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Bobby Kennedy/Barack Obama-Hope
A Tribute To Robert F. Kennedy
Had he lived just imagine what our world would have been like today.
HISTORY, WE NEED TO PRAY FOR OBAMA AND HIS PROTECTION, AND THE BEST FOR OUR COUNTRY.
Book Announcement!!!
The Power of Forgiveness
St. Matthew 6:12
There comes a time in our lives when we wish we could take back or change some of the things that we have said or done. In this world of ours it is easy to see that the major cause of conflict is as an unwillingness to extend forgiveness. The lack of forgiveness can cause so many problems to arise and even cause individuals to develop a hatred for one another, divorce, family problems, and violence. This brings us to the word forgiveness, which means “to send forth, to send away, to remit.”
Forgiveness is a form of realism and an aspect of humanity that allows us to see our lives as they really are. Forgiveness becomes a sign of positive self-esteem that allow us to put the past into proper perspective. We no longer identify ourselves by the past injustices and offenses committed against us. Yet, it does not deny, minimize, or justify what others have done to us, or the pain and suffering we have experienced from the offense. Each of us has been hurt at one time or another, and each of us has hurt others. Therefore, just as all of us must forgive, so all of us need to be forgiven. Without true forgiveness there can be no peace, no justice, and no unity. Forgiveness allows us to look squarely at old wounds and scars and see them for what they are. It is a way of releasing ourselves from the pain and suffering we have experienced at the hands of others. Forgiveness can heal individuals, families, marriages, communities, and even entire nations.
In the event of wrongdoing a relationship develops between the transgressors and the victim. This relationship always demands a resolution. Otherwise, forgiveness becomes the difficult and incomplete process which is our present experience; in this instance we have three options.
First option is restitution (payment); this is made the victim b the transgressor. Second option is retaliation; the victim avenges himself or herself against the transgressor. Third option is forgiveness; consequently it brings about clemency, mercy, compassion, and amnesty to the relationship. As merciful and compassionate as it sounds, for some forgiveness will not be an easy task to undertake. It is not going to be easy for the victim to gather the disposition to forgive. Even when finally done, the matter that was forgiven often finds a way to linger and evoke strong negative feelings. The transgressor on his or her part many times finds it difficult to accept forgiveness.
Jesus tells us in St. Matthew 6:12, 14-15 to pray saying; “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Those who come before the Father unwilling to forgive others cannot expect him to show them love and mercy. God will not show them mercy and love that they will not extend to others. If we can find it within ourselves to forgive others when they offend us then our heavenly Father will forgive us.
Jesus compares our sins (offenses) to debts. We have violated our obligation of being obedient to God, and this exposes us to the penalty that results from that violation. To teach us the lesson of forgiveness, God bases how he forgives us by the forgiveness we extend to others. In other words, we must have a ready heart and a willingness to forgive and forget the offenses. When we put Christ’s command into practice by forgiving, it creates a ripple effect that can touch thousands of lives and even affect the course of history.
To forgive is not just a command of Christ; it is the key o reconciling all that is broken in our lives and relationships. We must forgive even if the offender does not ask to be forgiven. The next statement may be difficult to accept, but we must treat the one who has injured or offended us with kindness, not harboring any grudges. Why should one act this way when it goes against human nature?
First o all it produces peace-peace with self, peace with fellow man, and most importantly peace with God. Secondly, it sets the example for the offending individual and for everyone else to understand what God considers right and proper. If you find that you are having a problem with forgiveness, it probably because you cannot find any other way to see the wrong differently. This remains true because it is the state in which most of us live in. To forgive is to set one free, to acknowledge that it does no good to hate or to hold grudges. Hate really destroys both the other person and yourself by bridging a gap between both parties. Whereas hate only multiplies hate, violence only multiplies violence, and toughness only multiplies toughness in a destructive manner. When we forgive we set ourselves free from the demon of bitterness and hatred. We also set loose the power of love in the world and throughout all of humanity.
The power to forgive lies within us; Jesus offered his disciples the “Keys to the kingdom.” We (humanity) hold that key of forgiveness in our hands and it’s up to us to choose whether or not to use it. Christ wants to use our hands, wounded as they may be, to extend his forgiveness to the world. Will they be closed or outstretched like his? So many of us fail to realize is that forgiveness is a doorway to peace and happiness, not that we are wrongdoing, but overcoming the evil inside us and in our world with love. Forgiveness then becomes a possibility and a reality in our lives and throughout mankind, but it’s going to take time and much hard work from both parties before it is finally achieved.
