Day 1: The Image of God
"[B]ecause all humans share a common origin, they are all brothers and sisters, all equally made in the image of God. When this truth is ignored, the consequence is prejudice and fear of the other, and—all too often—hatred." - Open Wide Our Hearts, USCCB, 2018

• As a child, Daryl Davis was the victim of a racist attack while he carried the American flag in a Boy Scout parade.  That experience caused a question to form in his head: "How can you hate me without even knowing me?" To find an answer, Daryl has spent the last 20 years befriending members of a white supremicist hate group. Through his patient efforts, he has counseled over 200 people out of the group. "I am a muscian," Daryl says,  "not a psychologist or socialogist.  If I can do this, anyone can."
• As you begin this 21 day challenge, what fears or anxieties do you have about what you will discover?  What are you hoping to gain from this experience? 

Day 2: The Love of God
"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." - 1 John 4:19-21

• Julia Greeley is known as "Denver's Angel of Mercy."  In the 1880's, the freed slave was known throughout that city for her piety, mercy, and charity.  Julia often came to visit families at night, when she would not be seen.  She did not want the White families she was helping to be embarrassed to be seen receiving help from a Black woman.  
• Where is God's love "unseen" in our world today?  Where do you see evidence of love, mercy, and compassion?  Where do you see evidence of racial healing, understanding, and reconciliation?

Day 3: Love of Neighbor

"Thus the deepest element of God's commandment to protect human life is the requirement to show reverence and love for every person and the life of every person. This is the teaching which the Apostle Paul, echoing the words of Jesus, addresses to the Christians in Rome: 'The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet", and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (Rom 13:9-10).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          - St. John Paul II, Evangelum Vitae, 1995

• In 1996, Keisha Thomas, a Black teenager, threw herself on top of a man believed to be a member of a White supremicist group in order to protect him from an angry mob. ("The Black Teenager Who Saved a Man with an SS Tattoo")  When she was asked about it later, Ms. Thomas explained that compassion motivated her to act: "I knew what it was like to be hurt. The many times that that happened, I wish someone would have stood up for me." 
• When was a time that you stopped to help a stranger - changed a tire, helped a lost child, gave money to a person who was homeless, etc.?  What motivated you to help him/her?
• Think of a time when you saw a stranger in need, and chose not to stop a help.  What kept you from helping him/her?  How do you feel about your decision now?

Day 4: The Sin of Racism
"Racism comes in many forms. It can be seen in deliberate, sinful acts. In recent times, we have seen bold expressions of racism by groups as well as individuals. The re-appearance of symbols of hatred, such as nooses and swastikas in public spaces, is a tragic indicator of rising racial and ethnic animus. All too often, Hispanics and African Americans, for example, face discrimination in hiring, housing, educational opportunities, and incarceration. Racial profiling frequently targets Hispanics for selective immigration enforcement practices, and African Americans, for suspected criminal activity. There is also the growing fear and harassment of persons from majority Muslim countries. Extreme nationalist ideologies are feeding the American public discourse with xenophobic rhetoric that instigates fear against foreigners, immigrants, and refugees. Finally, too often racism comes in the form of the sin of omission, when individuals, communities, and even churches remain silent and fail to act against racial injustice when it is encountered." -  Open Wide Our Hearts, USCCB (2018)

• In his TEDx talk, "What I am learning from my White grandchildren," anthropologist Anthony Peterson says, "We tell children that race is real, but that race doesn't matter. But the opposite is actually true: race is not real, but race does matter."
• Think of the first time you encountered someone of another race, religion, or ethnicity.  How old were you?  What happened? How did the people around you react?
• As a child, were you encouraged to talk openly about racial differences?  How did this shape your understanding about racial, religious, or ethnic differences? 

Day 5: Redemption Through Christ
"Holy Scripture boldly proclaims, 'See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are' (1 Jn 3:1). This love 'comes from God and unites us to God; through this unifying process it makes us a ‘we’ which transcends our divisions and makes us one, until in the end God is ‘all in all’ (1 Cor 15:28). By the work of the Holy Spirit, the Church is called to share with all the world this gift of love. As Pope Francis points out, 'The salvation which God has wrought, and the Church joyfully proclaims, is for everyone. God has found a way to unite himself to every human being in every age.' Through his Cross and Resurrection, Christ united the one human race to the Father." -  Open Wide Our Hearts, USCCB, 2018

• In her 1989 talk to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Sr. Thea Bowman reflected on how our unique cultures are a gift - not a threat - to the unity of the Church: "I come fully functioning to my Church . . .  I bring myself - my Black self. That doesn't scare you, does it?   All that I am, all that I have, all that I hope to become. I bring my whole history, my traditions, my experience, my culture . . . as gift to the Church."  
• What gifts of self do I bring to the family of God, the Church (i.e. my culture, my charisms, my history, my personal spirituality)?  How do these gifts unite me to my brothers and sisters in Christ?
• Do I feel challenged (or even threatened) by other people's gifts to the Church - i.e., ways of worship, prayer, spirituality, history, culture, etc. that are different from my own?  Why or why not?

Day 6: Examen
"What is needed, and what we are calling for, is a genuine conversion of heart, a conversion that will compel change, and the reform of our institutions and society. Conversion is a long road to travel for the individual. Moving our nation to a full realization of the promise of liberty, equality, and justice for all is even more challenging. However, in Christ we can find the strength and the grace necessary to make that journey. In this regard, each of us should adopt the words of Pope Francis as our own: let no one “think that this invitation is not meant for him or her.” All of us are in need of personal, ongoing conversion." -  Open Wide Our Hearts, USCCB (2018)

• The traditional African American hymn, "There is a Balm in Gilead"  is a song about allowing Jesus to heal our deepest wounds.  The chorus consoles us: "There is a balm in Gilead, to make the wounded whole / There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul."
• Look over your prayer journal for this week: When have you felt challenged, angered, saddened or frustrated by the things you learned?  When did you feel  comforted or affirmed? 

Day 7: Commit to Action
"How do we overcome this evil of rejecting a brother or sister’s humanity, the same evil that provoked Cain’s sin? What are the necessary steps that would lead to this conversion? We find our inspiration in the words of the prophet Micah:
'You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.' (Mi 6:8)"      - Open Wide Our Hearts, USCCB (2018)

"Look for Christ our Lord in everyone, and you will then have respect and reverence for all."   - St. Teresa of Jesus (1515-1582)

• The African American spiritual, "Wade in the Water" speaks of how God calls us to trust Him in times of fear and doubt.  The verses recount how God helped his people escape the Egyptian army by dividing the Red Sea; conductors on the Underground Railroad used this song to tell escaping slaves to travel by water, to avoid being tracked by slave catchers. The song reminds us that true conversion requires us to give up what is comfortable and familiar. When we choose to "wade in the water" of God's radical love, we must leave behind any attitudes, beliefs, or actions that hold us captive to sin.
• How can I be more open to see the image of God in every person?  What is one thing I can start (or stop) doing that will help me with this?
• Based on your response to the previous question, create a goal for yourself this week.  (Make sure it is something you can realistically achieve in a week!) 
• What do you need to do each day, to be successful in completing your goal this week?  What change(s) do you hope to see in yourself after completing this goal?
• Ask St. Peter Claver (or your own patron saint) to pray with you this week, as you work toward your goal.

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