I could say that we had a bad week last week, but was last week much different from any other week of late? The war in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine expanded to include other nations; political violence took center stage; ICE activity ramped up in Chicago with questionable results; and the Bears suffered their worst loss in eleven years. Where was the good news? Maybe Pope Leo’s big birthday celebration? And we go to press on Monday morning. By the time you read this, much more may have gone wrong.

In a poll taken shortly after the Charlie Kirk assassination, 14% of Democrats, 13% of Independents, and 8% of Republicans said that political violence can sometimes be justified. While this is clearly a minority belief, it is enough to cause real havoc in our country. Whatever we may have thought about Charlie Kirk’s views, he was clearly a talented organizer, an effective communicator, and very instrumental in engaging young adults in the political process. Most important, he did not hide behind his podcast, but was willing to publicly debate with those who disagreed with him and was willing to speak at places where more progressive elements would not offer him a warm reception.  

What is going on with us now? The diabolical is always about dividing and scattering; the Holy Spirit is about unity, about bringing people together, about finding commonality. Concretely, what might we do as people of faith to help heal the divide in our city, our country, and our world? Well, our current state of affairs leaves open many possibilities; but let me simply suggest two.

The Immigration Ministry of the Archdiocese has been sponsoring a series of presentations on the religious basis for welcoming marginalized persons in our community. One of those presentations is taking place in Assumption’s Parish Hall on Thursday, October 9 at 7:00pm. The presenter is Steven Millies. His presentation sounds very timely. It is titled “Being Bridges: Friendship amid grief and anguish, joy and hope.” Dr. Millies is Professor of Public Theology at Catholic Theological Union (where the Pope went to school). He is the author of an award wining biography of the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin entitled Seeking Common Ground, and is at work on a book on the role of the Catholic Church in the modern constitutional state. Chicago has faced lots of challenges over the past five years in welcoming the marginalized. First, there was the rapid growth of the unhouse population during COVID, then the busloads of mostly Venezuelan migrants arriving pall-mall in Chicago, overrunning shelters and creating tent cities outside of police stations. In finding shelter for new arrivals who (unlike previous waves of immigrants) had no family connections in Chicago, unhoused people in Chicago who had been waiting for months and years for shelter felt further marginalized. Now there is the stepped up activating of ICE agents, who in theory are going after “the worst of the worst” criminals but all too often seem to be grabbing people who have families and jobs and are no great threat to the country. This has created fear and uncertainty throughout our city. It will be interesting to hear what Steven Millies ahs to offer us as people of faith, as we seek to respond this very complex challenge. Come and listen.

Another movement that is gaining traction in the faith community is called “Project Prayer at Noon.” Their website states, “Our mission is to create common ground in a divided world by pausing together each day at noon to pray for justice and understanding. Though we may differ in belief or approach, we stand united in spirit—humanizing one another through shared prayer and building a movement of solidarity, healing, and hope.  . . . We believe that when people pause together daily at noon—across backgrounds, borders, and beliefs—we can shift not only individual hearts but also the dynamics shaping our world. The power of collective intention and reflection can inspire understanding, heal division, an create momentum for justice.”

So, the idea is just stop at noon and pray in whatever manner is most comfortable to us. Will our prayer change the course of world events? Perhaps. But one of the things that always happens when we pray is that we ourselves are changed. We are more in touch with God’s vision of the world; and from God’s perspective, we are all one.  When we start to see others in a different light, we will start acting differently. So, set a reminder for noon and give it a try.

                                                                                                            Fr Joe