non-violent resistance (which he and other Palestinians call popular resistance). He explained its long history in Palestine and its successes. He explained how Gandhi opposed the British occupation. He spoke of Desmond Tutu and of Martin Luther King Jr. He drew parallels between Palestine today under Israeli colonization that left 8.5 million Palestinian Christians and Muslims as refugees/displaced people and Palestine of 2000 years ago under Roman rule. Jesus had taught Palestinian Christians like Mazin the necessity of helping the needy and challenging unjust systems. Having just completed the olive harvest in the botanic garden of the institute, Qumsiyeh explained the value of olive trees (first domesticated in our region) but also explained the harassment of farmers destruction of trees, and land confiscation by the Israeli colonial occupiers. He argued that this conflict in Palestine must be ended as it is an aberration that harms people and nature (citing examples of genocide and ecocide happening in Palestine). Dr. Qumsiyeh also talked about the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability which has a vision of sustainable human and natural communities. To arrive at this vision, the institute engages in research, education, conservation (of both cultural and natural heritage), and community service. The facilities act as an oasis of peace and hope for both humans and plants and animals. He explained how people can volunteer (palestinenature.org/volunteer) or support in other ways (you can email him at mazin@qumsiyeh.org or info@palestinenature.org) for more information.

Another speaker in this segment is Vladimir Narsia who talked about the ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The Patriarch earned the title particularly because of his strong advocacy on Care for Creation even before the Laudato Si was launched. Patriarch Bartholomew had several initiatives through gatherings, prayers, and letters asking people to work on charity for the environment and to subdue the greediness that is degrading the world into climate change, a decline of biodiversity, among many obvious effects of the imbalance in the eco-system. In 1989, the Green Patriarch proclaimed September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for Creation with his first encyclical on the environment. Subsequently, other Christian churches followed the initiatives of the Green Orthodox initiatives. It was in 2015 that the Roman Catholic Church through Pope Francis Laudato Si' that the Western church joined the Orthodox in the concrete advocacy and work to Care for Creation, facing the reality of Climate Change and its effects. The two Christian leaders now with their voices are working to ask the people of all nations to pray, reflect, and take every opportunity that all nonprofit organizations, business institutions, and individuals can do for the environment to give the dignity that it deserves affecting the most vulnerable.

Following the talk on the love of Creation as initiated by the advocacies and initiatives of the Green Orthodox Church, is the hope that we all have and can share with our neighbors and the rest of the world. We have our own share of responsibility toward "Socio-ecological Justice". Since the 19th century, there have been several green organizations that care for the rights and dignity of the environment. Laudato Si' Movement is one among the many of these. It is a movement that aims to spread the Gospel in a new way. We are all connected. Globally, we are affecting the ecological balance causing climate change, decline of biodiversity, and extreme natural disasters. We are invited to pray, reflect, and take action on our ailing planet. Laudato Si' means "Praised be to You [my God]". We are all connected and we praise God by our witness. We are not living in isolation. We can contribute to solving the climate crisis by advocacies, a low-carbon footprint lifestyle through eco-conscious living, reducing single-use plastics, and turning to reusable and ecologically friendly products that do not harm the environment. We can ask ourselves before we patronize any products, will it cause harm to another person, creature, or creation? There is no such thing as small and insignificant in this global project. Other ways that the Congregation of Sisters of Charity of Incarnate Word contributes to this cause is through the Headwater's native program, solar-powered water source for wildlife, soil research, and growing native prairie. Scientists are concerned about this greenhouse gas coming from methane and carbon dioxide. The greenhouse gases are trapped in the atmosphere instead of being released into beyond. It is important to note that Texas, in particular, has the largest methane emitter in the world due to the Permian Basin. In addition to the Permian Basin, other shale sites in Texas similarly impact the environment directly. We have our humble individual actions and yet all are significant as reminded by Pope Francis. We are all called to be responsible within the limits of the ecological system. Through individual and systemic actions, we can become more hopeful with awareness combined with actions to have a climate-ready future.

The session ended with JPIC awards to the attendees of the event where they received the Gospel of Peace book by Father John Dear, the compost bin to promote eco-friendly practice in daily living, sponsored by JPIC, and the Innocent Project sweater provided by one of the Incarnate Word Sisters.

Learn about Care for Creation through advocates of nature and ecology. Also, peace-related websites or links are below for know more about the works about peace.
https://laudatosianimators.org
https://sierraclub.org
https://environmentamerica.org
Env. Defense Fund https://edf.org
https://paxchristi.org
https://alamo.edu/nvc/experience-nvc/community/peace-center
https://paceebene.org/

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