Domestic Violence, Disabilities, Gather Us In

For the third Sunday in a row, someone from my parish's Peace & Justice Committee right before the announcements spoke out against domestic violence. This past Sunday, the Peace & Justice member addressed any abusers in the congregation and told them where to get help, so they can change their behavior.

Very good that this issue is being addressed since domestic violence is often a secret. Nothing has been said about this being Respect Life Month except to pick up the baby bottles to fill with spare change. However, abortion is a form of domestic violence.

Our cardinal did write a letter in our bulletin about Respect Life Month with an emphasis on welcoming and helping our neighbors with disabilities.

I'm not sure who wrote the following hymn, but I thought of it for this post because of the second stanza:

Gather Us In Lyrics
Here in this place, new light is streaming
now is the darkness vanished away,
see, in this space, our fears and our dreamings,
brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in the lost and forsaken
gather us in the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken
we shall arise at the sound of our name.

We are the young – our lives are a mystery
we are the old – who yearns for your face.
we have been sung throughout all of history
called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in the rich and the haughty
gather us in the proud and the strong
give us a heart so meek and so lowly
give us the courage to enter the song.

Here we will take the wine and the water
here we will take the bread of new birth
here you shall call your sons and your daughters
call us anew to be salt of the earth.

Give us to drink the wine of compassion
give us to eat the bread that is you
nourish us well and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy and hearts that are true.