At the same time, Sharon was, for some reason, reminiscing about the Vice - Presidential debates of 1992 when Admiral James Stockdale, Ross Perot’s Vice Presidential candidate, introduced himself to the country by saying “ Who am I ” and “ What am I doing here?”

Dick has known me for two years. Sharon has known me for almost 16 years. Somewhere between “ I Have a Dream “ and “ Who am I “ and “ What am I doing here “ is today’s homily: Haiti: Journey to Justice.

I would like to share with you about Haiti, about the recent Peace and Justice Delegation to Haiti and my own journey to justice.

Background

In my own journey to justice I have found the joy of the gospel and it has changed the way I view the world and the way I experience my life. In the people of Haiti, I have experienced the fullness of life that Jesus offers us.

It is interesting that we find in the bible many ironic statements: lose your life to find your life, when we are weak then we are strong, and suffering produces hope.

Several weeks ago a parishioner mentioned that her friends refer to Joan of Arc as that ‘feel good church. I find in that statement the same irony that I find in the message of the gospel; When we risk the journey to justice we find the fullness of life and experience the joy of the gospel. At Joan of Arc and in Haiti we are risking the journey to justice.

Haiti Today

Well.....most of us missed the celebration. Surely, Secretary of State Colin Powell, the son of Jamaican immigrants, was there representing the United States of America. In fact, the lone US representative was Representative Maxine Waters of California. The rest of the white western world followed our lead and boycotted the celebrations.

After 200 years of independence Haiti continues fighting for dignity and justice.

Brief history of Haiti

Haiti, where 300 years later the imported slave population threw off the shackles of slavery leading to independence in 1804. An independence that was coldly greeted by the “civilized world” as a threat to the huge economic structure of slavery. Haiti, where the US did not recognize the new nation until 1862, 58 years after independence.

Haiti, which the US invaded for the first time in 1915. An intervention marked by racism, exemplified by then Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan’s famous comment, “O Dear me, imagine it, niggers speaking French.”

Today, the struggles continue. Since the year 2000, 500 million dollars in foreign aid has been blocked to Haiti. The majority of the international community follows the United States lead and treats Haiti like a bastard child of one of our prominent senators. We, the natio

n that claims freedom and democracy as our highest ideals, are actively squeezing the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere to facilitate the removal of a democratically elected leader that dares to espouse liberation for the poor majority. In the last 4 months 50 people have been killed as opposition groups violently seek to remove President Aristide. Meanwhile, Haiti pays interest on loans that they never receive.

And the journey to justice continues.

Peace and justice Delegation

On Thursday night they will share their stories about Haiti. A handout is available after church that outlines information about Haiti. As a group we experienced the challenges of Haiti and the joy of the gospel. I would like to share a few of our experiences:

On Sunday we attended mass at St. Claire's Church in Port Au Prince. Father Jerry Jeann Juste, intermingled his Creole with English directed to us, his only English speaking audience. Father Jerry’s words rang out,

“Take the economic sanctions off Haiti. Give us a break, Mr. Bush. We need help. Instead of helping us.. they put sanctions on us… we’re starving.. “

When we shared their stories of pain we met the sacred.

On Tuesday we visited a school called SOPUDEP. We met one of the founders of the school, André Jan - Marie. André was gracious and warm in our brief introduction. The children treated us like royalty with songs, poems and greetings. They colored bookmarks for us to bring back. We gave them suitcases of school supplies we had collected. We gave them a gift of money. We experienced the joy of the gospel in their midst.

On Friday morning we got the news that André Jan Marie had been killed on Thursday night. He had been at the Palace for a literacy meeting. He was a Literacy Coordinator in his area. André planned to stand vigil outside the Palace to keep the opposition from storming the palace. He was assassinated. André left behind a wife and two children.

We learned the high cost of a commitment to justice.

Haiti is a place where the suffering is great. Some of it I prefer not to see. On Wednesday afternoon we had an opportunity to visit the Sisters of Charity Orphanage. I knew that I dreaded the idea of seeing extremely malnourished babies. Early in the day we had a lunchtime celebration with my vendor friends who welcome me back to Haiti each year. We stopped at a cyber cafe to send e-mails to our families. I felt very connected to our group and to my friends in Haiti. I offered our group the choice between the orphanage or going to buy arts and crafts. Our group choose the orphanage. I knew I wasn’t ready.

We arrived outside of the orphanage unsure of how to proceed. An American woman arrived and showed us the way to the gate. My sense of foreboding grew as we walked through the compound. Too much pain, my heart cried out silently.

I was sickened at the sight of the children. I was overwhelmed by the smell and my own unease. I had to fight hard not to turn and run. We were given aprons to wear. We were split into groups to go into the various rooms where numerous babies were in cribs.

I couldn’t stay in the room I was assigned to. It was too dark and the smell too foul. I moved to the next room that was lighter and where more of our group was working. Venel, our interpreter, must have been uncomfortable, too. Shortly after we arrived he remembered he had an errand to run.

We each were given bowls of liquid food to feed the babies. One baby I fed and held kept saying what sounded like Papa, Papa, the same name my children call me. I held my thumb next to the legs of one of the babies I held. The baby’s leg was the same diameter as my thumb. We talked a little as we fed the babies. Jeff, Dick and Andy all seemed to be getting the hang of handling these fragile infants. I started to get more comfortable. Venel came back and joined in the feeding.

Without us even realizing what happened, one of the babies was gone. Just like that the baby had died. One less life in this orphanage full of challenges. Now there was an empty crib right next to the baby Jeff had just fed. I think we all tried to remember what the baby looked like. The death didn’t register. She or he was just gone.

When we left the babies screamed for us to hold them. They have all come to know the comfort of being held. It was painful to know we gave them so little in their struggle for life.................And yet there is a gospel lesson in this, too.

Rita and Jeanne were very bothered by what they saw. Yet they told me they would return many times, if they could, just to hold and comfort the babies. It seemed it was only me that was so extremely uncomfortable. Like parts of the body, we each have gifts to share.

In 1 Corinthians 12: 4 - 6 Paul says,

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. “

Summary

Like Anne Hastings, the executive director of a bank for the poor that gave up her consulting company in Washington DC to be involved in the dream of a visionary Haitian Priest. A woman who 3 years ago received a ransom phone call that said close your bank for the poor or your coworker, Amos, will be killed. Her friend was tortured and killed.

Like Ron Voss, the director of Visitation House, where we stayed, who witnessed his good friend, Antwan Izmery, pulled out of a memorial mass in 1994 and shot in the street. A man who dedicates his efforts for justice in Haiti to the memory of his courageous friend.

Like my good friend, Kevin Pina, who documents the destabilization efforts of the United States government. A man, like John the Baptist, who cries out in the wilderness of indifference. A man who challenged us to be as compelling as he is, in our witness to what we saw and heard in Haiti. A man, who when I asked him, where does your faith come in, gave the most beautiful answer I could have ever expected when he said, “I believe God has many faces and they are all beautiful.”..........................And so they are.

In closing, a quote from Jon Sobrino who says:

Anyone wishing to contact Paul or having interest in Haiti can contact him at Haitiman@earthlink.net.