https://www.newsweek.com/its-great-injustice-link-homosexuality-pedophilia-hurts-faithful-gay-priests-vatican-1477089 My Response: It is a great injustice' to link homosexuality and pedophilia. It is also a great injusticeto call women's ordination , "one of the gravest crimes" and link it with pedophilia. (See article below) It is time for Pope Francis to correct this great injustice. This would be one positive step he could take to signal a change in direction toward a more open and loving Church that affirms primacy of conscience as a basic human and spiritual right in the Roman Catholic Church. The love we share, in the Body of Christ here and now should be reflected in the words we say. St Paul's words on our radical equality in Christ moves us to action in prophetic obedience to the Spirit as we ordain women today. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) The Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is leading the Church by iiving the vision of Jesus - welcoming everyone to the Table- in grassroots communities and ministries in a dozen countries and in 34 states in the United States. Wisdom is vindicated by her works. (Matthew 11:19)
Three ‘bishops’ at the ordination of a female French priest in Lyons in 2005. All four women were excommunicated. From left: South African Patricia Fresen, Austrian Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger and German Gisela Forster. Photograph: Jean-Pierre Clatot/AFP
"It was meant to be the document that put a lid on the clerical sex abuse scandals that have swept the Roman Catholic world. But instead of quelling fury from within and without the church, the Vatican stoked the anger of liberal Catholics and women's groups by including a provision in its revised decree that made the "attempted ordination" of women one of the gravest crimes in ecclesiastical law.
The change put the "offence" on a par with the sex abuse of minors.
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, called the document "one of the most insulting and misogynistic pronouncements that the Vatican has made for a very long time. Why any self-respecting woman would want to remain part of an organisation that regards their full and equal participation as a 'grave sin' is a mystery to me..."
Vivienne Hayes, the chief executive of the Women's Resource Centre, said the decision to raise women's ordination to the level of a serious crime was "appalling"...
A new Trump administration rule will eliminate SNAP (food stamp) eligibility for nearly 700,000 unemployed Americans. This could mean that 200,000 Florida children will lose their access to free school lunches.
This cruel policy punishes children for living in poverty and impacts their ability to be properly nourished so they can grow and learn.
Feeding the hungry is a moral imperative for people of all faiths and no faith. For Christians, the teachings of Jesus call us to put the least and last, first, not last, like this policy does. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.′ Matthew 25:45
We, the voters, can take action. Call the White House and Congress to advocate dropping this new rule that will hurt vulnerable children.
Let’s make providing free school lunches for hungry children in Sarasota and throughout our country one of the priority issues in the 2020 election.
This Advent I have been meditating on Our Journey Toward Joy by S. James Meyer's daily reflections.
One of my friends is a deeply compassionate caregiver for a mutual friend who is seriously ill. She has done everything you would do if you were a close relative. This selfless giving has taken a toll on her health and well-being.
I share the following reflection for all those whose nerves are fraying and who feel overwhelmed by the constant stress that drains their minds, bodies and spirits.
The beautiful icon above was written by our most recent candidate in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, Diane Burroughs.
Nos han solicitado Administrar La Villa Comunitaria “La Vid”. Este es un proyecto de ASCOMPAS (Asociación Comunitaria para la Solidaridad), su trabajo es capacitar, formar Comunidad para la Paz.
Después de discernir en Comunidad, hemos aceptado, y estamos participando activamente, insertándonos en La Villa Comunitaria, hemos llegado totalmente desprovistas, en la actitud de inculturar el Evangelio, viviendo con familias de diferentes regiones, escuchándoles, apoyándoles en solidaridad, trabajando unidos/as para ir dando bases para una pequeña comunidad, que irradie Esperanza y Paz en todo el Barrio.
Inicialmente vivirán allí 2 presbiteras, una con su familia esposo y dos hijos adoptados, quienes formarán un grupo musical, invitando a los niños/as del Barrio. Se darán talleres de Salud, Superación y Crecimiento Espiritual, muchas otras capacitaciones como Formación Bíblica en Hermenéutica Femenina. Nos acompañará también una aspirante al Movimiento, quien hará su experiencia de discernimiento y formación en La Villa Comunitaria.
