An Advent Invitation to Justice and Peace

As the Advent Season of waiting and watchful prayer of our monastic community enters with the whole of the Christian people, good will and peace as was announced by the angelic choirs to the poor shepherds is ever more paramount in our intercessions. The diocese of Monterey is asking for all parishes to take time on the feast of Saint Juan Diego December 9th to keep a holy hour of prayer for our brothers and sisters who are immigrants. The monks here every evening at 5:30 PM till 6:00PM keep a half hour of adoration prayer and all are welcome. As you may know the USCCB has published a pastoral letter to the president and our congress urging a reform of their policy in the treatment of immigrants and to allow for pastoral care ministers to be allowed in the detention centers of ICE, which up till now has not been a realized. Pope Leo has also supported our bishops on this pastoral and spoken on not a few occasions about our responsibilities as followers of Christ. Prayer in a primal support in aiding conversion to the practice of justice and peace. Saint Pope Paul VI, wrote; “If you want peace, then work for justice.” He observed that the two issues are linked in how God graces us to be emissaries and practitioners of these Christian virtues. God is the author of the inspirations that call to our hearts to take action and make real these virtues in all aspects of our relationships. Justice and peace are virtues of participation in Christ’s victory over sin and the causes of death that afflict our spirits and our bodies and minds by the indifference and lack of compassionate practices in society. History is filled with examples, even in the time that Jesus was birthed in Bethlehem. However, we can ponder that this was called the “fullness of time” by Saint John. God, irrespective of the suffering, inhumanity of the Roman empire’s subjugations, could not put off, for God’s will to come among us and immersed himself into humanity’s plight willingly through his embracing of our poverty of body, mind and spirit. What has been set into motion in our universe therefore, our world history is a sacred covenant that relentlessly in the mediation of martyrs, and saints and of Christ himself a thirst for justice and peace the mend and heal. These are the signs that accompany the disciples of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah. Let us rally one another, inspire by simple prayers and actions in our relationships this season to honor the image and likeness within all people we meet strangers, immigrants, family members and even those opposed to us and our faith traditions with a prayer of peace that justice prevail and enlighten all of us to the love of God without discrimination.

Blessings and peace,

Prior Daniel Manger,O.S.B.,Cam.