Deacon Richard P. Limato's guest appearances

Deacon Richard P. Limato

St. Michael's Episcopal Church Sunday Sermons

St. Michael's Sunday Sermons

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Genesis 21:8-21 Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown/ but longed for still/ and his tune is heard on the distant hill/ for the caged bird sings of freedom.”(Maya Angelou’s poem, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, punctuates this sermon.)WOKE has become a politically charged word, but it isn’t a political ideology at all. As I see it, WOKE is a theological imperative.According to Merriam Webster, WOKE means “aware of and actively attentive to important issues of racial and social justice.” As we bookend this week with Juneteenth and Pride Sunday, let’s be clear…WOKE is of Jesus and Kingdom building – being attentive to and responding to issues of racial and social justice. Church is where WOKE comes to life! __________________________________________ _____ “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage/ can seldom see through his bars of rage/ he opens his throat to sing”This is what launches most movements… when people have finally had enough.It certainly powers the Gay Pride Movement.As was common practice in many cities, the New York Police Department would occasionally raid bars and restaurants where gays and lesbians gathered.On June 28, 1969, when the police raided and aggressively dragged patrons and employees out of the Stonewall Inn, people finally had enough. Several people, led by drag queens, fought back, and a growing crowd of angry locals gathered in the streets.The confrontations escalated and sparked six days of protests and violent clashes with the NYPD outside the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street and throughout the neighborhood.By the time the Stonewall Riots ended on July 2, 1969, the gay rights movement went from being a fringe issue to front-page news worldwide.One year later, during the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, activists in New York City marched through the streets of Manhattan in commemoration of the uprising.In time, that celebration came to be known as the Gay Pride Parade.By all accounts, the first New York City event was a stunning success, with an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 participants in the march, stretching 51 blocks from Greenwich Village to Central Park.Marches and parades also occurred in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Gay pride has now become a worldwide event.Happy Pride Sunday, St. Michaels. __________________________________________ _____ Despite this accomplishment, there is still much work to be done.The LGBTQ+ community continues to experience discrimination and violence in their personal lives and places of employment, in access to gender affirming health care and other services, as well as in houses of worship.Younger generations, especially those who are transgender, gender non-conforming, individuals of color, and the disabled, report higher incidents of discrimination and trauma associated with unequal treatment.More than half of our community report hiding a personal relationship. About a 1/3 alter parts of their work and personal lives to protect themselves. We all tend to closet in places we don’t feel welcome and safe.These “caged birds” cry out imploring our help, our affirmation and our welcome as the work of this human rights movement continues on so many fronts. People continue to weaponize scripture to discriminate, to silence our voices, to ban books, to advocate marginalization.Of all the places that discriminate, the people in faith institutions who deny us our rightful place in community cause me the most sadness.We can justifiably honor a time in our own history when gay men and Women of Color came together to rescue this parish from oblivion.In 1976 there was real concern about the future viability of St. Michael’s, attendance was dwindling, and hard decisions needed to be made. Under the leadership of two gay clergyman, the Rector, Fred Hill, and Associate Jeff Gill, the parish became a haven, a refuge for the gay community.As the AIDS crisis unfolded, the St. Michael’s community suffered many losses. Led by their priests, the parish became a safe place for gays to belong, offering welcome, and comfort as they grieved sizable losses which powered many members to do AIDS outreach beyond the parish boundaries.As St. Michael’s reputation grew, a model, if not somewhat unlikely alliance grew between the sizable population of women of color and gay men who formed the heart of the parish at that time.We were in the forefront of celebrating gay marriages soon after the diocesan approval.In faith communities like our own, we can’t become complacent and rest on the pride of our past, our own claims of inclusivity. We need to move beyond inclusivity to create a woke environment where the full measure of a relationship is more than including others – it is nurturing a sense of belonging for all.If we haven’t been clear enough through words, actions, or a lack of response, hear it now.Injustice is morally wrong; it is not of God.Responding to issues of social and racial justice is Kingdom building.Jesus loves all without exception – people of all hues, straight, LGBTQ+ without exception. So don’t let anyone ridicule you for being WOKE.WOKE is the work of our faith.And if you have personal work to do, do the work. __________________________________________ _____ “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams/ his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream /his wings are clipped and his feet are tied/ so he opens his throat to sing.”It has been a personal journey to arrive to this moment. Growing up wasn’t always so easy.I’m Deacon Richard, (HE, HIS, HIM), a gay child of God. Sounds so simple, but there was a time when I lived in fear, afraid to utter those words. Afraid to acknowledge who I am, taught that it was morally wrong, and that life would be better lived it on everyone else’s terms.Denying your own identity is existentially and physically painful.And if there is one message that you hear continually, it is – better stay in the closet.Other kids sensed I was different, so I was sometimes treated disrespectfully – better stay in the closet.Adults picked up on things and sometimes questioned me – better tone that behavior down – better stay in the closet.Everyone around me made fun of anyone “who was that way” – better stay in the closet.My former Church told me my thoughts, my desires, my inclinations were sinful – better stay in the closet.My own “coming out” was painful, but it lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders, I could finally be me. “Coming Out” powered me to live my faith more authentically, to leave one church for another that openly welcomed me.Yet there are still hard times.I wear an LGBTQ badge holder on my hospital ID to make patients, families, and staff feel more comfortable, to know that I am affirming clergy.One day a patient’s family member confronted me about why I was wearing it, angrily telling me it was just wrong. He became so agitated; I left the room. The following day I thought about removing it.Pride is all about not having to remove my LGBT badge holder, not having to stay in the closet anymore for anyone, even those who angrily confront.I’m proud that I represent gay clergy, proud of those who join me and proud of those who are still engaged in the struggle.I’m proud that I feel a sense of belonging in this Church and in this community. __________________________________________ _____“A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends/ and dips his wing in the orange sun rays/ and dares to claim the sky”Yes, I’m Deacon Richard, a gay child of God.Let’s work together to claim the sky for all who are marginalized by others.Happy Pride Saint Michaels!The post June 25, 2023 – Rev. Deacon Richard P. Limato appeared first on Saint Michael's Church.

<a href="https://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp7_RCL.html#ot1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Genesis 21:8-21 </a><a href="https://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp7_RCL.html#ps1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 </a><a href="https://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp7_RCL.html#nt1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Romans 6:1b-11 </a><a href="https://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp7_RCL.html#gsp1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew 10:24-39</a>“The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown/ but longed for still/ and his tune is heard on the distant hill/ for the caged bird sings of freedom.”(Maya Angelou’s poem, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, punctuates this sermon.)WOKE has become a politically charged word, but it isn’t a political ideology at all. As I see it, WOKE is a theological imperative.According to Merriam Webster, WOKE means “aware of and actively attentive to important issues of racial and social justice.” As we bookend this week with Juneteenth and Pride Sunday, let’s be clear…WOKE is of Jesus and Kingdom building – being attentive to and responding to issues of racial and social justice. Church is where WOKE comes to life! __________________________________________ _____ “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage/ can seldom see through his bars of rage/ he opens his throat to sing”This is what launches most movements… when people have finally had <a href="http://enough.It" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">enough.It</a> certainly powers the Gay Pride Movement.As was common practice in many cities, the New York Police Department would occasionally raid bars and restaurants where gays and lesbians gathered.On June 28, 1969, when the police raided and aggressively dragged patrons and employees out of the Stonewall Inn, people finally had enough. Several people, led by drag queens, fought back, and a growing crowd of angry locals gathered in the streets.The confrontations escalated and sparked six days of protests and violent clashes with the NYPD outside the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street and throughout the neighborhood.By the time the Stonewall Riots ended on July 2, 1969, the gay rights movement went from being a fringe issue to front-page news worldwide.One year later, during the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, activists in New York City marched through the streets of Manhattan in commemoration of the uprising.In time, that celebration came to be known as the Gay Pride Parade.By all accounts, the first New York City event was a stunning success, with an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 participants in the march, stretching 51 blocks from Greenwich Village to Central Park.Marches and parades also occurred in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Gay pride has now become a worldwide event.Happy Pride Sunday, St. Michaels. __________________________________________ _____ Despite this accomplishment, there