Suffering as You Work for Justice

Today’s reflection is from Bondings 2.0 Contributor, Angela Howard McParland.

Today’s liturgical readings for the Seventh Sunday of  Easter can be found here.  In some countries, the Solemnity of the Ascension is moved from the previous Thursday to today, so the Seventh Sunday of Easter is pre-empted.  To read a reflection on the Ascension liturgical readings, click here. 

I am lucky enough in my day job to be surrounded by people of faith, largely women religious, who walk the walk of the Gospel.  These women are whip-smart, well-informed, and passionately committed to both a deep spirituality and a determination to create systemic change in the here and now.  

That said, because this incredible community pays me a salary to support that systemic change work, I am never far removed from the news of the day–across politics, war and violence, and continued oppression of so many groups of people. It is both horribly demoralizing and radically hopeful work.

So as we trudge our way through 1 Peter this Easter season with all of its focus on persecution and suffering–clearly stated on today’s second liturgical reading–I feel a bit seen. Traditional interpretations of this text sometimes, which begins  “Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ,” read it as glorifying suffering. But as a resident of the U.S. in 2026 reading these words feels to simply acknowledge our current reality. 

Those whose work, values, or very identity goes against the current powers-that-be are in fact suffering. Right here in Rhode Island, where I live, a federal judge just had to block an insidious attempt by the Department of Justice to seize records of minors receiving gender-affirming care. Of course multiple other attempts to limit these life-saving services for youth and adults are all too commonplace these days, as are  rollbacks of other protections in schools and workplaces. There is no question that LGBTQ+ persons are currently sharing in the persecution and suffering of Christ.

Working with the Poor People’s Campaign, I’ve learned a saying: “Everybody’s in, nobody’s out.” This saying sounds trite at first compared to1 Peter’s world of persecution and with our modern context of anti-LGBTQ+ policies, white supremacy, and an ever-widening wealth gap of haves and have nots.

But there is power in our shared values of faith, in our commitments to human life and dignity, and in our willingness to show up when any part of the body is hurting. We have seen this solidarity across communities and state houses. Those most affected and their allies show up to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, dignity for immigrants, and an end to systemic racism, and to provide mutual aid for those in need. 

This work is reflected in today’s Gospel as well, where Jesus delivers a high priestly prayer on his own behalf and that of the disciples. Addressing the first person of the Trinity, he says of his followers,“They were yours, and you gave them to me.” His prayer, reminds us that we are all created in God’s image as gift to one another. Reminding us of our connection to God and one another, he offers, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

Even as the chaos of the current world attempts to break our connections to one another, our commitment to one another, we can close out the Easter season with this reminder. We are all God’s and we all belong to one another. And taking a cue from the women I serve, we can use that to spur us to deep communal prayer, solidarity in suffering, and concrete faith in action for a better world.

—Angela Howard-McParland, May 17, 2026