Thursday, December 17, 2020

Book Review: "Let Us Dream" By Pope Francis

 


Sharing common goals for human development is at stake when false assumptions permeate around a 'trickle down theory.'

"By making the integration of the poor and the care for our environment central to society's goals, we can generate work while humanizing our surroundings."

"By providing a universal basic income, we can free and enable people to work for the community in a dignified way. By adopting more intensive permaculture methods for growing food, we can regenerate the natural world, create work and biodiversity, and live better."

"Democracy is then reinvigorated by the concerns and wisdom of the people who are involved in it. Politics can once again be an expression of love through service. By making the restoration of our people's dignity the central objective of the post-Covid world, we make everyone's dignity the key to our actions. To guarantee a world where dignity is valued and expected through concrete actions is not just a dream but a path to a better future."

The above statements are quite important because it shows the current disconnect in our Catholic institutions and around the world.

As a parent in a diocese of private schools in extreme poverty I have been subjected to so much ridicule and mistreatment it's sad yet alarming.

My son with a medical disability since birth for life (vater syndrome) was mocked when he graduated high school with a perfect 4 year attendance. As myself being the only female usher and minister of hospitality having served for nearly two years I was met with resistance from the male colleagues and ushers who noted they needed time to come around to this new line of thinking as noted by the vicar after they ripped the collection basket out of my hands in the mid of Sunday mass in the back of the church.

As a mother of soon to be 2 graduates from this private Catholic school my eldest daughter was in the coaches words, "Thrown under the bus" because she took on a newly opened varsity position with two days to learn all the plays for basketball season.

As the Deacon of the Church scoffed at poor women I stood by wondering if he'd offer me a glass of water or cookies as he did the others in front of me as I volunteered for food at our local food bank.

As these holy parishioners and attendees of these private schools congregated and repeatedly asked for donations I wondered where or when my next meal might come from being in extreme poverty and asked if I could be taken off the group chat sessions as I had nothing to offer them in terms of donations as I was in need myself as a single mom.
As I write this having spent 20 yrs volunteering and receiving the Points of Light Award for our nations highest honor by the 41st President of the United States I was told by the President of the United Way local chapter that I came across as 'entitled' for merely requesting a job after being a homemaker for the past 20 years raising three honor roll students with one graduating college, the second graduating high school heading to college, the third graduating elementary headed to high school all for next year (2021).

As a woman who was told I'm no longer a parishioner 11 days after being in attendance for my daughter's Bishop Youth Award acceptance I'm unable to express into words the pain of the Catholic tradition and its current state. 

I've also never seen so many individuals on the outside swear on the Bible they want to help the poor yet when the poor show up begging for food as I did after being homeless I was told I was out of the servicing area having lost my home in divorce.

This was a food bank meant to serve the poor yet would you turn away a mother and three kids if they showed up homeless and hungry on your door?

I've also quit working for my local (Center of Economic Opportunity) a food distribution service event that assisted those in need for Thanksgiving because I was reprimanded for speaking to the recipients as I myself am not only a volunteer but also in extreme poverty.

As my son was removed from SSI/SSP claiming he's now cured and fine after his 18th birthday putting him further into poverty I wonder about the claims made in this book.

As someone working on the front line who has seen heads of businesses and non profits only appear for spotlights and promos aka publicity stunts it saddens me to the core.
This is our America.

I can only pray we change because I've been spit on, kicked around, abused, and denigrated and we need change now.
We need unity not division. We need love not hate. We need worldwide acceptance of one another as one race-The Human Race.

We cannot let our world be controlled by the top 1% any longer as we all must become actively engaged in our local arenas.

Alpha males, narcissists, and the toxic culture we now find ourselves residing in will hopefully changed with the new air of politics in place but it can't come quick enough.
In fact and I quote," Narcissism takes you to the mirror to look at yourself, to center everything on you so that's all you see. You end up so in love with the image you created that you end up drowning in it. Then news is only good if it's good for you personally and if the news is bad, it's because you are its chief victim."

Having divorced a malignant narcissist that left my family tattered and torn in disarray- who is a Deacon- I can tell you that God didn't intend for extramarital affairs, having love children for adopting out before during or after marriage, and for abusing a wife while having their own council state, "You deserved the abuse" while slamming courtroom doors in your face.

This is not nor ever will be the new norm that we currently see as we must all be open and willing to change.

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