March 15. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  Nicholas came up with some awkward questions.  “Should prisoners have rights, or soldiers on each side in a war?  Do rights only apply to good people, or also to those who have done something wrong, or if we disagree with someone?  I think that can be difficult in a family too.  After all rights come from being created in the image of God, which we all are.” Mrs Meyer thought to herself of her son and others, even priests, in prison for sexually abusing a child. She found it hard to forgive her son for the abuse and thinking about the family of the child made her wonder even more how they could be forgiving.            

Reflect, share and act. Scripture: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  Matthew 5:43-48.  Catholic Charter of Family Rights 9d.   The rights and necessities of the family, and especially the value of family unity, must be taken into consideration in penal legislation and policy, in such a way that a detainee remains in contact with his or her family and that the family is adequately sustained during the period of detention.  Pope Francis:  JUBILEE. The first sign of hope should be the desire for peace in our world, which once more finds itself immersed in the tragedy of war. Heedless of the horrors of the past, humanity is confronting yet another ordeal, as many peoples are prey to brutality and violence. What does the future hold for those who have already endured so much? How is it possible that their desperate plea for help is not motivating world leaders to resolve the numerous regional conflicts in view of their possible consequences at the global level? Is it too much to dream that arms can fall silent and cease to rain down destruction and death? May the Jubilee remind us that those who are peacemakers will be called “children of God” (Mt 5:9). The need for peace challenges us all, and demands that concrete steps be taken. May diplomacy be tireless in its commitment to seek, with courage and creativity, every opportunity to undertake negotiations aimed at a lasting peace. SNC 8. I propose that in this Jubilee Year governments undertake initiatives aimed at restoring hope; forms of amnesty or pardon meant to help individual (offenders) regain confidence in themselves and in society; and programmes of reintegration in the community, including a concrete commitment to respect for law. Choose an act of love and sacrifice from the list, also published at www.marfam.org.za    Pray to Mary, Queen of Peace.