REPORTAJE GRÁFICO DEL VIVIR EN COMUNIDAD, INSERTADAS DENTRO DEL PUEBLO.
Vengan y vean, algo nuevo está sucediendo en la Villa Comunitaria “La Vid”.
BIENVENIDAS/OS.
Helen, beneficiaria del proyecto, nos ayuda a desmontar el jardín de La Villa.
Jhonny esposo de Helen, estuvo pintando las puertas de las casitas.
Lilly y Demetria también beneficiarias de La Villa, ayudan a darle mejor cara al jardín.
Maria Teresa una de nuestras Presbiteras, organiza, estimula y ayuda a la Comunidad con su trabajo y testimonio.
Laudy, una aspirante quien ha decidido hacer parte del equipo comunitario en la Villa Comunitaria “La Vid” y compartir muchos ratos de su vida con las familias que allí viven.
Reposando un poco ya vamos a almorzar.
Un poco cansadas/os, almorzamos, compartimos el almuerzo realizado comunitariamente y disfrutamos de la lluvia que nos invita a descansar.
Maria Teresa, Laudy y yo en la mesa del comedor.
Bienaventurados los que trabajan por la paz, pues ellos/as serán llamados hijos/as de Dios. Mateo 5:9
Modern: Fr Joe McDonald of St Matthew’s Church, Ballyfermot, wants to make the Church more welcoming. Photo: Tony Gavin
"Fr Joe McDonald speaks to Donal Lynch about his liberalism, loves and the moment he forgave the man who sexually abused him."
My Response: Fr. Joe McDonald's story is a powerful and inspirational about forgiveness and ongoing healing that deeply touches the heart. I would love to meet him on my next visit to Ireland. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com
..."Still, he seems like a man made in this tradition of clerical iconoclasts. He's more liberal than you would expect of a priest; he speaks of making the Church a more welcoming place for gay people and those who have had, or are considering having, an abortion. In this era of suspicion around priests, he's a survivor of sexual abuse himself. He tells me that he is bisexual and falls in love twice a year. And despite his age - he recently turned 50 - he only became a priest a decade ago, during the worst days of the Church scandals.
We met, recently, on the set of Claire Byrne Live. On air I had expressed the view that 'my' side - who want the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution repealed - fail to deal effectively with some key arguments of pro-life debaters. I had expected Joe to be vehemently disapproving of abortion but he surprised me by saying he could see how a young woman would make that tough decision. It seemed something short of cheerleading for repeal, but it did make me think that perhaps there was room for progress in the debate, a thread of compromise to be pulled at..."
..."This Advent, we are longing to hear voices that speak for Christ to speak out — including against the perpetual presidential words, behaviors, and policies that are clearly diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
...We are waiting and longing to hear the voices that love Jesus to find the courage to say “anti-Christ” when we hear the words of hate, fear, and violence. The politics of fear, of hating rather than loving our neighbor, and putting the least of these last instead of first must be spoken to by all those who claim the politics of Jesus. Could our praying and calling out together for truth and justice help bring us together?"
We have embarked on the season of Advent, waiting in eager anticipation for the birth of the Lord into our sinful world. With a heavy heart in a season of holy preparation, we are reminded of the U.S. government's ongoing efforts to resume federal executions for the first time in 16 years. The first of these federal executions was scheduled for Dec. 9 but was placed on hold by a federal judge. The government is appealing the decision and intends to carry out the executions if it prevails.
As bishops of the Catholic Church, we have a moral obligation to teach the faith and uphold the dignity of human life. Through prayer, education and advocacy, we call on our government, as both Christians and as Americans, to turn back from the path of death and forgo all executions.
We call on our government, as both Christians and as Americans, to turn back from the path of death and forgo all executions.
Human dignity can be difficult to understand when we are confronted with the depths of our sins. But we believe, from Scripture and tradition, that each person is created by God in his image and likeness, and the dignity that flows from God's creative act cannot be removed by the actions of any person, no matter how bad, no matter how hurtful. We reverence God's gift of life in those at the beginning of life and those at its end, in the weak and in the strong, in the poor and in the rich, in the happy and in the sad, in the honored and in the forgotten. And we reverence God's gift of life in the guilty and in the innocent.
