World Human Rights Day

With the OCCUPY Movement dominating headlines for months and causing a welcome and non-welcome stir across the nation, talk of human rights is certainly a topic that provokes reflection and discussion. Since 1950, December 10th has been observed as World Human Rights Day as a way of keeping alive the Universal Declaration of Human Rights promulgated by the United Nations on this date in 1948. For the past two years this declaration has been the basis of the Marist Advent Prayer Book distributed world wide by the Marist International Solidarity Fund. This year's theme is non-discrimination, relating to Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Children from our Marist World describe the experiences of discrimination, bullying, taunting and disrespect that have both hurt them and yet caused them to grow into more caring and compassionate persons. The stories told by these children are appalling and reveal that the rights of children are still being violated by the harshness, rudeness, and disregard of others in spite of the declaration of their rights.
Our Advent prayer can turn into action as we review our attitudes, thoughts and words in which subtle or even overt expressions of prejudice, discrimination and disrespect still linger. These might be the hills we attempt to level, the valleys that need to be filled, to make straight "a highway for our God." (Is 40: 3). Lord, cleanse my heart and my lips that I may be freed of prejudice, discrimination and unkindness so that I may help bring healing whose rights and dignity have been violated. Amen.
Bro. Rene