By Leela Ramdeen, Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice
The second reading this Sunday (1 Cor 12:31 – 13:13) is most appropriate as we focus on Haiti. We need to “strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts” so that we can build a spirituality of justice in our communities, in our country and in the world.
Our Archdiocese’s Mission Statement makes it clear that that we are building a “civilisation of love”. As St Paul says in 1 Corinthians, without love we have nothing. Love “does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth…Love never fails.” Many great sermons have been written about 1 Corinthians. Rev Adrian Dieleman reminds us that there are four words for “love” in the Greek language – one of which is agape.
Rev Dieleman says: “Agape is a ‘giving’ love. It is a love which impels one to sacrifice for the benefit of the other person. This love seeks to give rather than to get. Agape love keeps on loving even when the other person doesn’t respond; agape love keeps on loving without asking for anything in return…Agape love is what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 13. It is agape love which is greater than faith and hope.”
We need agape love to meet the needs of Haitians. Since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti on January 12, journalists, academics and others have been raising the public’s awareness of Haiti’s sad history. As Christians, we cannot rejoice in the “wrongdoing” that has left Haiti in this sorry state. It is difficult for any country to withstand the kind of natural disasters that have adversely impacted on Haiti over the past few years. However, colonial exploitation and corruption of some of Haiti’s leaders/politicians have added to the woes of Haitians, making it the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
And while the current debate rages about who has a moral obligation to lift Haiti out of the depths of poverty, I say that we all have a role to play in the re-building/rehabilitation process. Indeed, it is morally unacceptable for the world to continue looking on in silence while our brothers and sisters there continue to suffer. We are the life-line for the millions of Haitians who are suffering. Our love for them must never fail.
Like thousands of persons around the world, I have signed the “Help Haiti – Drop the debt” online petition (see www.one.org) organised by ONE which is an international, non-partisan campaign and advocacy organisation committed to fight extreme poverty and preventable disease. The petition reads:
“Dear Finance Ministers, IMF, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and bilateral creditors, As Haiti rebuilds from this disaster, please work to secure the immediate cancellation of Haiti’s $1 billion debt and ensure that any emergency earthquake assistance is provided in the form of grants, not debt-incurring loans.”
As ONE says: “This is a time for all of us to be reminded of our common humanity and do all that we can to help… Haiti needs a sustained international effort as it seeks to recover from this earthquake. The current outpouring of support is encouraging, and now we need to cancel Haiti’s debt so the country can start its recovery without the burden of debts it won’t be able to pay. In addition we must be vigilant that new aid doesn’t come in the form of loans that would create new debt for Haiti.”
You may wish to sign this petition also. Let us all continue praying and giving generously to the relief effort. The Daughters of St. Paul, Boston, USA, are offering a free book of prayers for victims of the Haitian earthquake (see: http://www.pauline.org/FreeEbookofPrayersforHaiti/tabid/375/Default.aspx.
The book, A World on Its Knees: Praying for and With Our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti was compiled by Sister Kathryn James Hermes, Franciscan Sister of Peace, and produced by Pauline Books and Media, the publishing house of the Daughters of St. Paul. The prayers can be used “in bulletins, prayer groups, parishes or in the silence of your own heart.”
Send feedback to: ccsjfeedback@gmail.com. To purchase: The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Take a Bite social justice programme on DVD, and the Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching, contact CCSJ at 622-2691 or 290-1635.