The Catholic bishops of the United States have consistently called for an end to the death penalty for decades. When Pope John Paul II visited St. Louis in 1999, he urged an end of the death penalty, which he called "both cruel and unnecessary." Pope Benedict XVI called for "the attention of society's leaders to the need to make every effort to eliminate the death penalty," and he praised lay Catholics working to end the death penalty around the world.
To oppose the death penalty is not to be "soft on crime." Rather, it is to be strong on the dignity of life.
Pope Francis has strongly emphasized that the death penalty is unacceptable and is an affront to the Gospel and to the respect for life and human dignity. When he addressed the joint meeting of the U.S. Congress during his historic apostolic visit to the United States in 2015, the pope called for the abolition of the death penalty because "every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes."
To oppose the death penalty is not to be "soft on crime." Rather, it is to be strong on the dignity of life. The evidence is overwhelmingly clear that the death penalty in the United States is racially and economically biased, and it varies arbitrarily in its application based on the location of the crime.
Most troubling of all, we know beyond any doubt that innocent people have been sent to death row, 166 of whom have been exonerated since 1973. As Pope Francis has written, "[t]he death penalty loses all legitimacy due to the defective selectivity of the criminal justice system and in the face of the possibility of judicial error. Human justice is imperfect, and the failure to recognize its fallibility can transform it into a source of injustice."
We stand for helping victims and for bringing about justice when great harm is done. And God brings justice, but he also offers mercy and grace in abundance. During Advent, we anticipate the coming of the Lord not with power and violence, but humbly and gently as a baby, a lamb, an offering. God loves us enough to die for us, to restore us to friendship, to teach us the ways of love and forgiveness, to lead us to eternal life. We ask our fellow Catholics and all people of good will to reject the death penalty, and to proclaim the Incarnate Lord's unmeasurable gift of life. This Advent, we walk again in the darkness that seems too visible in the fear and pain of our sin, but we will catch sight of the light once more, and we will know that the darkness has not overcome it-and never will.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Washington, and Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice have all led dioceses where executions have been carried out, and where they have previously spoken out against capital punishment.
"First, Jesus died around the year 30, so the Gospels were written after that. The first really convincing quotations of the Gospels (there are probable allusions earlier than this, but these are the most certain ones) come in the writings of Justin Martyr, around the year 150.
This means, for starters, that the Gospels must have been written sometime between 30 and 150 CE.
"Women Are to be Silent and Submissive" (NOT) Read Scholarly Analysis of Letter to Timothy, not written by Paul/30 years later https://ehrmanblog.org/women-are-to-be-silent-and-submissive/ Excellent articles by biblical scholar Bart Ehrman, join his blog and get regular articles on biblical studies.
Terri Kersch and Dennis
McDonald, ARCWP, led the Upper Room Liturgy for the Second Sunday of Advent. They
asked the community to reflect on this week's readings, which speak of the need
for a change of heart, a transformation within us and the world, that will
result in a time of justice, compassion, and peace. What change of heart are
you called to consider?
Lighting
of Advent Candles
We
light this second candle and remember our ancestors who feared death,
evil and all the dark powers of winter.We, too, in our day fear the darkness of war, discrimination, xenophobia
and selfishness that threaten us and our planet to an eternal winter. Let us kindle the light of peace! Amen
Then a shoot will
sprout from the stump of Jesse; from Jesse’s roots, a branch will blossom:*
The Spirit of Adonai
will rest on you - a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel
and strength, a spirit of knowledge and reverence for Adonai.
You will delight in
obeying Adonai, and you won’t judge by appearances or make decisions by
hearsay.
You will treat poor
people with fairness and will uphold the rights of the land’s downtrodden.
With a single word
you will strike down tyrants; with your decrees you will execute evil people.
Justice will be the belt around this your waist— faithfulness will gird you up.
Then the wolf will
dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat the calf
and the lion cub will graze together, and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed
with the bear, their young will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like
the ox.
The baby will play
next to the den of the cobra, and the toddler will dance over the viper’s nest.
There will be no harm, no destruction anywhere in my holy mountain; for as
water fills the sea, so the land will be filled with knowledge of Adonai.
On that Day, the Root
of Jesse will serve as a symbol to the peoples of the world—nations will flock
to you, and your home will be a place of honor.
We have heard a
reading from the Book of Isaiah, and we affirm it by saying, Amen.
