Now is the time for all good men and women to come to their senses. Amidst, the chaos, let us remember that we have agency. Gandhi reminds us to be the change we want to see in the world. Take action, get invovlved, do random acts of kindness.

When I was a kid, our parish held a weekly Tuesday evening novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It was one of the many routine rituals of my Catholic upbriniging in New Orleans. I have vivid memories of the quiet, dimly lit sanctuary — the faithtful gathered for devotional prayers, some on their knees fingering the rosary, others seated in meditative prayer, some genuflecting and crosssing themselves before entering a row of wooden pews – everyone seemingly enveloped in an invisible cloak of tranquility. I still picture that simple cream-colored stucco church, the soft glow of the glimmering candles, the sweet smell of incence. I hear still the organ’s deep harmonic vibrato as the devotees sing in pious unison.

I recall those days with nostalgia — when as a youngster the world seemed gentler even if it weren’t. For me, they are a stark contrast to today’s turbulence and anxiety. So amidst the noise of politics, I reclaim my space and declare that today is a beautiful day. Those lingering memories of Tuesday evenings in a quaint little church are a balm to the pain I feel of a fading “America the Beautiful”. More and more I need those moments of solace, to reconect with my inner self, but more important, to revalidate the humanity I share with my fellow human beings in Gaza, in Ukraine, in the Sudan, in Syria, in Latin America, and all across the globe where human dignity is a target. Sadly, the same is true in this country, where currently the ideals of truth, liberty and happiness are under attack. Do not the lessons of the Sermon on the Mount apply anymore?

The answer lies in the wisdom and courage of other voices as alternatives to the divisive political rhetoric that daily bombards the airways:

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another -Toni Morrison

You submit to tyranny when you renounce the difference between what you want to hear and what is actually the case – Timothy Synder

I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain – James Baldwin

The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members – Mahatma Gandhi

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love – Mother Teresa

Choose to be in touch with what is wonderful, and healing within yourself and around you – Thich Nhat Hanh

We must do what they fear — tell the truth. This is the most powerful weapon against this regime of liars, thieves and hypocrites. Everyone has this weapon. So make use of it – Alexei Navalny

They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety – Benjamin Franklin

And my response is, I choose freedom over tyranny, optimism over dread, love over hate, action over lethargy, resistance over silent complicitiy.