#BLACK LIVES MATTER

What we are witnessing now is a world burning with the anguish of black dignity denied for too long and black life callously extinguished without repercussion. As it has been said, all lives cannot matter if black lives do not matter. As a community of faith, we cannot look away.

Our faith proclaims the dignity of human life. But we live in a society tainted by deepening divisions. If we are to truly embody the love of God and care for all human life, then we must put the needs of the marginalized first and we must explicitly stand with our brothers and sisters marching and chanting that Black Lives Matter.

The Catholic Social Teaching principle of the preferential option for the poor and oppressed is in fact not optional, but fundamental to our call to be people of justice. Jesus himself announced his mission to be one of liberation and justice for those most vulnerable:

I have come to bring good news to the poor…

Releasing those bound unjustly,

Setting free the oppressed,

Giving sight to those who are blinded with hatred

(Luke 4:18)

As a faith community in the Presentation tradition, we are called to take up the cries that shout "black lives matter." We are called to stand in solidarity with our black sisters and brothers who are broken, bleeding and being murdered. We must be the voice of justice by calling out the plague of racism.

We strive to stand in solidarity with our First Nations sisters and brothers who grieve for their innumerable losses and whose loved ones continue to die in custody. We must stand together in confronting the reality of racism in our society and investigate how we can help to bring about much-needed systemic change, regardless of race or ethnicity.

As Presentation people we are called to continue the mission of Jesus and that of Nano in the cry of those made poor and oppressed. We must bring forth an equitable society founded on universal human rights and economic justice. We must be people of deeds, responding to the needs of our most vulnerable with love and a shared humanity.

Together we pray…

God of Love, we come to you today recognising that in matters of ethnicity we are who we have been made to be. Before you we rejoice at our diversity, and our hearts lift at your great vision of a multitude gathered from every nation, tribe, people and language. But nonetheless we recognise that our present reality is very far from this ideal.

We have each of us been shaped by different forces; some of us have been ground down, whilst others have been built up. Some of us have been worn away, or have become fractured and broken. Some of us have found life a burden rather than a joy. None of us have experienced the perfect life.

God of Justice who loves all people equally, regardless of ethnicity, gender or social status, we come now to recommit ourselves to your vision of the world.

We come now to pray ‘your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven’, and to offer ourselves to live out your coming kingdom of equality and justice in our lives, and in our communities.

May we be people of justice, where each human being is valued, and where equality is a reality in our midst. Forgive us those times where we do not live out our calling as your people.

We pray for our community. Where there is division, may we bring restoration. Where there is inequality may we bring justice. Where there is powerlessness may we lift up the broken hearted. Where there is damage may we bring healing.

We ask this prayer through Jesus your son. Amen

Nano Nagle Pray for Us.

REFUGEE WEEK

The theme of Refugee Week in 2020 is the Year of Welcome. Welcome is about generosity, inclusion, support and a care for others.

The Christian faith is based on the welcoming of others. Jesus himself taught to welcome the stranger. He stood with the most vulnerable in his society and welcomed them into community. Nano was known as a woman of welcoming heart to the needy in her community.

Most times we see the importance of welcoming the stranger and this year particularly we have seen this in the generosity of people who opened their homes to the bush fire victims, through the generosity of our essential workers who risked their lives to help the stranger, and more recently we have seen the goodness of people who have come together in local communities, and opened their hearts to highlighting discrimination and hate.

However, in time of pandemic, isolation and closed borders around the world our response to refugees and asylum seekers has been to shut them out or keep them locked away in fear.

In times of panic and threat, people are often tempted to fear the stranger. We narrow our sphere of care to those most close to us. This reaction may be natural, but if encouraged to continue it is destructive of societies.

Our response as a nation to recent events has been one of welcome and generosity to people we don’t know. However, as we move out of restrictions and back to our routine, it is important to keep our hearts open to people who have been left without family, country and support, and have come to seek asylum from violence and conflict.

It is time to make this year a year of welcome, and make Australia a welcoming nation as it used to be. The need for us to unite in care and outreach to people who seek protection is more important than it has ever been.

Today PCW stood in solidarity with our refugees and asylum seekers with messages of welcome and hope. The students and staff live out the mission of our founder, Nano Nagle through faith in action standing with those in need. To Flourish as Presentation, means that we all flourish together, not one at the expense of the other. This is at the heart of Nano and Jesus’ mission to reach out to those in need with kindness, compassion and hope.

Josie Dilettoso

Director of Faith & Mission

Social Justice