Alleluia
A reading from the Gospel attributed to Matthew
At this time John the
Baptizer appeared in the desert of Judea, proclaiming, “Change your hearts and
minds, for the reign of heaven is about to break in upon
you!”It was John that the prophet Isaiah described when he said,
“A herald’s voice cries in the desert:
Prepare the way of our God,
make straight the paths of God!’”
John was clothed in a
garment of camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. Grasshoppers
and wild honey were his food.At that
time, Jerusalem, all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan were going
out to him. John baptized them in the Jordan River as they confessed their
sins.
When he saw that many
of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to be baptized, John said to them,
“You pack of snakes! Who told you to flee from the coming wrath? Give some
evidence that you mean to reform! And don’t pride yourselves on the claim,
Sarah and Abraham are our parents.’ I tell you, God can raise children for
Sarah and Abraham from these very stones! “Even now the ax is laid to the root
of the tree. Every tree that is not fruitful will be cut down and thrown into
the fire.
I will baptize you in
water if you have a change of heart, but the One who will follow me is more
powerful than I. I’m not fit even to untie the sandals of the Coming One! that
One will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire, whose winnowing-fan will
clear the threshing floor. the grain will be gathered into the barn, but the
chaff will be burned in unquenchable fire.”
We have heard a
reading from the Gospel attributed to Matthew, and we affirm it by saying, Amen.
(Pause)
Homily and Shared
Reflections led by Dennis McDonald
John the
Baptist in today’s Gospel urges people to change hearts and minds, be open to
the message that the Kin-dom of God is at hand.He chastises the Jewish leaders who come to be baptized. What was their
real interest in being there?So many
people were going to John, it was all the rage, you might say. So, the
Pharisees and Sadducees decide to jump on board.But John sees through their charade and calls
them on it.They are not there to be
transformed, but to be seen by the people, to appear to be what they are not,
believers in the power to change and make a difference in their world.For Paul this was the coming of the Messiah
who would lead the Jewish nation against the Imperial Rule of the Romans.
But we know
that Jesus’ sense of the Kin-dom of God was that it was already here, and his
call was to change heart and mind to one of love and compassion, and transform
the world by reaching out in love and compassion to those oppressed and
enslaved by the legalism of both the Roman and Jewish leadership. His was not a
call to arms for the battlefield, but rather a call to arms to birth, as Julian
of Norwich would say, “the love-longings of God”.
John Philip
Newell, in his book, “The Rebirthing of God”, shares that these love-longings
are planted within each of us.They are
deep within as holy, natural longings for oneness, a primal sacred drive for
union, waiting to be born anew in our world.We are called during Advent, as were the people by John the Baptist, to
review what is blocking this renewal of God’s love-longings in us.
Where am I
stuck? When might I be a Pharisee or Sadducee?What prejudgments of others, what prejudices, what fear of speaking out,
what disregard for creation, be that animals, plants, the ocean, etc. block me
from bringing to fruition the world proposed by Isaiah where justice and mercy
will reign, and adversaries will be at peace with each other.
As we prepare
to recall the birthing of Jesus by Mary, it might be worth remembering Meister
Eckhart’s insistence that it doesn’t matter if Mary gave birth to Jesus, if we
don’t give birth to Christ in our lives, today.How will you spend time during this Advent season to reflect of what
barriers exist in your life?What needs
transformation in your life? How might you bring God’s love-longings to birth
that will help transform the world in which you live?
What did you
hear? What might you do? What might it cost you?
Statement of
Faith
We believe in
the Holy One, a divine mystery beyond all
definition and rational understanding, the heart of
all that has ever existed, that exists
now, or that ever will exist. We believe in
Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word, bringer of
healing, heart of Divine compassion, bright star
in the firmament of the Holy One's prophets,
mystics, and saints. We believe
that We are called to follow Jesus as a vehicle
of divine love, a source of
wisdom and truth, and an instrument
of peace in the world. We believe in
the Spirit of the Holy One, the life that
is our innermost life, the breath
moving in our being, the depth
living in each of us. We believe
that the Divine kin-domis here and now, stretched out
all around us for those with eyes to
see it, hearts to receive it, and hands to
make it happen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Presider 1:
As we prepare for this sacred meal we are aware that just as Jesus is anointed,
so is each of us. As bearers of LIGHT and HOPE, we bring to this table our
blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your intentions
beginning with the words, “I bring to the table…..”