is still much work to be done.The LGBTQ+ community continues to experience discrimination and violence in their personal lives and places of employment, in access to gender affirming health care and other services, as well as in houses of worship.Younger generations, especially those who are transgender, gender non-conforming, individuals of color, and the disabled, report higher incidents of discrimination and trauma associated with unequal treatment.More than half of our community report hiding a personal relationship. About a 1/3 alter parts of their work and personal lives to protect themselves. We all tend to closet in places we don’t feel welcome and safe.These “caged birds” cry out imploring our help, our affirmation and our welcome as the work of this human rights movement continues on so many fronts. People continue to weaponize scripture to discriminate, to silence our voices, to ban books, to advocate marginalization.Of all the places that discriminate, the people in faith institutions who deny us our rightful place in community cause me the most sadness.We can justifiably honor a time in our own history when gay men and Women of Color came together to rescue this parish from oblivion.In 1976 there was real concern about the future viability of St. Michael’s, attendance was dwindling, and hard decisions needed to be made. Under the leadership of two gay clergyman, the Rector, Fred Hill, and Associate Jeff Gill, the parish became a haven, a refuge for the gay community.As the AIDS crisis unfolded, the St. Michael’s community suffered many losses. Led by their priests, the parish became a safe place for gays to belong, offering welcome, and comfort as they grieved sizable losses which powered many members to do AIDS outreach beyond the parish boundaries.As St. Michael’s reputation grew, a model, if not somewhat unlikely alliance grew between the sizable population of women of color and gay men who formed the heart of the parish at that time.We were in the forefront of celebrating gay marriages soon after the diocesan approval.In faith communities like our own, we can’t become complacent and rest on the pride of our past, our own claims of inclusivity. We need to move beyond inclusivity to create a woke environment where the full measure of a relationship is more than including others – it is nurturing a sense of belonging for all.If we haven’t been clear enough through words, actions, or a lack of response, hear it now.Injustice is morally wrong; it is not of God.Responding to issues of social and racial justice is Kingdom building.Jesus loves all without exception – people of all hues, straight, LGBTQ+ without exception. So don’t let anyone ridicule you for being WOKE.WOKE is the work of our faith.And if you have personal work to do, do the work. __________________________________________ _____ “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams/ his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream /his wings are clipped and his feet are tied/ so he opens his throat to sing.”It has been a personal journey to arrive to this moment. Growing up wasn’t always so easy.I’m Deacon Richard, (HE, HIS, HIM), a gay child of God. Sounds so simple, but there was a time when I lived in fear, afraid to utter those words. Afraid to acknowledge who I am, taught that it was morally wrong, and that life would be better lived it on everyone else’s terms.Denying your own identity is existentially and physically painful.And if there is one message that you hear continually, it is – better stay in the closet.Other kids sensed I was different, so I was sometimes treated disrespectfully – better stay in the closet.Adults picked up on things and sometimes questioned me – better tone that behavior down – better stay in the closet.Everyone around me made fun of anyone “who was that way” – better stay in the closet.My former Church told me my thoughts, my desires, my inclinations were sinful – better stay in the closet.My own “coming out” was painful, but it lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders, I could finally be me. “Coming Out” powered me to live my faith more authentically, to leave one church for another that openly welcomed me.Yet there are still hard times.I wear an LGBTQ badge holder on my hospital ID to make patients, families, and staff feel more comfortable, to know that I am affirming clergy.One day a patient’s family member confronted me about why I was wearing it, angrily telling me it was just wrong. He became so agitated; I left the room. The following day I thought about removing it.Pride is all about not having to remove my LGBT badge holder, not having to stay in the closet anymore for anyone, even those who angrily confront.I’m proud that I represent gay clergy, proud of those who join me and proud of those who are still engaged in the struggle.I’m proud that I feel a sense of belonging in this Church and in this community. __________________________________________ _____“A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends/ and dips his wing in the orange sun rays/ and dares to claim the sky”Yes, I’m Deacon Richard, a gay child of God.Let’s work together to claim the sky for all who are marginalized by others.Happy Pride Saint Michaels!The post <a href="https://www.saintmichaelschurch.org/june-25-2023-rev-deacon-richard-p-limato/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">June 25, 2023 – Rev. Deacon Richard P. Limato</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.saintmichaelschurch.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saint Michael's Church</a>.

