This week marks the end of our 2015 glorious Easter season, as we both individually and communally prepare our hearts once again for the feast of Pentecost and the inpouring of the Holy Spirit. This week we sing with ever more fervor and intensity: “Come, Holy Spirit”…”Send Us Your Spirit”…”Fill Us with the Fire of Your Love”…as we, like the early disciples, wait and pray for God’s transforming Spirit to “fall afresh on us.” Pentecost, often referred to as the Birthday of the Church, celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire, transforming Christ’s fearful and waiting disciples into preachers on fire with wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, love, and reverence, loosening their tongues and igniting their courage to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, Risen Savior. It was the day this motley crew burst from the dark womb of their hiding place and, born anew by God’s Spirit, became Church. O Happy Birthing! Happy Birthday, Church! Continue reading →

“I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead I do what I hate.” – Romans 7:15

With this quote from St. Paul, Bishop F. Josephus Johnson began the program “How to Stay Alive in an Unconsciously Racial Society” at the House of the Lord in Akron, OH. Dominican Sisters of Peace Cathy Arnold, OP and Barbara Catalano, OP; and Associate Colette Parker, OPA, and I had attended the program which was designed for the local community to examine “implicit bias.” That is a concept substantiated by research which describes that a person’s unconscious thoughts and feelings lead to perception, judgment and actions. Continue reading →

“We have assumed the name of peacemakers, but we have been unwilling to pay any significant price for peace. We want peace with half a heart and half a life and half a will. The war continues because the waging of war is total but the waging of peace is partial.”
– Daniel Berrigan, SJ, in Pace e Bene Daily Inspiration (4-27-15)

April 30 marked the 40th anniversary of the evacuation of the American embassy in South Vietnam. May 4 marks the 45th anniversary of the killing of four students at Kent State University during war protests, and May 15 the two students killed at Jackson State University. I worked at Kent State for many years and May 4 is never forgotten and has always been a time of remembrance and dialog about war and peace and justice issues. It is a specific time on campus for challenging the current young minds to discuss the price of waging war or waging peace and justice issues today. Continue reading →