Sowing Hope for the Planet

"Sowing Hope for the Planet" is a project in which every Sister whose Congregation is a member of UISG, and their connections are provided with an opportunity to make a difference in our care of the planet.  This project is a collaborative effort of the JPIC Commission in the name of  UISG and the Global Catholic Climate Movement.  As part of the project, a webinar will be offered.  Here are the details:

April 11, 2019  (times listed on registration page)
"Sowing Seeds of Hope: Listening to the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor"
Click here to register.

Remembering Romero

Over the years, we have shared many posts about Archbishop -- now Saint -- Oscar Arnulfo Romero, who was murdered while celebrating Mass in El Salvador on March 24, 1980.  Today, on his Feast Day -- the first since his canonization in October 2018 -- we share something very simple and brief from Franciscan Media.  Click here to access a multimedia resource about the life of Saint Oscar Romero.

Let us pray:  God of power and mercy, who have granted to Bishop Oscar Romero to give his life while celebrating the Eucharist, in a supreme act of love for you, grant us, we ask of you, that as you gave him the grace to imitate Christ's suffering by his death, may we, by following in your martyr's footsteps, gain eternal life.  Amen.

Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2019

The message of the Holy Father for Lent 2019 (available here) focuses on Romans 8:19: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God."  In his message, Pope Francis reminds us that:

• Fasting is "learning to change our attitude towards others and all of creation"
• Prayer "teaches us to abandon idolatry and the self-sufficiency of our ego and to acknowledge our need for the Lord and his mercy"
• Almsgiving helps us to "escape from the insanity of hoarding everything for ourselves in the illusory belief that we can secure a future that does not belong to us."

May we be open to God's abundant blessings as we continue our Lenten journey!

More Lenten Reflections

Thanks to several of our faithful readers for suggesting these Lenten reflections:

This week, the Sisters of Charity Federation offers reflections on prayer, fasting and almsgiving each evening at 9 pm on Facebook Live.  Go to www.facebook.com/scharityfed to attend live and/or to view the archives.  The reflections are being offered by Sister Kara Davis, Daughter of Charity (March 10, prayer); Sister Rejane Cytacki, Sister of Charity of Leavenworth (March 11, fasting); Sister Celine Belliveau, Religeuses de Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur (March 12, almsgiving); Sister Annie Klapheke, Sister of Charity of Cincinatti (March 13, wrap up).

We are grateful to have these reflections during National Catholic Sisters Week (March 8-14).

Would you like to suggest your favorite Lenten reflection?  Please reply and let us know.

For Your Lenten Reflection

As noted last week, we would like to share some resources that might assist with your Lenten reflection.  While these do not bear the word "Lent" in their titles, we feel you might find them helpful during this sacred time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in prepartion for Easter.

• How to Live: What the Rule of St. Benedict Teaches Us About Happiness, Meaning, and Community, by Judith Valente. In 22 short chapters, the author weaves The Rule of St. Benedict with practical stories, prose and poetry to bring the title alive. If you tend to shy away from books that have the words "How to," in their titles, consider this thought from the Afterword of the book by Martin E. Marty, emeritus, The University of Chicago:  "Many, many thousands of book titles begin with "How to. . . ."  Critics, snipers, humorists, reviewers, and the professionally bored find it easy to dismiss everything in this category.  Certainly the author of How to Live had to know the risks they were taking by adding one more title to the list.  It was even more daring to link "How to" with the word "Live," which represents the most challenging concept this side of "Die."  We picture that authors who hope to be of service to readers would compete for attention with emphatic, boisterous, noisy claims.  Yet readers of How to Live will treasure this approach precisely because it is marked by quiet and simplicity."    [If you are in the mood for a book of poetry reflections only, it is possible that The Art of Pausing: Meditations for the Overworked and the Overwhelmed, co-authored by Valente, Brother Paul Quenon, and Michael Bever, might appeal to you.]
• In this post from December 2018, we shared the publication of The Strength of a Vocation, a book-length interview with Pope Francis about Consecrated Life today.  Perhaps Lent would also be a good time to catch up not only on the writings of Pope Francis on Consecrated Life, but those from other sources, as well.  The CMSWR website lists the Magisterial Documents related to Consecrated Life.  Click here to access the list.
• "Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love, A Pastoral Letter Against Racism," by the USCCB is available here. This pastoral letter, approved and published in November 2018, represents the first time in 40 years that the USCCB has spoken collectively on racism.

Do you have a suggestion for Lenten reflection?  Please reply and let us know!

Our Provincial Chapter in the Beacon

We are grateful to everyone at The Beacon, the newspaper of the Diocese of Paterson, for featuring our Provincial Chapter in the February 28, 2019 edition.  Click here to read the article.

March Stop Trafficking Newsletter

The March issue of Stop Trafficking, focusing on corporations and organizations that profit from sexual exploitation, is available here.