Catholic Commission for Social JusticeBy Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI
Which one of you did not weep at the heart-rending cries of Veena Subar, the inconsolable mother of 13-year-old Videsh Subar, when she saw the dead body of her only child – his hands tied behind his back and his throat slit? She had conceived him after trying for 14 years.
By Leela Ramdeen, chair, CCSJ (http://rcsocialjusticett.org) & Director, CREDI
“Just as the tabernacle lamp always remains lit in your majestic cathedrals or humble chapels, so your flock must always be able to see in your eyes the flame of the Risen Christ.” Pope Francis to Bishops, 2014
I share with you an extract from the message I sent to Msgr Clyde Harvey on June 23: “On behalf of members of CCSJ and on my own behalf, I congratulate you most sincerely on your appointment by the Holy Father as Bishop-elect for the Diocese of St George’s, Grenada.
By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ (http://rcsocialjusticett.org) & Director, CREDI
On Friday, June 23 the world observed International Widow’s Day. It was first celebrated in 2011 “in an effort to empower widows and help them regain their rights, which have long been ignored and violated. After their husbands have passed, many widows are forced to fight for their human rights and overcome many obstacles to ensure their social and economic development. It is estimated that there are over 245 million widows worldwide, nearly half of which live in extreme poverty and are subject to cruel violence. Vast numbers of women are widowed due to armed conflict. It is estimated that 7–16% of all adult women in the world are widows.” (www.wincalendar.com).
“If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the Church door, you will not find Him in the Chalice.” (St John Chrysostom)
Every Corpus Christi we are reminded that “Holy Mass… concludes with the sending forth of the faithful, so that they may fulfill God’s will in their daily lives.” (CCC 1328–32). The Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life,” (CCC1324) is a call to action; it is inextricably linked to social justice.
“The feast of the Most Holy Trinity invites us to commit ourselves in the everyday events in order to be the leaven of communion, of consolation, and of mercy.“ (Pope Francis)
Today, Sunday, we celebrate the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. We are reminded that having been baptised: “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” we are part of the Family of God; we are interdependent and are supposed to use our various gifts to build the common good, and to demonstrate that love is at the heart of the Trinity.