Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Link Updated
Thanks to those of you who pointed out that our earlier post for "Moved to Greater Love" lacked the link. Click here to access the Lenten reflections from the Jesuits.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Lent: Moved to Greater Love
The Jesuits of the United States are offering "Moved to Greater Love," a nine-week Lenten/Easter digital prayer experience that began on Sunday, March 2 and will conclude on Sunday, May 4. Click here to go to the site to "opt in" by entering your e-mail address. Each evening, material for the following day's prayer will be sent to your inbox.
From the website: "The nine U.S. Jesuit provincials who conceived of "Moved to Greater Love" describe it as 'an invitation to magnanimity, silence, creativity and depth, calling all to consider how God's love burns away fear and opens us up to respond generously and wholeheartedly.'
"The program focuses on four specific graces: Gratitude, Spiritual Freedom, Vision and Joy. A two-week period will be dedicated to each grace, beginning on a Sunday with an introduction that explains the grace being sought. Daily online presentations will offer questions for reflection, a reading and multimedia content."
From the website: "The nine U.S. Jesuit provincials who conceived of "Moved to Greater Love" describe it as 'an invitation to magnanimity, silence, creativity and depth, calling all to consider how God's love burns away fear and opens us up to respond generously and wholeheartedly.'
"The program focuses on four specific graces: Gratitude, Spiritual Freedom, Vision and Joy. A two-week period will be dedicated to each grace, beginning on a Sunday with an introduction that explains the grace being sought. Daily online presentations will offer questions for reflection, a reading and multimedia content."
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Do Not Worry: About non-anxiety or a call to community?
In Sunday's Gospel (Matthew 6:24-34), we heard, "Do not worry about your life, . . . but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides."
In his newly-released book, No Irrelevant Jesus, German theologian Gerhard Lohfink invites us to go beyond the surface of this difficult teaching of Jesus and to remember what this meant for his disciples at the time -- that is, the creation of a community of mutuality: "Can [a preacher] really tell the audience that they should not worry? Obviously, they have to worry and take care. . . . Anyone who has any kind of responsibility has to be careful to keep control of the bank balance, fill the refrigerator, order heating oil before the prices go up, plan ahead and follow up, budget rationally -- and all that takes wisdom, prudence and careful planning. . . . Some preachers find a way out of this situation by saying that . . . a Christian must indeed be prudent and look to the future but should do it with confidence. That may be true, but it does not get at the heart of the saying of Jesus. Its addressees were not simply the crowds of people around Jesus; they were the disciples who traveled with him throughout Israel. . . .
"Jesus and his disciples needed people who would prepare a meal for them in the evening and offer them shelter for the night. In turn, the localized followers needed vital contact with Jesus and his disciples so that the new thing, the silent revolution of the reign of God could enter into their families. So there was a profound relationship between the two groups, a mutuality and community.
"I am convinced that precisely here we are challenged by the Gospel of non-anxiety: do we want community in this sense -- as a being-together of many who support one another, a communion of many brothers and sisters who are present for one another so that engagement on behalf of the Gospel will be possible? This would be a change from solitary parishes staffed by single persons and self-sacrificing individuals to communities in which there are mutual aid, mutual claims and commitments, mutual advice, mutual consolation, mutual correction, continually renewed and common repentance -- and precisely, therefore, no anxiety.
" . . . [The reign of God] calls for a people, a renewed people of God, a new society -- and this eschatological renewal of the people of God has as its indispensable precondition disciples, or more precisely, a community of disciples" (pp. 8-10).
In his newly-released book, No Irrelevant Jesus, German theologian Gerhard Lohfink invites us to go beyond the surface of this difficult teaching of Jesus and to remember what this meant for his disciples at the time -- that is, the creation of a community of mutuality: "Can [a preacher] really tell the audience that they should not worry? Obviously, they have to worry and take care. . . . Anyone who has any kind of responsibility has to be careful to keep control of the bank balance, fill the refrigerator, order heating oil before the prices go up, plan ahead and follow up, budget rationally -- and all that takes wisdom, prudence and careful planning. . . . Some preachers find a way out of this situation by saying that . . . a Christian must indeed be prudent and look to the future but should do it with confidence. That may be true, but it does not get at the heart of the saying of Jesus. Its addressees were not simply the crowds of people around Jesus; they were the disciples who traveled with him throughout Israel. . . .
"Jesus and his disciples needed people who would prepare a meal for them in the evening and offer them shelter for the night. In turn, the localized followers needed vital contact with Jesus and his disciples so that the new thing, the silent revolution of the reign of God could enter into their families. So there was a profound relationship between the two groups, a mutuality and community.
"I am convinced that precisely here we are challenged by the Gospel of non-anxiety: do we want community in this sense -- as a being-together of many who support one another, a communion of many brothers and sisters who are present for one another so that engagement on behalf of the Gospel will be possible? This would be a change from solitary parishes staffed by single persons and self-sacrificing individuals to communities in which there are mutual aid, mutual claims and commitments, mutual advice, mutual consolation, mutual correction, continually renewed and common repentance -- and precisely, therefore, no anxiety.
" . . . [The reign of God] calls for a people, a renewed people of God, a new society -- and this eschatological renewal of the people of God has as its indispensable precondition disciples, or more precisely, a community of disciples" (pp. 8-10).
Monday, February 24, 2014
CRS Rice Bowl: There's an app for that!
Lent is just around the corner and, this year, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) invites us to download the CRS Rice Bowl Mobile App and/or sign up for weekly reflections via e-mail during Lent. Click here to go to the CRS Rice Bowl site for more information.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
World Day of Social Justice
In 2007, the UN General Assembly proclaimed February 20 as World Day of Social Justice. Click here to learn more about this day.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Advocacy: Sustainable Medicare
We have been asked by Sister Mary Joan to share the following with you:
Right now, Congress is working on legislation to replace a flawed Medicare physician payment methodology – called the Sustainable Growth Rate or "SGR" – with a payment system that rewards quality and value. Repealing the SGR and shifting Medicare payment to a reimbursement system that rewards high-quality, efficient providers is important. Congress should not, however, "pay for" the cost of fixing the flawed physician payment system by merely making additional payment cuts to other Medicare providers. More cuts will have serious repercussions, including reduced patient access to necessary health services and weakened ability for hospitals to serve as economic engines in their communities.
Click here for more information provided by Trinity Health and for the ability to send a letter to government officials regarding this issue, should you choose to do so.
Right now, Congress is working on legislation to replace a flawed Medicare physician payment methodology – called the Sustainable Growth Rate or "SGR" – with a payment system that rewards quality and value. Repealing the SGR and shifting Medicare payment to a reimbursement system that rewards high-quality, efficient providers is important. Congress should not, however, "pay for" the cost of fixing the flawed physician payment system by merely making additional payment cuts to other Medicare providers. More cuts will have serious repercussions, including reduced patient access to necessary health services and weakened ability for hospitals to serve as economic engines in their communities.
Click here for more information provided by Trinity Health and for the ability to send a letter to government officials regarding this issue, should you choose to do so.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Follow Up: Candlelight Vigil
On Wednesday, January 29, the Candlelight Vigil to End Human Trafficking was held at the Xavier Center chapel on the campus of the College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station, NJ. At the vigil, Sister
Katie Hamm, SC, of LifeWay Network reflected on Isaiah 58: 7-10,
“Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,” and “sharing your bread with
those enslaved.” Here are some photos (not owned by this blog) from the event:
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