Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 10, 2013

Greetings!,

 

Below, you'll find a reflection for today, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, by Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace and author Tom Cordaro.

 

We have also set up a page for Lent 2013 on the site where we will archive reflections throughout the season and organize additional resources for individuals and groups, including prayers, prayer services, action opportunities--including Pax Christi International's Bread is Life campaign, and information on undertaking a Way of the Cross event for Good Friday. You can find the page by clicking here.

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REFLECTION FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

By Tom Cordaro

 

Joshua 5:9-12 | 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 | Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

 

"This brother of yours was lost but now is found." Reflecting on immigration reform and reconciliation...

 

The readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent remind us that reconciliation is at the core of our call to discipleship. St. Paul calls us to be ambassadors of Christ in the ministry of reconciliation and the story of the Prodigal Son reminds us that the desire for reconciliation is at the very heart of God.

 

It is hard to think of many other areas of social policy that are more in need of the practice of reconciliation than the debate on fixing our broken immigration system. The hateful language often used to describe undocumented immigrants, the attempts to sow fear and suspicion towards them and the scapegoating of immigrants for everything from terrorism to high unemployment has created divisions in the Body of Christ.

 

Reconciliation is needed to heal the divide between citizen and undocumented immigrant members of our Church. As the joint statement from our U.S. and Mexican bishops point out, "Part of the process of conversion of mind and heart deals with confronting attitudes of cultural superiority, indifference, and racism; accepting migrants not as foreboding aliens, terrorists, or economic threats, but rather as persons with dignity and rights, revealing the presence of Christ; and recognizing migrants as bearers of deep cultural values and rich faith traditions."...

 

In Christ's peace,

 

Johnny Zokovitch

Director of Communications, Pax Christi USA


P.S. To see more resources for Lent, visit us at http://paxchristiusa.org/programs/lent/.