In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Today is the Memorial of Saint Leo the Great. He was a pope of the ancient Church who promoted peace.
God of justice,
Give us a vision of your world as your love would have it:
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- a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor;
- a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them;
- a world where different races and cultures live in harmony and mutual respect;
- a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love.
Today on Day Four of Treaties Recognition Week, we reflect on The Invisible
People. Today’s reflection describes Marilyn Dumont’s school experiences as an Indigenous student, walking into a school for the first time.
This is my first day of school and I stand alone; I look on. Most of the kids know what to do, like they’ve been here before, like the teacher is a friend of the family. I am a foreigner, I stay in my seat, frozen, afraid to move, afraid to make a mistake, afraid to speak, they talk differently than I do, I don’t sound the way they do, but I don’t know how to sound any different, so I don’t talk, don’t volunteer answers to questions the teacher asks. I become invisible.
Consider all of those times you may have felt different and afraid to let your voice be heard. Just like Marilyn Dumont, you may have felt “invisible.” And then think about justice, and how important it is for everyone to be seen and heard so that all may be treated with kindness and respect as members of God’s family. Think about how you can be a source of hope and justice to others as we pray the Treaty Week Prayer.
Let us remember that Indigenous peoples gently walked this land,
Let us remember that Treaties are promises.
Let us respect those promises. Let us remember all of the promises in our lives.
Let us remember that bullying causes pain and hurt.
Let us remember to be kind to everyone.
Let us remember to stick up for someone who is being bullied.
Let us remember to treat others the way we want to be treated.
Let us remember to love our neighbours.
Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.