Wednesday December 10
Today is Human Rights Day. The Nobel Peace Prize was presented several hours ago in Oslo to Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, two fierce advocates for children, in particular the right of all children in the world to an education and to be free from sexual and manual labor slavery. I just listened to Malala’s 11 minute acceptance speech, the Genius.com version; the link appears below as today’s post. Usually I write these posts aiming at a c. 3 minute read. I hope you take the time, when you have the time, to click on this link and listen.
While I listened I felt as if I were in the 19th century listening to Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy or, better, that Catherine is speaking now in the 21st century, a source of grace and courage for many people like Malala and Kailash. For me her single most important teaching appears in Original Rule, Chapter 2. Best to treat Catherine’s saying as a poem. Read it out loud, pause in the middle; pause at the end.
“no work of charity can be more productive of good to society, or more conducive to the happiness of the poor, than the careful instruction of women”
Catherine McAuley, Original Rule, Chapter 2
Today’s Post: Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance – Malala Yousafzai December 10, 2014
http://genius.com/Malala-yousafzai-nobel-peace-prize-acceptance-speech-annotated
Have a blest day,
john sj
ps. Today’s New York Times article “Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi Receive Nobel Peace Prizes” can be found at
pps. Detroit was declared out of financial emergency today. Much more for our city to do but it’s a big milestone.