Call for debt justice
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Bishop Peter Kihara of the Diocese of Marsabit in Kenya
“...be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Although the things that we are invited to worship today might not look exactly like this “golden image,” there are so many temptations all around us. How do we maintain our focus on the truth?
In an Apostolic Letter, Saint Pope John Paul II comments,
“The great challenge of our time for believers and for all people of good will is that of maintaining truthful and free communication which will help consolidate integral progress in the world. Everyone should know how to foster an attentive discernment and constant vigilance, developing a healthy critical capacity regarding the persuasive force of the communications media.” (The Rapid Development, 2005)
One way to maintain our discernment of the truth might be to come together in community with others in our Church.
Peter Kihara, the Bishop of Marsabit in Kenya, remembers the last ordinary Jubilee in 2000, and the positive way that people came together to read Scripture and reflect on what it meant in their lives.
“Here, in Kenya, many of our dioceses have small Christian communities which can range from about 15 to 20 families… And in the home area, the village where they are, they come together once a week to read the Bible and to share about it.”
If these neighbours find time, despite their many daily hardships, to study Scripture together, perhaps we might also find this helpful, as a path to discernment and an antidote to the fake news and illusory promises all around us.
Prayer
Loving God, may we find ways to seek the truth and build a world that everyone can share. Together with our sisters and brothers, may we create a sense of global community, where each of us cares for all. Amen.
Act
Pope Francis has called for urgent action on the debt crisis in the Jubilee Year, saying, “More than a question of generosity, this is a matter of justice.” Sign the global Church petition.