Today’s saint was a disciple of St. Peter who sent him to Ravenna to be its bishop. He became famous for healing people in the Name of Jesus which led many to become Christian. This infuriated the Emperor who had him arrested, tortured, and finally killed. Let us ask St. Apollinaris to intercede for us today as we pray that Christians may strive to promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace, especially in our cities. Our reflection is from the 2007 concluding document of the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean held in Brazil #513-14.

The Church originally took shape in the large cities of its time, and made use of them to spread. Hence, we can joyfully and boldly carry out the evangelization of the contemporary city. In response to the new reality of the city, new experiences are taking place in the church, such as renewal of parishes, breaking it down into sectors, new ministries, new associations, groups, communities and movements. But attitudes of fear of urban ministry can be seen: tendencies to remain entrenched in the old methods and to take a defensive stance toward the new culture, and feelings of impotence vis-à-vis the great difficulties of cities.

Faith teaches us that God lives in the city in the midst of its joys, yearnings and hopes, and likewise in its pains and suffering. The shadows that mark everyday life, such as violence, poverty, individualism and exclusion cannot prevent us from seeking and contemplating the God of life also in urban environments. Cities are places of freedom and opportunity. In them people seek the possibility of knowing more people, and interacting and coexisting with them. Bonds of fraternity, solidarity, and universality can be experienced in cities. In them the human being is constantly called to ever journey toward meeting the other, coexisting with those who are different, accepting them, and being accepted by them.