From the late 1940s till her death fifty years later, Mother Teresa of Calcutta inspired people all around the globe to take part in making their area of the earth a better place.  Responding to Jesus’ call for her to go into the darkest holes of the poor and act in faith to bring them to the Lord and bring Christ to them, she dedicated her life to the corporal works of mercy: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, nurse the dying, bury the dead…  She referred to Calcutta as the City of God and her ministry attracted pilgrims and travelers from all over the world.  They went to see her, to witness the miracle of her calling and the fruits of her response, and to ask her how they could help.  She responded by saying, “Find your own Calcutta.”

People go to holy sites located on every continent: Mecca, the birthplace of Muhammad, the Inca sanctuary, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal in India, Stonehenge in England, or the holy city of Jerusalem.  There is a story of a man who told his friend that he wanted to go to Mount Sinai and recite the Ten Commandments from the top of the summit.  His friend replied, “Why don’t you just stay right here and live them?”  Like Mother Teresa, he realized that there is lots of holiness needed in our own villages, neighborhoods, and homelands, and if we want to touch sacredness we can do so where we live.

Even as summer was beginning, Kansas City had already reached its hundredth homicide of the year.  I have been involved in the burials of far too many tragic deaths and, like with most of you, the sadness and sorrow wear me down.  Each Sunday at two of the parishes I serve, the names of those who were killed in KC over the past week are read at the Masses.  If nothing else, it raises our minds in awareness and raises our hearts to pray as a community for victims of tragedy.  Residents are frightened, business owners are angry, and citizens are sick and tired of the senseless acts of terror.  At the Irish Fest last weekend, many of Shaun Brady’s friends gathered in grief and a gamut of other emotions; in the loving embrace of one another, they also desire to take our city back from the hands of criminals and murderers.

After Cain killed his brother, Abel, in the story of the first human family, he said to God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Ever since, we continue to ask the same question.  From a religious perspective we are all sisters and brothers whether we want to be or not.  But the religious perspective, unfortunately, seems to have evaporated over time.  We can get it back.  There is a group called KC Common Good that can be a change-agent in helping us reclaim our city as a City of God. Located on the campus of Rockhurst University, their mission is to unite Kansas Citians to address root causes of violence, instill hope, and ensure a successful future for the metropolitan area.  Among their programs is KC360, a comprehensive, community-based approach to reduce violence, build stronger relations, increase access to education and jobs, and implement responsible justice reforms.  The task of addressing the epidemic of violence in our city where the death toll has risen each of the past five years starts with people of good will who seek a common good.  Religion should be a major contributor to the solutions we seek.

Of course, we must be honest about identifying and articulating what’s wrong—it is a long list.  Then we must identify where and how we can work together and pray together—it will take both efforts.  If Kansas City shares an ethic of love, which I think we do, we can work together for the true good, a common good navigated by people of good will.  We don’t need to go to Calcutta or any holy site on earth.  We can stay home and be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers; that’s why we’re on earth.  Our goal is to get to heaven.  We will find our way together.  We will find our own Calcutta by staying right here, going into the darkest holes, bringing Christ, and living the commandments as given to us from on high.