June 25, 2023 – Rev. Deacon Richard P. Limato

The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 32:22-31 Psalm 121 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Luke 18:1-8 “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”  Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel is a well-known Jewish theologian and philosopher.  Trained as a scholar in Germany, raised in an intensely pious Chasidic community in Warsaw, his plan was to be a Rabbi serving a small community in Poland. God had other ideas in mind. Rabbi Heschel and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were brought together by a mutual love of the Bible, most especially the Prophets. He joined Dr. King on the march to Selma.  It reminded him of the message of the prophets whose primary concern was social justice, and of his Hasidic ancestors for whom compassion for those who are suffering defined what it meant to be a religious person. I was reminded of Rabbi Heschel as I read today’s parable and prepared to write this sermon – compassion for the suffering of other people defines a religious person. He and the widow in today’s Gospel seem well prepared to answer the question Jesus confronts us with at the end of this passage. “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” I’m not sure how I would answer, are you? If Jesus came today, he would sometimes find me struggling with faith. It’s all too easy to despair, to respond with skepticism. If we look at our world like Prophets yearning for social justice or as religious people seeking compassion for the suffering of others, what do we see?  Poverty and – economic inequality rates remain high; wealth disparities rising faster than inequality in income. Some 19 million adults living in households with insufficient food, 11.9 million behind on rent. The United States continuing to report the highest criminal incarceration rates, nearly 2 million people held in state and federal prisons. Blacks remaining vastly overrepresented in jails and prisons. No dismantling of the mass incarceration system and no widespread systemic reform. Racial and ethnic disparities continuing among the number of youths incarcerated. Black youth more than four times, Latinx youth 1.3 times, tribal youth more than 3 times as likely to be incarcerated as white youth. Drug overdose deaths reaching the highest ever recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic associated with unemployment, alcohol poisoning, and suicide, mostly related to economic insecurity, and mental health challenges. The expulsion of more than 750,000 migrants at our borders, disproportionately targeting Black, indigenous, Latinx people. Migrants seeking sanctuary bussed to other Cities without coordination of their care and satisfaction of their needs. Lawmakers introducing legislation defining voting rights, woman’s reproductive health care, the rights of transgender people, especially transgender children.  Oh, we can go on and on…… climate concerns, senseless war, lack of access to health care, gun violence on our streets and in our schools, the problems seem so pervasive. How many of us knock persistently at God’s door each day and feel it’s to no avail? Sometimes our trust grows weary, wondering if there will be an answer. It’s not at all surprising that it so easy for us to lose heart, so easy to become immobilized. …Then there’s this Gospel. ____________________________________________________ Today’s Gospel first provides a parable that first addresses not losing heart with prayer and ends with a provocative question. “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” It’s a question that seems to leap across Luke’s scripture…from Jesus in this Gospel’s present moment into His Suffering, Death, and Resurrection. And it appears to leap right into our future, our “Moving Forward in Grace.” Perhaps a sign of faith will be our willingness to remain relentless with our prayer, as was the widow who persisted against all odds in her fight for justice. Yet it is not prayer alone, is it? Imagine the vulnerable Widow being told, “So sorry, but our thoughts and our prayers are with you.” How often do we roll our eyes, sigh, or get angry when we hear politicians respond with, “Our prayers and our thoughts are with you?” This parable emphasizes the inseparable connection between prayer and action; and invites us to think about prayer more comprehensively, as dynamic, /active,/and relational. ____________________________________________________ Understanding prayer in this way opens us to live our faith and to see the world as Jesus did. Theologian Marcus Borg clarifies it in this way. Jesus points us to an alternative culture which seeks to make the world more compassionate. It is the drive to build a compassionate world that moved Jesus to touch lepers, to heal, to see ostracized people, as “beloved children of God,” to risk his own life for the sake of others. These are actions of divine grace. The word Jesus uses most often to describe this divine grace is compassionate. The pastoral ministry of the Church, our “Moving Forward in Grace”, must enliven divine grace. We must be willing… to touch, /to heal, /to see, /to risk, /to respond with compassion to the suffering in our community – our City, our Nation, and our World. We must be like Jesus, bearers of divine grace, people of compassion. There’s plenty we can do.  