For me, Father Gregory Boyle
exemplifies the transformative
power of faith and uncondi-
tional love through his gang in-
tervention work in East Los An-
geles. Father Boyle inspires me
as he urges us that kinship is
what God presses us on to do.
“Soon we imagine, with God,
this circle of compassion.
Then we imagine no one
standing outside of that circle,
moving ourselves closer to the margins so that the margins themselves will be
raised. We stand there with those whose dignity has been denied. We locate
ourselves with the poor and the powerless and the voiceless. At the edges, we
join the easily despised and the readily left out. We stand with the demonized so
that the demonizing will stop. We situate ourselves right next to the disposable
so that the day will come when we stop throwing people away.”
Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for the grace of your love for us. Help us to understand
that we need not run from suffering or see suffering as a sign of your anger or
rejection. Help us to remember that your Son, Jesus Christ, embraced everything
about being human, except sin. Help us to honor the sacrifice Jesus Christ made
for us, as we ourselves strive to become more Christ-like through good works,
compassion, and purity of heart and of motive. Amen.
_______
Nancy Flores
Parishioner, Dismissal Minister