Dear Brother Priest:
Priests in the
Archdiocese of
The following is
from one of the priests in
Would you join
your brother priests on April 2nd in preaching the Word of God in support of
those living in fear in our country to help them find a path to citizenship? We
are seeking to create and celebrate a “CRITICAL MASS” on the weekend of
April 2nd uniting us as one in praying for and preaching on behalf of our
brothers and sisters seeking to realize their
God-given potential and to provide for their families here in these
In this Lenten
Season we are especially attuned to the needs of the poor. Our fasting reminds
us that there is a deep hunger within us, a hunger no food can satisfy, a
hunger to live out our God-given potential in order to contribute to the
ongoing struggle and journey to draw all of our brothers and sisters one day to
the heart of God. Our almsgiving provides one way to reach out to help the poor
and needy. Our prayer calls us to widen our circle of concern to include all
who hunger for justice.
We know that there
are many in this country who live here in fear. These
are millions of undocumented men, women and children who struggle day-to-day in
menial labor, paying taxes, buying homes, contributing to our communities, yet
unable to obtain driver’s licenses and to participate fully in the American
dream.
Much media
attention is focused on the immigrants themselves; however, the real problem is
an economic system which has required as many as 300,000 new laborers each year
and a political system that grants only 5,000 worker visas each year.
Exacerbating the flow of undocumented workers to this country has been the
failure of NAFTA and CAFTA to shore up the economies of our Latin American
brothers and sisters.
Here is what we
are asking:
·
Commit to preaching the weekend of April 2nd on this
issue and/or to providing info in your bulletin to educate people on the issue
(materials found at www.justiceforimmigrants.org/facts_figures.html.
Confirm your intent to Fr. Larry Dowling at denispadre@aol.com; indicate in the subject line: Critical
Mass for Immigrant Justice. Indicate your name, parish and diocese. He will
report back to you how many of our brothers are joining us to build a Critical
MASS for immigrant justice. You will find attached to this file homily and
prayer suggestions.
·
Encourage your parishioners to call their Senators and
Representatives the week of April 2 - 8 to support comprehensive immigration
reform, including:
ü
A
broad based legalization (permanent residency) of the undocumented of all
nationalities;
ü
Reform
of our family-based immigration system to allow family members to reunite with
loved ones in the
ü
Reform
of the employment-based immigration system to provide legal pathways for
migrants to come and work in a safe, humane, and orderly manner;
ü
Abandonment
of the border "blockade" enforcement strategy.
ü
Restoration
of due process protections for immigrants.
They can find information on how to contact their
senators and congressional representatives at: http://www.house.gov/writerep/ .
Cardinal George
has expressed his support of this effort. Thank you for holding the many
efforts to help our immigrant brothers and sisters in your prayers during this
time. Hope you’ll join us in this national effort!
Gentle peace!
Your brother
priests in Chicago
CRITICAL MASS for
Immigrant Justice
Prayer and
Preaching Aids for Weekend of April 2nd
Cycle B readings:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
“I will make a new covenant… I
will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts.”
- the covenant is one which places love and respect for God’s people
above laws that restrict or prevent them from realizing their God-given
potential, from realizing their dreams and God’s dream for them.
- laws are meant to support respect for life from conception to natural
death; current immigration laws prevent individuals who have sought out work in
this country from becoming legal citizens; the Sensenbrenner Bill passed in the
U.S. House would also make it criminal, a minimum of 5 years in prison, for any
of us to assist an undocumented immigrant even with basic needs.
- some would argue that the Jesus never encouraged anyone to break the
law; in fact, those in power challenged his breaking of Judaic Law several
times in healing and casting out demons on the Sabbath, in his disciples
picking grains of wheat on the Sabbath, and a number of other times where Jesus
chose the law of love over the strict law that prevented people from
experiencing the healing and wholeness that come from God.
Hebrews 5:7-9
God invites us, through Jesus, to offer prayers and supplications, with
loud cries and tears to save others from the death of the spirit, to save our
immigrant brothers and sisters from crippling laws that prevent their full
participation in the privilege and responsibility of the freedom we experience
in the
John 12:20-33
“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a
grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” As people of faith, we
are called to die to our prejudices, our preconceived notions about how illegal
immigrants are ruining our country, and look at the facts about how instead
these are men, women and children like ourselves making sacrifices to make a
living, raise a family and live good lives. We are called to shift our focus to
the systems that allow such a situation to occur and seek ways to remedy the
current broken immigration system. Such a system would not reward people for
breaking the law, but it would not punish them for trying to care for their
families; it would not open the borders, but would provide reasonable quotas
and border monitoring to meet the needs of the U.S. workforce and minimize the
loss of life for those seeking to cross into the U.S.; it would not build a
wall, but would build upon the long history of this country welcoming
hard-working, productive people to this country; it would recognize that the
‘problem’ is not the immigrants themselves, but a system that needs to change
in such a way as to do as little harm as possible to all of us, legal citizens
and undocumented residents already living and worshipping together in
community. Our response in support of responsible, respectful immigration
reform will bear fruit for all involved.
Cycle A Scrutiny
Ezekiel 37:12-14
“I will open your graves…” How can we
assist our immigrant brothers and sisters in rising from the graves of fear and
discrimination?
“I will put my spirit in you… I will
settle you upon your land…” This land is given us by God to be shared with
others. We need to draw from the spirit of love and compassion that God has
placed in each of us to extend the hospitality of God to all who seek a home
with us.
Romans 8:8-11
“...the spirit is alive because of righteousness.”
Does our right relationship to God cause us to turn away the immigrant or does
the spirit that lies within us cause us to want to seek ways to welcome and
make straight the path for those seeking to live in freedom, in both its
privilege and responsibility?
Gospel: John 11:1-45
“I am the resurrection and the life…”
Jesus reminds us that resurrection leads us, not to a place (heaven), but into
a deep and abiding relationship with Him and with all who are faithful. We have
to ask ourselves, “How do we relate to those among us who are undocumented? Do
we hold them in disdain? If indeed these are immigrant brothers and sisters who
are being faithful to God’s call to them to care for themselves
and their families, should we not seek to help them? Should we not ask Jesus to
raise them from the tomb of fear and mistrust? Should we not assist in rolling
away the legal boundaries that prevent them from finding a way to become, over
time, full citizens; and should we not participate in unbinding them from the
prejudices and discrimination that prevent them from feeling free to live in
safety in this land of ours?
Prayer of the Faithful:
-
That all those seeking to make a home in this country may find us welcoming and
willing to help them find a path toward citizenship, we pray...
-
That our legislators, as they craft new immigration legislation, will respect
the brothers and sisters who live among us and help them find a respectful and
timely path to citizenship, we pray...
-
That the hearts and minds of those fanning the flames of fear and
discrimination against the undocumented may be touched with divine compassion,
we pray…
Bulletin Notice: Please contact
your
Our congressmen/women and contact info are:
_________________________________________________.