Building Peace with Justice

Building Peace with Justice is a brief, weekly bulletin reflection on Catholic social teaching written by members of a Rochester Diocese Public Policy sub-committee. This is the reflection for June 14, 2009

For the Israelites, no other substance than blood could symbolize the solemnity of their covenant with God. The new covenant, based on love and sealed with Jesus own blood would be ritualized with wine become-blood. To uphold our end of the covenant we need simply to follow Jesus, going from the Eucharist, reaching out to the world as healers.

In the southwestern desert, Catholics gather each year with their bishops to celebrate the Eucharist on either side of a fence separating Mexico from the U.S. They pray for the many people - men, women and children - who will cross the desert looking for work and for government leaders in both countries to find a solution to this crisis that will keep desperate people from dying in the desert.

Reflection: How does the Eucharist call us to respond to the immigration crisis?