Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign welcome to another edition of Big City Catholics. I'm Bishop Robert Brennan, bishop of Brooklyn, serving in Brooklyn and Queens. I'm joined today by Father Alonzo Cox, priest of the diocese, serving in the parish of St. Martin de Porres, which consists of three joined churches and also our director for the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns, and is serving right now as director for our divine worship office. So with an awful lot on his plate, he comes here to join us today, and we find ourselves in the middle of the octave of prayer for Christian unity. So, Father Cox, would you lead us in that prayer?
[00:00:54] Speaker B: Sure. Almighty ever living God, who gather what is scattered and keep together what you have gathered, look kindly on the flock of your son that those whom one baptism has consecrated may be joined together by integrity of faith and united in the bond of charity through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.
[00:01:23] Speaker A: Amen. So welcome to our studio, you might say. We're actually over at the Co Cathedral of St Joseph, where we have all the equipment and are joined with the team from DeSales. And it seems to me that you would imagine the middle week of January is a quiet, uneventful week. It's not quiet at all. In fact, this is a lot of things. There's a confluence of events, a confluence of celebrations and memorials that we bring together, and there's an overarching theme. I'll start with that. That overarching theme is human dignity, the dignity of every human person created in the image and likeness of God. And so we're releasing on Friday. But earlier this week, we had the inauguration of a new president and vice president. And so a whole new team of government is kind of stepping into place, taking up the realm. We see in that all kinds of promises, opportunities and concerns and challenges. And again, as a church, we are not a partisan player in politics. But really what we try to do is to keep in all things consistently to shine the light of the gospel and to live the truth of Jesus Christ in our daily lives and to call our nation to that truth. We marked the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King earlier this week on Monday, and remembered his promise, his hope, his vision. And then, as we come to the later part of the week, on Friday, we have the March for Life in Washington, and people from all around the country will gather in witness to the dignity of human life, particularly praying for an end to the culture that promotes death through abortion. In particular, these days, we come together, remembering the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we know the Dobbs decision, overturning it, but, boy, we still have an awful lot of work to do. So all of those things come together, but they do so in that context of human dignity. Father Cox, we started the week with the. In remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, and we had the mass over at St. Thomas Aquinas in flatlands. Wasn't that a great occasion?
[00:03:47] Speaker B: It was beautiful just to be able to gather and to recall and to remember the legacy of Dr. King. One of the most beautiful aspects of the celebration was seeing so many young people, seeing so many of our ambassadors who came out to continue the mission of proclaiming the good news of Jesus and constantly remembering the witness of Dr. King. That was really such a.
[00:04:10] Speaker A: That the young people, so inspiring. So we also had the children, the choir, the children's choir, Catholic, and they were amazing. They were powerful. And then young people out there in the assembly. But, yes, those ambassadors, what a great credit to our diocese. These young people, who really. They come together, in a sense, to be formed as leaders, but then they live that out, and they live it out through service. Earlier, before we started recording, we were talking about the different service trips and the service trips that they make, but the service they do for us, serving as ushers and servers in all kinds of capacities in the church, and then they head right across the street and they're doing the heavy lifting for serving the food and all of that. But, of course, there were lots of other volunteers from the parish and from the vicariot who do great things. It is inspiring, though. It is, you know, another feast that we celebrated, a favorite of mine on Tuesday, actually, the day we're recording is Saint Agnes. A teenager. A teenager who gave powerful witness. And that was the key, is that these young people give inspiring witness. Father Cox, you preached at the Mass and you were amazing. It was wonderful. I get to work with you a lot. I don't get to hear you preach, and you did a wonderful job. But you spoke about the witness of Dr. King.
[00:05:33] Speaker B: Yeah, Dr. King was a witness. As I said in my homily, he shed his blood, he gave his life. And all throughout his ministry, he wanted to give witness to the tremendous love that God has for all of us, for all of us as brothers and sisters. And he was able to give that example. And we today, 57 years later, we continue to look to him as an example of what it means to promote equality, to be able to preach the reality that we are all created in the image and likeness of God, that we are all brothers and sisters, every year we gather, and particularly since you've been here, we've gathered in the context of Mass. And what a beautiful way for us to celebrate the legacy and the memory of Dr. King than by gathering around the table of the Lord, than gathering around the Eucharist. And it's Jesus who brings us together. It's the Lord who continues to nourish us and to sustain us with his precious body and blood. And we remember how Dr. King called everyone together, no matter what the color of our skin was, but to always look at the content of our character. And what a beautiful way for us to celebrate his legacy than by gathering as a community.
[00:06:41] Speaker A: And his was not a somber vision, but one that was deeply rooted in hope. You spoke about hope. He was witness to hope.
[00:06:49] Speaker B: I guess it's the Holy Spirit, Our Holy Father has started this jubilee year of hope. And as I was putting this homily together, I said, what a beautiful way for us to celebrate Dr. King's birthday in the context of this jubilee year of hope. He was a man of hope. And we are people of hope. And we continue to live that out. We must never lose hope. We must continue to allow Jesus to be at the center of our lives and ultimately to continue to go out and to bring the good news of Jesus to all of our brothers and sisters. And we do that as people of hope.