Presider 1: We
pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
Presider 2:With
open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
(written by JayMurnane)
All: Source of
All That Is, we seek you inthisseason, when the earthis resting and preparing for new life. Like the earth, we long for new
life and hopeful beginnings.This is the time of the pregnant woman, filled with life and hope
powerful enough to topple structures of oppression. This is the time of
her song of fidelity and celebration.
During this
gentle season of Advent, we recognize that you have made us capable of bringing
forth justice, like a rising sun.Onewith all who have gone before us, we singa song of praise:
Blessed be our God!
Blessed be our
God!
Joy of our
hearts, source of all life and love!
God of Heaven and
Earth!
God of Heaven and
Earth!
Dwelling within,
calling us all by name!
Alleluia,
sing! Alleluia, sing!
Blessed be our
God!
Blessed be our
God!
Joy of our
hearts, source of all life and love!
God of Heaven and
Earth!
God of Heaven and
Earth!
Dwelling within,
calling us all by name!
Alleluia,
sing! Alleluia, sing!
(Alleluia Sing by
David Haas)
We thank you for
thosein times past who believed thegood news, and lived what they believed.
Blessed is Isaiah
and every visionary who insisted on a better future that would break through
the deception, disaster and broken promises of the age in which they
lived.
Blessed is John,
in the stark desert of careful focus, inviting the peopleto
be born again in your love.
Blessed is
Miriam, who believedthe words of Isaiah and openedherself up to the unbelievable.
And blessed is
her child Jesus, who felt the sorrows of humankind in his soul, and responded
with deep and tender compassion.
Please extend your hands in blessing.
All:
We are grateful for your Spirit at our Eucharistic Table and for this bread and
wine which reminds us of our call to be the body of Christ in the world.
Presiders stand at table
All.: On the
night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his
companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and
to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet.
Presider 1 lifts plate as the community prays
the following:
When he returned
to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the
bread and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat, this
is my very self.
(pause)
Presider 2 lifts the cup as community prays
the following:
Then he took the cup of the covenant, spoke
the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink.
Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you.
(pause)
Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim
and live the gospel of justice and peace.
All: We give
thanks for our tradition, which is a livinghistory
of your love for allcreation.
We join ourselves with that tradition, as the visionaries and healers and
peacemakers of our own time in history.
Wecelebrate
the many creative traditions which guide and formusand we are grateful that there are many paths to wisdom and life.
Each Advent we
make a place inourprayer forall those who are oppressed and marginalizedin so many places throughout this earth, and
right here among us.
We are grateful
for the gift of your Spirit, always drawing beauty and balanceout
of chaos. And like Jesus…
Standing where he
stood,
and for what he
stood,
and with whom he
stood,
we are united in
your Spirit,
and worship you
with our lives,
All:
Amen.
Presider 1:Let
us pray as Jesus taught us:
Holy One,you
are within, around and among us.
We celebrate your many names.
Your wisdom come; your will be done,
unfolding from the depths within us.
Each day you give us all that we need.
You remind us of our limits and we let go.
You support us in our power, and we act with courage.
For you are the dwelling place within us,
the empowerment around us,
and the celebration among us,
now and forever, Amen.
Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter
Presider 2:
Please join in our prayer for the breaking of the bread:
All: Holy
One, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We will live
justly.
You call us to be Your presence in the world. We will love
tenderly.
You call us to speak truth to power. We will walk with integrity in
your presence.
Presiders lift bread and wine
Presiders:
"This is the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Through it we are
nourished and we nourish each other.
All: What
we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives; as we share
communion, we will become communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s
challenge.
Presider 1: Our
Eucharistic celebration is all-inclusive and nothing can separate us from God’s
love. All are welcome to receive at this table. Please pass the bread and
the cup with the words: “You are a bearer of Light and Hope.”
Communion Song/Meditation –
Something New by Jan Novotka
Presider 2:
Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together.
May we continue
to be the face of God to each other. May we call each other to
extravagant generosity! May our light shine for all to see, and may we be
a blessing in our time!