Let’s begin by recommitting to our Baptismal Covenant to respect the dignity of every human person, /believe in our own worth /and treat others with great respect. Find ways to promote the common good. Tackle social justice issues in our own backyard. Get involved in civic issues. Remaining silent isn’t an option when profoundly human, ethical, religious issues are at stake. Vote responsibly, support candidates through volunteer efforts or donations, and speak out on those matters that affect the lives of the most vulnerable and powerless. Recognize and counter the violence that comes in many forms; Oppression of the poor, deprivation of rights, exploitation, neglect, abuse of the aged, the helpless, harm done to God’s Creation.  Keeping our prayers alive with action, /not just good intentions, or petitions, /incarnates our faith here on earth, it builds the reign of God. _______________________________________________ When Rabbi Heschel returned from Selma, he wrote, “The march from Selma to Montgomery was about protest and prayer.  Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs.  Even without words, our march was worship.  I felt my legs were praying.” It all reminds me of these centering words attributed to Teresa of Avila who we commemorated yesterday: “Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which to look for Christ’s compassion in the world.  Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.  Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.   Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.   Christ has no body on earth but yours.”  When the Son of Man comes will he look at us and find this same faith in our lives?  The post October 16, 2022 – The Rev. Deacon Richard P. Limato appeared first on Saint Michael's Church.

The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost <a href="http://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Pentecost/CProp24_RCL.html#ot2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Genesis 32:22-31 </a><a href="http://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Pentecost/CProp24_RCL.html#ps2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Psalm 121 </a><a href="http://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Pentecost/CProp24_RCL.html#nt1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 </a><a href="http://lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Pentecost/CProp24_RCL.html#gsp1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luke 18:1-8</a> “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel is a well-known Jewish theologian and philosopher.  Trained as a scholar in Germany, raised in an intensely pious Chasidic community in Warsaw, his plan was to be a Rabbi serving a small community in Poland. God had other ideas in mind. Rabbi Heschel and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were brought together by a mutual love of the Bible, most especially the Prophets. He joined Dr. King on the march to Selma.  It reminded him of the message of the prophets whose primary concern was social justice, and of his Hasidic ancestors for whom compassion for those who are suffering defined what it meant to be a religious person. I was reminded of Rabbi Heschel as I read today’s parable and prepared to write this sermon – compassion for the suffering of other people defines a religious person. He and the widow in today’s Gospel seem well prepared to answer the question Jesus confronts us with at the end of this passage. “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” I’m not sure how I would answer, are you? If Jesus came today, he would sometimes find me struggling with faith. It’s all too easy to despair, to respond with skepticism. If we look at our world like Prophets yearning for social justice or as religious people seeking compassion for the suffering of others, what do we see? <ul> <li>Poverty and – economic inequality rates remain high; wealth disparities rising faster than inequality in income.</li> <li>Some 19 million adults living in households with insufficient food, 11.9 million behind on rent.</li> <li>The United States continuing to report the highest criminal incarceration rates, nearly 2 million people held in state and federal prisons.</li> <li>Blacks remaining vastly overrepresented in jails and prisons.</li> <li>No dismantling of the mass incarceration system and no widespread systemic reform.</li> <li>Racial and ethnic disparities continuing among the number of youths incarcerated. Black youth more than four times, Latinx youth 1.3 times, tribal youth more than 3 times as likely to be incarcerated as white youth.</li> <li>Drug overdose deaths reaching the highest ever recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic associated with unemployment, alcohol poisoning, and suicide, mostly related to economic insecurity, and mental health challenges.