America is in a hard place these days, and we have been for quite a while. Over the last few months of the coronavirus many have said that we’re all in this together. Yes, but we’re not all together in this. We are not “all together in one place” on this day of Pentecost. Our country is divided, fragmented, and wounded. And so is my heart. Maybe yours is too. It’s not easy to talk about our wounds; whether it’s our individual wounds or our national wounds, whether it’s the wounds we’ve received or the ones we’ve inflicted. To talk about our wounds requires us to look at what we’ve done and left undone. It means we each have to look within ourselves. It means taking responsibility for our lives. It means valuing the life and wounds of another as much as our own.
Tag: Peace
Do You Have A Secret? – A Sermon On Luke 2:22-40
Many year ago, at the suggestion of my priest, I did some work with a counselor. During one of our meetings the conversation lulled and he asked me a question. “Mike, do you have a secret?” Tears filled my eyes. I had butterflies in my stomach. And my heart was pounding. I nodded, whispered yes, and waited for what I knew would be his next question.
Prayers for France and Turkey (Again)
How long, O Lord, how long? Every week we come to you adding to the list of names; victims, perpetrators, and places of violence and pain in the world. Today we hold before you the people of France and Turkey.…
Where is the Peace of God Today? – A Sermon on Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Do you want peace for yourself, your friends and family, the world? How do we begin to find that kind of peace in the midst of tragedy after tragedy? Orlando, Istanbul, Baton Rouge, Dallas. The peace we seek is not conditioned on a change in the other's behavior but a change in our own hearts. We choose whether to live with a heart at peace or a heart at war.
Advent Credo of Daniel Berrigan, SJ
"It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss— This is true: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish…
Unlocking Doors – A Sermon on John 20:19-31, Easter 2
The collect and readings for the Second Sunday of Easter may be found here. The appointed gospel is John 20:19-31. When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where…
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“The Works of my Hands” – Thoughts on the Death of Osama Bin Laden
I have watched the news, commentaries, and celebrations about the death of Osama Bin Laden. I am not sure what to think or feel. Relief? Justice? Celebration? American pride? Sadness? I keep coming back to the Exodus story. Then Moses…
Read More “The Works of my Hands” – Thoughts on the Death of Osama Bin Laden
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Source: LA Times
A Franciscan Blessing For Justice And Peace
May God bless you with discomfort… at easy answers, hard hearts, half-truths, and superficial relationships. May God bless you so that you may live from deep within your heart where God’s Spirit dwells. May God bless you with anger… at…
May God Bless You With Anger, Tears, Foolishness
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war…