“We’ve got thousands of years of training in organized violence, so we just assume that’s what works. People say, ‘Well you’re either a fighter or you’re passive.’ But one must accept nonviolence as a form of fighting, and that’s very hard for people to understand. However, compassion and joy can be as contagious as war fever.”—Joan Baez
Verse of the day
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
– Psalm 96:11-12
Voice of the day
My vision for justice is one where the systems are blown wide open and new worlds can be built.
– Emily Joy Allison, “10 Christian Women Shaping the Church in 2022“
Prayer of the day
God, thank you for roaring water that reshapes the earth. Teach us to care for fields in which new things can grow.
“When we face this magnitude of suffering we are moved to the question of ‘why’? Yet we are also called to recognize that we do not know the answer; we rest in humility rather than theological platitudes.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated and Explained
How do you cope with suffering and not knowing?
“Try to offer light in a world of darkness, peace in a world of war, love in a world of fear, hatred, and indifference.”—John Dear
“The next time you look in the mirror, breathe in and whisper to yourself, Look with eyes of love, then breathe out and say, See the wholeness you are.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Breath Prayer: An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
Repeat this at least three times each time you are in front of your reflection and see if you can take in the invitation offered.
“All wars are, by their very nature, evil and destructive. It has become too late for civilized people to accept this evil. We must take a stand. We must renounce war as an instrument of policy. We must affirm that there will be no more war. Never, ever again. War is hunger, thirst, blindness, and death. I call you to resist it.”—Dorothy Day
As I continue to watch events in Ukraine unfold I am in awe of the Ukrainian people as they stand up to a lying bully. Putin’s “reality” (I use that term very loosely) boggles my mind. As a student of history, I am gobsmacked that he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a Nazi. He is Jewish and his grandfather was killed by the Nazi’s during the Holocaust. The fact that a sizable number of people and politicians in this country support Putin and his lies while calling themselves “patriots” is mind boggling and breaks my heart.
I often wonder what Thomas Merton would have to say about what is going on today in the church, politics, and culture of this country and world. While he spiritually and literally carried the weight and the sorrow of the world in his own spirit and in his own prayers. The following quote is from a sermon he preached on The Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
One of the great deficits, weaknesses and or problems of society is the weakening of the sense of truth. What has weakened the sense of truth is the struggle for power. The unrestrained will to power which is characteristic of our age today. The will to power where will suppresses truth instead of following truth. We live in an age where men manufacture their own truth. What’s not important is truth but the favorable image is what makes other people’s will go in the direction of your power. (Sermon on The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 12/8/62, audio recording)
Lord, in the midst of all of this chaos in the world, in the nation, and in the church, I pray that the truth of your love, your justice, your mercy, and your peace will flow down like Amos’s ever-flowing stream. Dona Nobis Pacem et in Terra… grant us peace in this troubled world. Amen.
A wee reflection and prayer for peace from your Padre…
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a long, yet productive day
Moving boxes of things that other family members want into storage
It is good for us to see the progress and feel the sense of accomplishment
The evening dinner outdoors, Taco Mama and Singin’ River Brewery… a quiet and delightful time
Enjoying each other’s company as we relaxed and played Farkle
Now, with a tremendous sense of accomplishment
Sleep will refresh us and prepare us for tomorrow
Words aren’t adequate when I try to say how wonderful and amazing Denise and my life is
With a thankful heart and as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“Concern for the redress of a particular injustice needs to be seen as part of a larger struggle against the Domination System in its entirety. Social justice campaigns have been hampered by the shortsighted inability to see that larger context.”—Walter Wink
Russia’s war in Ukraine has a religious dimension that must be understood: For the first time in decades, two predominantly Orthodox Christian countries are fighting one another. John Paul II said, “War is always a defeat for humanity.” As Russian soldiers are engaging Ukrainians in mortal combat, in many cases Orthodox Christians are killing Orthodox Christians. This war is a defeat for Christianity.
— Read on sojo.net/articles/putin-s-religious-vision-underscores-danger-christian-nationalism
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