National news heralding the Minneapolis story of Mayor Jacob Frey working with the Muslim community by issuing a noise permit to allow the 5-times daily call to prayer to be broadcast through speakers to thousands. In doing so, worshipers could be united safely through sound, if not by shared space.
Passover, Easter and now Ramadan celebrating this month – in exile.
Who would have imagined sitting Shiva by zoom for our mourning Jewish sisters and brothers? Or live streaming Masses and other Christian services from empty churches? Or sharing a call to prayer not on the steps of mosques, but throughout the streets into neighborhoods?
Ramadan, a month-long daily fast from dawn to dusk, began last Thursday, and ends with three days of feasting with colorful, decorative tables, rich, luscious foods, and joyful, uplifting prayers. Suffering with an end in sight.
Like Passover and exodus and Easter and resurrection. Suffering with an end in sight.
This Jewish mayor in accommodating his Muslim constituents, is bringing to sound a call – perhaps a universal call – 5-times daily to pause, look up to the Almighty, and know there is an end to this coronavirus suffering in sight.
We will be colorful, decorative, luscious, joyful and uplifted – once again!
– Fr. Joe Driscoll
Director of Ministry Formation and Organizational Spirituality for Holy Redeemer Health System
Everyday Redeeming Love is a weekly reflection that will explore and deepen our ways of understanding the Redeemer Charism: God’s gift of the Spirit originating with Blessed Alphonse Maria Eppinger in the founding story, and still moving in every way, in every person, in every encounter, in our emerging stories as a community.