Seventh Day of Christmas: Day to Take Stock

It hasn't taken long for the "Christmas Sales"signs to be replaced by "Stocktake Sales" in the major stores around our cities.These sales are basically incentives to add to our consumer appetite at bargain prices

Today can also be a great day to "take stock" of life as the year draws to a close. Our new year resolutions are best informed by the reflection of the previous year.

The ABC 2011 review reminds us of the joys and hopes the grief and anguish of our planet. Yet this review failed to celebrate the Nobel Peace Prize 2011 award to Ellen Johnson, Sirleaf Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkol Karman  "for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work".


Also missing  from the review was any reference to the major religious events of 2011.The significance of the World Day of Prayer for Peace in Assisi should not be ignored nor the work of the World Council of Churches. However the growing awareness of the history and clerical silence of  of  clergy sexual abuse in my own Catholic Church is a scandal that will continue to undermine the authority of its leadership. This scandal with the current political climate of the papacy in Rome has left me distanced from the Church which nurtured my youthful dreams for a just world.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-15/the-protester-named-time27s-person-of-year/3731962

Today is a day to take stock of core values and commitments. For me this means I no loner align myself with the Catholicism of my family and ancestors. It means I place my commitment in small communities such as L'Arche, in the activism of groups like Amnesty International and Oxfam, in the commitment of NGOs like Micah Projects and Palms Australia to bring about social change.

When I take stock of my core values I recognize my duty to use social networking tools for raising awareness of justice and peace concerns and building solidarity with those who occupy our cities for the cause of justice.

I invite you to share the story of your "stocktake" of 2011