[00:07:20] Speaker A: You know, of course, that sense of human dignity lies at the center of it all. As this episode of the podcast is released, people from all around the country will be gathering in our nation's capital. I guess maybe there's a part of it that's in protest, but I think a lot of it is, again, in that same sense of witness and in that sense of hope. I always say that march is really an example of, first of all, that we're American citizens. As American citizens, we're really called to take part, to participate in this practice of self government. And so we are exercising not only our rights, but our responsibilities as citizens to stand up for the truth in a similar way to what Dr. King did, to point out that we have that responsibility to witness to the truth and to take part. You know, we're not subjects of a king, but we are in fact partners in the. This grand experiment of self governance. But also we ourselves, we're not the only ones there, but we as Christians are there to bear witness to hope and to the truth, again, of human dignity, that all of us are created in the image and likeness of God. And that becomes the foundation of really all of the church's social teaching, brothers and sisters, seeing first of all, in ourselves, that dignity that comes created in the image and likeness of God. I am, you are. That's great. But also to recognize in every one of our neighbors. And so that, in a sense, becomes a lifelong challenge and a challenge in everything we do, isn't it?
[00:09:05] Speaker B: Absolutely. It brings me back to the image of the young people that I saw on Monday. I haven't been to the March for Life since I was a seminarian. But one of the things that really impressed me about the March for Life is the amount of young people. The Mass at the Shrine is. Is just packed with young people from all over the country. And I think it's a sign of hope that our young people, young adults, even in my own parish, young adults are taking on this responsibility, as you said, to give witness to who they are as disciples. And we see that in Washington. We saw that on Monday, and I see it every Sunday whenever we gather around the table of the Lord. We see how young people and young adults are allowing their faith to be put on display for all to see. And I think it gives me hope to know that our church will continue to flourish and to grow once we're able to go out and to give witness to the truth. The truth of Jesus Christ.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Exactly. You know, you mentioned earlier, Pope Francis, the theme he gave us for the whole year, the Jubilee year, that theme of hope, pilgrims of hope. We're walking together with each other. So even that, that image, if you will, of the different marches and of our walking together, whether it be 57 years ago with Dr. Martin Luther King, whether it be through the ages, whether it be down in Washington for the March for Life. We're walking together as we are through the everyday journey of human life, but we're walking together as pilgrims of hope. And one of the things that Pope Francis really seems to talk a lot about is indifference, that there's a sense of indifference that really is pervasive in the world today. And I think that that indifference comes from different places. So sometimes indifference really is, I'm comfortable. Don't bother me. It's not my problem. Or the contemporary phrase, it's above my pay grade. But that relates to another sense of indifference. You sort of. It's easy to feel powerless or overwhelmed, like, what difference can I make? But this sense of hope and walking together in hope is really a remedy that he proposes to combat indifference, really to pay attention. He talks a lot about listening to one another, listening as Christ the good shepherd listens. You know, what people are saying, but to draw in what the experience is and perhaps what they're feeling, but really to be attentive to one another. Maybe we can't do a lot, but we can all do something.
[00:11:39] Speaker B: Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think that's what Dr. King proclaimed. It's what he preached. Being able to understand and to know that we're not going to solve all the world's problems, but when we come together as a community, when we gather together as a community, not focusing on what makes us different, but being united on what brings us together. To be able to give witness to the truth, to be able to preach the truth. And again, what a beautiful way to put that all together in this jubilee year.
[00:12:07] Speaker A: And that theme of human dignity really informs our approach to everything, to poverty and homelessness, to the reality of mental illness and the problem with the drug culture of today, so many who are suffering in the grip of that, to the reality of crime. And to be able to listen on all sides. Again, we're not trying to be partisan, but really to listen. The Vatican Council speaks of to read the signs of the time. How do you read the signs of the time? By listening, by being attentive, by walking with. Read the signs of the times and interpret them according to the light of faith, not the other way around. But to then bring the truth. And the truth of the gospel isn't always pounding of the fist. The truth of the gospel comes in mercy. The truth of the gospel comes in a helping hand.
[00:12:57] Speaker B: Love for one another.
[00:12:58] Speaker A: Love for one another. You know, it's interesting. I had an interview before Christmas on a local station, and it was good. The people who interviewed were really very good people. But I approached it from this. Okay, this is a couple of days before Christmas. This is like a softball, kind of feel good kind of interview. Well, my goodness, it got right down into the bare bones. But I didn't mind because it gave me a chance to speak about important things. So the first question, and I think it was relating to anti Semitism and again, another form of prejudice, very serious one. But, you know, I was asked, what is your message about tolerance? And I said, I find tolerance almost like a negative word. To me, to tolerate means to put up with.
