First Sunday of Lent: Casting Your Burdens Upon the Lord
BY MONIQUE TRUSCLAIR MADDOX | February 18th, 2024
Today’s readings
versión en español
Leaving Palm Sunday Mass in April 2016, a headline appeared on my phone as just another newsworthy notification. The NY Times article, written by Rachel L. Swarns, was titled “272 Slaves Were Sold to Save Georgetown. What Does It Owe Their Descendants?” Upon opening the article, I came to read the byline: “In 1838, the Jesuit priests who ran the country’s top Catholic university needed money to keep it alive. Now comes the task of making amends.” I was flooded with rejection, like the flood waters we hear about in today’s first reading from Genesis. It was the deeper understanding of that byline that has formed my last years of grappling with the history of our Church.
These humans who were sold were my ancestors! When I pondered what I would do with this discovery, I reflected on what my Catholic upbringing taught me. I thought back to the famous prayer of St. Francis of Assisi that my parents prominently hung from the wall for all to see as they entered our home. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. If I was to believe that God sees the pain of those who suffer, I knew that my discovery was not in vain.
In today’s second reading, Peter exhorts us that Christ’s suffering was meant to bring us closer to God. Might the suffering I was experiencing be an invitation? If I believed that the sacrament of baptism was washing away the stain and sins of those who come before God, I knew that I too must rely on that very sacrament of baptism to not allow myself to be bound by embarrassment and shame. I knew then that I was called to help our Church toward reconciling with Her own historic harms.
God told Noah and his sons that he would show signs of the covenant bonds between Him and all living beings. When individuals and groups experience systemic harm, covenants are broken. I pray that each of us draw closer to those who have been harmed by our Church so that our collective efforts at reconciliation restore our covenantal relationship with God and with one another. May we be the rainbow over the earth signifying this renewed covenant.
Reflection questions:
- What is holding me back from building a bridge for those who have been harmed by our Church?
- What two people are brave enough to wade with me through these waters of reconciliation?
Monique Trusclair Maddox is the CEO of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation. She is a fifth- and sixth-generation granddaughter of Isaac Hawkins and a fourth-generation granddaughter of Nace Butler, two of the more than 272 men, women, and children who were enslaved by the Maryland Jesuits and eventually sold in 1838 in an effort to save Jesuit missions including Georgetown University from financial ruin.
May you get justice and may truth eventually prevail.
I thing I was in my early teens when the message of exclusion taught by the institutional Roman Church was not the message of the Jewish Messiah. So began my social justice ministry.
At 81 now my goal, with the guidance of the Spirit of Inclusion, as a Spiritual Director is to help folks understand how the have been excluded. Helping them to understand how our own personal exclusions have led us to exclude others. Words like “heathens”, “Jesus killers” “sit in the back” “queer” “intrinsically flawed” some how have the institutional church their mission to “convert”.
Greg Boyle, SJ has an excellent book “Forgive Everyone Everything” in his unique style he gives the reader much to ponder personally.
Forgiveness, must begin within before it goes out.
Thank you for sharing. Beautifully said
I think I was in my early teens when the message of exclusion taught by the institutional Roman Church was not the message of the Jewish Messiah. So began my social justice ministry.
At 81 now my goal, with the guidance of the Spirit of Inclusion, as a Spiritual Director is to help folks understand how the have been excluded. Helping them to understand how our own personal exclusions have led us to exclude others. Words like “heathens”, “Jesus killers” “sit in the back” “queer” “intrinsically flawed” somehow gave the institutional church their mission to “convert”.
Greg Boyle, SJ has an excellent book “Forgive Everyone Everything” in his unique style he gives the reader much to ponder personally.
Forgiveness, must begin within before it goes out.
It can definitely be devastating & heartbreaking finding out our history.
As a mestiza, it’s an internal battle for as much as it was an external one for my ancestors, the Spanish conquistadores & the indigenous of our land .
The negative effects of which are still extremely prevalent today.
It’s comforting to see other people also struggle with this.
I pray & try & stay focused on the healing happening even if it’s not most people at least we are headed in that direction.
It’s hard. This content is much appreciated.
Prayers
Monique, speaking on behalf of Virginia Catholics for Racial Justice, we will wade through these waters of reconciliation with you. We are currently working on a project called The Power of Story in which we are gathering stories of parishioners of the 13 Black Catholic parishes closed in the Diocese of Richmond beginning in the late 1960’s. We understand that the truth must be told before healing and reconciliation can occur. Feel free to reach out to our group and let us know how we can walk with you. If you would like more information about us, you can visit our website at http://www.vcrj.net.
We cannot change the actions of the Jesuits to save their university, but what about our actions now trying the saving our universities facing enrollment shortages? Are we aware of those individuals we are harming in order to cut costs? What should we learn from the past? How should we be responding?
Monique, it breaks my heart that then, as well as now, there were and are Catholics who do not accept that we are all equal and deserving of respect. Growing up in the south in the 50’s, I viewed first hand how badly the Blacks were treated by those who considered the white race to be superior. Although I too am white, the racial injustice became a life long concern for me, and while I believe that there has been progress, unfortunately too many white Catholics still hold what I think of as racist views. I pray, as you do, that the Holy Spirit will lead us to a world in which we love each other as God loves us.