</li> <li>The expulsion of more than 750,000 migrants at our borders, disproportionately targeting Black, indigenous, Latinx people. Migrants seeking sanctuary bussed to other Cities without coordination of their care and satisfaction of their needs.</li> <li>Lawmakers introducing legislation defining voting rights, woman’s reproductive health care, the rights of transgender people, especially transgender children.</li> </ul> Oh, we can go on and on…… climate concerns, senseless war, lack of access to health care, gun violence on our streets and in our schools, the problems seem so pervasive. How many of us knock persistently at God’s door each day and feel it’s to no avail? Sometimes our trust grows weary, wondering if there will be an answer. It’s not at all surprising that it so easy for us to lose heart, so easy to become immobilized. …Then there’s this Gospel. ____________________________________________________ Today’s Gospel first provides a parable that first addresses not losing heart with prayer and ends with a provocative question. “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” It’s a question that seems to leap across Luke’s scripture…from Jesus in this Gospel’s present moment into His Suffering, Death, and Resurrection. And it appears to leap right into our future, our “Moving Forward in Grace.” Perhaps a sign of faith will be our willingness to remain relentless with our prayer, as was the widow who persisted against all odds in her fight for justice. Yet it is not prayer alone, is it? Imagine the vulnerable Widow being told, “So sorry, but our thoughts and our prayers are with you.” How often do we roll our eyes, sigh, or get angry when we hear politicians respond with, “Our prayers and our thoughts are with you?” This parable emphasizes the inseparable connection between prayer and action; and invites us to think about prayer more comprehensively, as dynamic, /active,/and relational. ____________________________________________________ Understanding prayer in this way opens us to live our faith and to see the world as Jesus did. Theologian Marcus Borg clarifies it in this way. Jesus points us to an alternative culture which seeks to make the world more compassionate. It is the drive to build a compassionate world that moved Jesus to touch lepers, to heal, to see ostracized people, as “beloved children of God,” to risk his own life for the sake of others. These are actions of divine grace. The word Jesus uses most often to describe this divine grace is compassionate. The pastoral ministry of the Church, our “Moving Forward in Grace”, must enliven divine grace. We must be willing… to touch, /to heal, /to see, /to risk, /to respond with compassion to the suffering in our community – our City, our Nation, and our World. We must be like Jesus, bearers of divine grace, people of compassion. There’s plenty we can do. <ul> <li>Let’s begin by recommitting to our Baptismal Covenant to respect the dignity of every human person, /believe in our own worth /and treat others with great respect.</li> <li>Find ways to promote the common good.</li> <li>Tackle social justice issues in our own backyard.</li> <li>Get involved in civic issues. Remaining silent isn’t an option when profoundly human, ethical, religious issues are at stake.</li> <li>Vote responsibly, support candidates through volunteer efforts or donations, and speak out on those matters that affect the lives of the most vulnerable and powerless.</li> <li>Recognize and counter the violence that comes in many forms; Oppression of the poor, deprivation of rights, exploitation, neglect, abuse of the aged, the helpless, harm done to God’s Creation.</li> </ul> Keeping our prayers alive with action, /not just good intentions, or petitions, /incarnates our faith here on earth, it builds the reign of God. _______________________________________________ When Rabbi Heschel returned from Selma, he wrote, “The march from Selma to Montgomery was about protest and prayer.  Legs are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered songs.  Even without words, our march was worship.  I felt my legs were praying.” It all reminds me of these centering words attributed to Teresa of Avila who we commemorated yesterday: “Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet but yours.  Yours are the eyes through which to look for Christ’s compassion in the world.  Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.  Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.  Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.  Christ has no body on earth but yours.” When the Son of Man comes will he look at us and find this same faith in our lives? The post <a href="https://www.saintmichaelschurch.org/october-16-2022-the-rev-deacon-richard-p-limato/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">October 16, 2022 – The Rev. Deacon Richard P. Limato</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.saintmichaelschurch.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saint Michael's Church</a>.