Apr 30, 2016
One of the things that each of us strives for in life, is to be understood by friends, co-workers, and family members. To be understood, means that we have been able to express our views on a particular issue, and whether or not someone agrees with me, at least the person knows the context of my thought. Within conflicting areas, being understood means that I am still a good person in faith and reasoning, but I have simply arrived at a different conclusion. Frequently, the area of disagreement does not cause great concern if the understanding has taken place. To reach this level of understanding in life is difficult and sometimes impossible.To be a person of mercy in light of the Gospel of Jesus, means that I am called to take thefirst step in reaching out to people for greater understanding. As Jesus was also misunderstood, let us persevere!
-Fr. Daniel Torson, CPPS (KC)
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.
Apr 29, 2016
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Beauty that only God can give
April 2016 Volunteers Reflection
By Tim Deveney
Scripture Reading
John 14:23-29
Additional Reading
“We profess to be people of peace, Lord, but keep us from the temptation to proclaim peace when there is no peace. Show us today where peace is most needed in our community and in our world. Show us which of us must plant the seeds of peace, which of us must water them, and which of us must yet become gardeners of your peace. Amen.”
Claiborne, Shane; Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan; Okoro, Enuma (2010-11-09). Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals (p. 255). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
I’ve always appreciated the imagery of seeds and plants in the Bible. Through the years I’ve grown closer to this imagery. There is something amazing about a small inanimate object with the power to provide nourishment, shade and beauty. From these seeds and only a little work on my part, my garden has produced food for my family and others. Gardening can be a frustrating hobby. Here’s my laundry list of factors, mostly outside of my control, that have led to epic failures in my backyard garden. These are conveniently broken down for you into two categories:
- Weather
- I had a strawberry crop almost decimated because of snow in May a few years ago. Seriously, snow in May in Kansas City.
- The summer of 2012 had the worst drought in ages. I barely got anything out of my garden and it killed the two grapevines I bought and planted in the spring. I thought it had also killed the rhubarb I had planted at the same time. (By the way nothing kills rhubarb. If there is a nuclear war I am certain the cockroaches will be feasting on the rhubarb.)
- One summer we had too much rain and some of my plants were overwhelmed by the consistent wetness.
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I used to think squirrels were awesome
- Critters
- The squirrels take bites out of my tomatoes and taunt me by leaving the once bitten tomato in my path to the car.
- Asparagus beetles love to gnaw on my asparagus. I’m shocked a bug named for a plant would love to eat that plant.
- Squash bugs have prevented me from ever having a decent harvest of pumpkins or other squash. I strive to avoid the use of pesticides and I don’t have the time to remove them by hand. So I’ve given up on the Cucurbita family of plants.
- Rabbits love to eat the leaves on my peas. I shouldn’t complain about the rabbits since they eat the lower leaves of my basil plants and for some reason the removal of leaves from the basil encourages growth. So I guess this is a push.
- I planted apple trees a few years ago. Last year (2015) one of these trees had fruit all over it. I was so excited by the possibility of a bumper crop and then, right before they got ripe, the apples were gone. I cried. I’m going to blame the squirrels. I used to love the little buggers.
Like the bugs, the squirrels, the rabbits and unfortunate weather in my garden there is much in the way of God’s peace in our world. Divisive rhetoric, poverty, racism, selfishness, misogyny, overuse of our natural resources, homophobia and violence have gotten in the way of God’s peace in our world.
God’s peace is beyond our control, beyond our imagination and beyond what humans can give. Some of us are called to plant the seeds of God’s peace in our world. Some of us are called water and care for the peace coming forward from these seeds. In the end we have to trust in God’s slow work in our world, knowing that the seeds of peace will bear fruit to nourish us, grow branches and leaves to provide shade and refresh us with the clean air of God’s peace.
Questions for Reflection
- What are some of the ways you have planted “seeds of peace” in the world?
- How have you helped care for God’s peace?
- What are some of the “seeds of peace” you have seen planted in your life?
- Where have you seen the fruits of God’s peace?
Learn more about Precious Blood Volunteers on our website www.preciousbloodvolunteers.org [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Apr 29, 2016
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another. (John 15:16-17)
Precious blood spirituality is crying out to reconcile and to heal the needs in our world: bullying, “wars of words”, public rhetoric villainizing an entire faith tradition, the hardening of our hearts to the pain and the needs of the poor and the immigrant, using people as a means to an end, all rooted in the rampant fear of anyone who is “other”.
How does Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), Doctor of the Church, encourage and inspire the recognition of God “who chose you” in the struggles of our time? Catherine understands our struggles having lived during the arduous era of the Black Death, mercenary armies warring throughout the city states of Italy and Europe, as well as a divided papacy. Catherine’s response to the overwhelming difficulties of her time was to embrace being chosen by God to engage in the ministries of caring for others, preaching God’s word, and reconciliation. May Saint Catherine of Siena inspire us to respond to our call to be deeply rooted in prayer, to courageously live with moral integrity, and to engage in reconciliation as we live our Precious Blood spirituality.
-Sr. Karen M. Elliott, CPPS Dayton OH
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.
Apr 28, 2016
by Br. Daryl Charron, C.PP.S.
The Missouri House Emerging Issues Committee voted down Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 39 this past week at the State Capital. This measure sought to enshrine state-sanctioned discrimination against LGBT people and their families into the Missouri Constitution. The extreme resolution would have led to a ballot measure that proposes to allow individuals, organizations, and businesses to use religion as a legal excuse to discriminate against LGBT people by broadly redefining the definition of religious organizations. Thanks be to God that the House committee listened to the overwhelming majority of Missourians, business leaders and civil rights advocates who demanded they oppose this radical legislation that threatens severe harm to our state.
The opposition to SJR 39 was overwhelming. More than 60 leading CEOs and business executives signed on to an open letter urging lawmakers to stop the proposal that would have extreme negative consequences for Missouri’s economy. Let us pray that this vote make us diligent to ensure this discriminatory legislation does not move in any other way during the final two weeks of the legislative session. SJR 39 went far beyond protecting the right of free exercise of one’s religion, opening the door to discrimination against same-sex couples.
If SJR 39 had been voted into law, LGBT people and their families could have suddenly found themselves at risk of being denied many basic services. Missouri still lacks explicit, statewide non-discrimination protections for LGBT people. This legislation had the potential to undermine existing LGBT non-discrimination protections at the city level of government. Let’s continue to guard the basic human dignity of our LGBT community and always seek justice on their behalf by advocating for them to our state legislators.
Apr 28, 2016
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.
(John. 15:10)
It is always so nice when Jesus is clear and straight to the point. No riddles here, no parables, no cryptic language. If we want to remain in God’s love we are to keep the commandments. That is the litmus test that Jesus gave us. Do I want call myself a Christian? Do I want to remain in God’s love? Do I want to feel the infinite mercy of God? Then I need to keep the commandments. And we know that Jesus always tells us the truth. And so today we remember his words, “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”
-Fr. Michael Mateyk, C.PP.S. (Atlantic)
This reflection comes from the Easter Reflections, prepared by the Precious Blood Family of communities:
Adorers of the Blood of Christ (US Region)
Missionaries of the Precious Blood (Atlantic, Cincinnati & Kansas City Provinces)
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO)
Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH)
Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon
Easter Reflections is available for printing here.