I think we like to more than to be put up with, you know, that somebody puts up with me, but really to be respected. And so the first level, maybe there's an introductory level of tolerance, but there's something deeper that as human people, all across the spectrum, human people were called to true and profound respect. And that's a higher calling, I think, and really gets to the heart of who we are as individuals. And maybe we don't always agree on different things and we find different ways to express things, but man, oh, man, we do have to see that light, that divine spark of created in God's image and likeness when we look in the eyes of anybody. Now, Christians, what we're called to, whether we always are faithful or not, Jesus calls us to something greater, though, and you just said it. Jesus calls us to love. Not only to tolerate, not only to respect, but to love one another. Even we hear it in the Gospels, to the fact of love your enemy. Love your enemy. Wow.
So that's a tall order in this context. If we can get to respect, I'd.
[00:14:54] Speaker B: Be glad for that.
[00:14:54] Speaker A: I'd be very glad to get to respect. But we always hear the echo of Jesus's call to us really to love one another.
[00:15:02] Speaker B: The greatest commandment. To love one another.
[00:15:04] Speaker A: The greatest commandment. Exactly. In these days, we really do seek that sense of greater recognition of human dignity. You know, we try to build that up in all of our lives, in our faith life and everything like that. Next week, we're going to be celebrating Catholic Schools Week, and. And we know how our Catholic schools are such a gift to the church here in Brooklyn and in Queens, again, forming people, hopefully. Our schools, our academies, we strive to be places where people know and love Jesus Christ, where, again, that sense of human dignity is promoted at every level, at every moment. And so we pray for our schools. This week, I'll have a chance to visit a couple of schools. While Catholic Schools Week is largely about the elementary schools, it really is a celebration of all our schools. You serve on the board of Lachlan High School?
[00:15:54] Speaker B: I do, I do. And it's a great opportunity for me just to be able to be a part of that community, just on a sacramental level. I've been asked to celebrate some of their masses there. And the Christian Brothers do such a phenomenal job at Bishop Laughlin and continuing to promote the teachings and allowing students to continue to grow as disciples. In my own parish, I have a couple of students who graduated from Laughlin and two who are actually current students at Lachlan. And just to be able to be formed in their faith is just a wonderful thing. I'm very happy to be able to serve on the board at Bishop Lachlan.
[00:16:28] Speaker A: It's the high school that, in a sense, is a neighbor, sort of falls right between the cathedral and The Coke Cathedral. It's in the area where I live, so I've had the chance to pop in a few times. Sometimes formally, but sometimes just to be nearby. And it's always, always impressive. Even as I'm making my way from the house to the office, it's not unusual that I'll see the Lachlan uniforms. And you just can be so proud of those young people. One of the things that they boast about is their music program. I am so impressed with this.
[00:17:00] Speaker B: You know, I. I grew up a block away from Bishop Lachlan, and as the New York City Marathon runs right down in between Queen of All Saints and Bishop Lachlan, and as a kid growing up, my parents and I and my sister, we would stand outside Queen of All Saints, and on the other side, where Bishop Lachlan is, there would be the marching band, and they would play the Rocky theme song every year. And it's just. But they have an amazing music program, True Confessions.
[00:17:27] Speaker A: I'm interested in that. I've always scheduled myself. I've had three years, but I've always scheduled myself far away.
Because you kind of blocked in.
[00:17:37] Speaker B: Yep. It's difficult navigating the neighborhood.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: Yeah, but so, like, to be somewhere in Queens or something like that, and to stay overnight. But that said, one year, I think I'd like to box myself in and make my way over to Lachlan. That sounds like an amazing experience. But the secret in that, what's not well known, is that many of those kids come to the school never having played a musical instrument. Many of them started in the school. Very often people go into schools and, you know, they try out for bands and things like that. They have the experience here. It's all developed. And then I've seen their amazing. Their science labs and back to the music, the whole performing arts program. I've been to the Christmas concert. They do just amazing, amazing things. But like you say, it's all rooted in that recognition of human dignity, a witness of knowing Jesus Christ and. Yeah, the Christian Brothers and the Christian Brothers Network.
[00:18:33] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: The Legacy consensus. We don't have a school staffed with lots of brothers, but the presence of the Brothers is real. The president is a Christian brother, and they belong to that network and continue that charism. So we're proud of all of our schools and all of our young people. So I ask you all, please pray for our young people this coming week during Catholic Schools Week, for those who are being formed in our schools and for those who do the hard work and make the sacrifices for those schools. Father Cox, thank you so much for joining us this week. And thank you again for Monday for really that great message of witness and of hope, you know, as we really strive through the vision, in the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, to combat the reality of racism in every form. In every form, and to allow ourselves to be those witnesses to that truth of human dignity. Thank you for joining us this week. And please join us next week for another edition of Big City Catholics. Bless God's blessing. The Lord be with you and with your spirit. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he look upon you with kindness and grant you his peace. And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit descend upon you and your families and remain with you forever and ever. Amen.
