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January 1 st is celebrated by the Church not only as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, but also as the World Day of Peace… The theme of this year’s World Day of Peace is “No one can be saved alone. Combatting Covid-19 together, embarking together on paths of peace.” Pope Francis reflects on the scripture passage from Thessalonians 5:1-2…
Francis wrote in this message that “certainly after directly experiencing the fragility of our own lives … the greatest lesson we learned from COVID-19 was the realization that we all need one another… We also learned that the trust we put in progress, technology, and the effects of globalization was not only excessive but turned into an individualistic and idolatrous intoxication, compromising the very promise of justice, harmony, and peace that we so ardently sought.” He exhorts us, “We cannot continue to focus simply on preserving ourselves [as individuals]”…
How can we, as a parish, endeavor, in Francis’ words, “to heal our society and our planet, to lay the foundations for a more just and peaceful world, and to commit ourselves seriously to pursuing a good that is truly common”? As we begin this new year, I invite us as a parish community to reflect on how we can work toward pursuing this common good for the sake of our society and our world.
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