In St. John 23:34; we find Jesus hanging on the cross and bleeding from his wounds he had suffered from his transgressors. As he looked down from the cross at them who had crucified him, abandoned him, lied on him, betrayed him, beaten him, and those who had denied him he replied with words that have echoed throughout the centuries “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Remember To Say A Prayer For Darfur
St. Matthew 5:4
The crisis in Darfur, in western
The conflict in
President Omar El Bashir's of the Sudanese government in
The Janjaweed, a ruthless band whose name means "devils on horseback", have murdered and forced millions of Darfuris to flee their homes for crowded refugee camps, where they continue to suffer extreme deprivation, disease and continued violent attacks.
Many refugee families are headed up by women with no form of income, as the men have been killed trying to defend their homes and villages. There are also many orphans who have lost or been separated from their parents during attacks. Large parts of
This conflict will not be solved quickly in
In the meantime what can you and I do to help? As Christians we should not just carelessly stand by and watch while innocent people continue to face inhuman suffering and death.
In the midst of all this suffering, Jesus is calling us to examine ourselves. He commands us to let His Spirit search our hearts and show us where we are wrong. We must be Christ like and envision a world in which the Christian community is willing and able to protect civilians from genocide and mass atrocities. Our mission should be to empower individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop the suffering. Our primary focus now is on the
The teachings of Jesus Christ are simple today as they were over 2,000 years ago, but are very much needed during this critical time in our society.
A Prayer For Peace
Send Thy peace O Lord, which is
perfect and everlasting,
that our souls may radiate peace.
Send Thy peace O Lord, that we
may think, act and speak harmoniously.
Send Thy peace O Lord, that we
may be contented and thankful for
Thy bountiful gifts.
Send Thy Peace O Lord, that we may be
able to do good towards our fellowman
and all of humanity in Love.
Send Thy peace O Lord, that amidst
our worldly strife, we may enjoy Thy bliss.
Send Thy peace O Lord, that we
may endure all, tolerate all, in the thought of
Thy grace and mercy.
Send Thy peace O Lord, that our lives
may become a Divine vision and in Thy light,
all darkness may vanish.
Send Thy Peace O Lord that all wars may come
to an end and harmony pass through the earth.
Send Thy peace O Lord, Our Father and All Mighty creator,
that we Thy children on Earth may all
unite in one family.
We ask all of this in the mighty and precious name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. AMEN
There is no poem that will stop this war
This is not the one. There is none. There is
nothing to be done. We are not anything but
the Hun the fierce images in old textbooks
the Mongol horsemen rape and pillage
villages burning and the laughter of old men.
The radio and television prepare us
for the Super Bowl. But already in
we are number one. All of us better
than all of the rest of the world. Admit it
it was the perfect game. Allah praise
And admit this all who listen to NPR
the president is smarter than you.
He is riding the armored car of history while you
look for a refuge some safe place for your children.
But there is no place to hide. We are the virus.
Everything that cannot be bought and sold
for a profit falls before us. He knows this
even if you believe he is a fool. He lives and breathes
Karl Marx while you hold up a sign that says
Peace is Patriotic. The laughter of old men.
There is no image to stop the war. No child
with burned blacked skin like barbecued chicken.
The children waste away from bad plumbing and no
medicine. We pass along to each other the chips
and organic carrots. Bottled water.
There is no poem as good as government ensured
bonds. We are wounded with so little interest. There
is no poem that will pay us ten percent and stop
this war. The Germans marched prematurely
through history never understanding the power
of the dollar never having heard of Lexus and SUV
never knowing anything about baseball never
knowing that the Yankees only lose enough
to make the game seem fair.
in the memory.
and Burger King. Bombs from 20,000 feet.
The first dictate of battle is to make sure
the enemy has no weapons to harm you.
Disable their best batter. Tonya Harding their best runner.
Then attack and wait for the parade. But dont wait
for the poem that will stop this war. There is none.
The history of the empire has just begun.
Joe Napora
Let America Be America Again
By Langston Hughes
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."
The free?
Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.
O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!
From The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Copyright © 1994 the Estate of Langston Hughes.
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