Pax Christi USA- National Catholic Peace Movement- Response to military strikes on Iran

 

Sunday, March 1, 2026 For immediate release Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement, condemns the horrific bombing of Iran by the US and Israel, and we urge our nation’s leaders to stop the violence. As we recall the words from the daily readings of February 28, when the gospel reminds us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48), our hearts break for the loss of life and the extraordinary damage being inflicted not only on the people of Iran but also communities throughout the region who are affected by retaliatory strikes. Since our movement’s founding in Europe at the end of World War II by Catholics who had suffered the terror and trauma of war, Pax Christi has opposed war and all preparations for war. We do not endorse warmaking as a solution for any political or social dispute, but we demand that Congress exercise its responsibility and pass a War Powers Act immediately in order to block this immoral and unconstitutional action. “It is critical that members of Congress re-claim their role and provide some restraint on a president who is completely unaccountable for his disastrous decisions,” said Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., bishop president of Pax Christi USA. “In this Lenten season, may we repent of our sins of violence.” “This unauthorized act of aggression is a perpetuation of the administration’s devaluation of human life,” said Pax Christi USA Executive Director Charlene Howard. “It is paramount that if true and lasting peace is to be achieved, that nonviolent interventions be prioritized in order to safeguard the lives of Iranian women, children and men, and all residents of the region.” We also urge our Catholic bishops to use their moral authority to demand our country’s leaders to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions. As Cardinals Blase Cupich, Robert McElroy, and Joseph Tobin wrote in January 2026, “The balancing of national interest with the common good is being framed within starkly polarized terms. Our country’s moral role in confronting evil around the world, sustaining the right to life and human dignity, and supporting religious liberty are all under examination. And the building of just and sustainable peace, so crucial to humanity’s well-being now and in the future, is being reduced to partisan categories that encourage polarization and destructive policies.” These attacks on Iran by the US and Israel are catastrophic – they will profoundly undermine any attempt at diplomacy and peacebuilding. As Pope Leo XIV said during his Angelus address today, “Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.” We pray for an end to the violence, a cessation of the bombing, and for an embrace of nonviolent solutions that affirm the autonomy and human rights of the people of Iran and the Middle East. See also: Pax Christi International Declaration on the recent military strikes in Iran Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) issues statement on Israeli-US attacks on Iran Prayer and action to stop war with Iran – Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Use this link to read this statement on our website. Sunday, March 1, 2026 Pax Christi USA response to military strikes on Iran For immediate release Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement, condemns the horrific bombing of Iran by the US and Israel, and we urge our nation’s leaders to stop the violence. As we recall the words from the daily readings of February 28, when the gospel reminds us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48), our hearts break for the loss of life and the extraordinary damage being inflicted not only on the people of Iran but also communities throughout the region who are affected by retaliatory strikes. Since our movement’s founding in Europe at the end of World War II by Catholics who had suffered the terror and trauma of war, Pax Christi has opposed war and all preparations for war. We do not endorse warmaking as a solution for any political or social dispute, but we demand that Congress exercise its responsibility and pass a War Powers Act immediately in order to block this immoral and unconstitutional action. “It is critical that members of Congress re-claim their role and provide some restraint on a president who is completely unaccountable for his disastrous decisions,” said Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., bishop president of Pax Christi USA. “In this Lenten season, may we repent of our sins of violence.” “This unauthorized act of aggression is a perpetuation of the administration’s devaluation of human life,” said Pax Christi USA Executive Director Charlene Howard. “It is paramount that if true and lasting peace is to be achieved, that nonviolent interventions be prioritized in order to safeguard the lives of Iranian women, children and men, and all residents of the region.” We also urge our Catholic bishops to use their moral authority to demand our country’s leaders to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions. As Cardinals Blase Cupich, Robert McElroy, and Joseph Tobin wrote in January 2026, “The balancing of national interest with the common good is being framed within starkly polarized terms. Our country’s moral role in confronting evil around the world, sustaining the right to life and human dignity, and supporting religious liberty are all under examination. And the building of just and sustainable peace, so crucial to humanity’s well-being now and in the future, is being reduced to partisan categories that encourage polarization and destructive policies.” These attacks on Iran by the US and Israel are catastrophic – they will profoundly undermine any attempt at diplomacy and peacebuilding. As Pope Leo XIV said during his Angelus address today, “Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.” We pray for an end to the violence, a cessation of the bombing, and for an embrace of nonviolent solutions that affirm the autonomy and human rights of the people of Iran and the Middle East. See also: Pax Christi International Declaration on the recent military strikes in Iran Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) issues statement on Israeli-US attacks on Iran Prayer and action to stop war with Iran – Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Use this link to read this statement on our website. Pax Christi USA 202-635-2741 | 415 Michigan Ave NE, Suite 340, Washington, DC 20017 www.paxchristiusa.org

Link to Liturgy and Homily for Fourth Sunday of Lent (A) - Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

 

Liturgy and Homily of Eucharist for Fourth Sunday of Lent (Cycle A) by Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP -Rooted in Hope, Rising in Lov

Living with Open Eyes, Awakening to Truth

...At the beginning of John 9, the disciples ask a question that feels painfully familiar even today:

“Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

It is a question rooted in blame, moral accounting, and fear. Someone must be at fault. Suffering must have a reason. Disorder must be explained so that the world feels manageable again.

I have heard this question in many forms throughout my ministry. People rarely ask it directly, but it lives underneath so much pain. What did I do wrong? Why did this happen? Why was I excluded? For many—especially women and those pushed to the margins by church or society—suffering has too often been interpreted as failure or punishment.

Jesus refuses this framework entirely. He rejects not only the question but the theology behind it.

Jesus consistently dismantles religious systems that link suffering with guilt or exclusion. There is no divine punishment at work here—only an opportunity for life, dignity, and healing to be revealed in community.

In the language of our Lenten journey, this is where hope takes root. When blame loosens its grip, the possibility of new life begins.

Notice something crucial in this Gospel:Jesus heals the man—but the real transformation unfolds after Jesus is gone.

The man must now face neighbors, religious authorities, and systems invested in keeping things the way they are. Healing does not make his life easier. It makes his life more dangerous.

I remember accompanying a woman years ago who had long been told that her voice did not belong in the institutional Church. Mary loved God deeply but learned to remain silent in order to remain accepted. She had absorbed the message—spoken and unspoken—that to stand at the altar one had to resemble Jesus in a physical way, that priesthood required maleness rather than discipleship, compassion, and fidelity to the Gospel.

Over time, as Mary experienced herself as beloved and called within an inclusive Catholic community, something shifted. She began to speak—first hesitantly, then with clarity. She shared her love for God, her call to serve, and the pain of being told that her very body made her incapable of imaging Christ. As she claimed her voice, she also claimed her call....

https://open.substack.com/pub/bridgetmarymeehan/p/liturgy-and-homily-for-fourth-sunday?r=2kfqor&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

bridgetmarymeehan.substack.com

Liturgy and Homily for Fourth Sunday of Lent A by Bridget Mary Meehan

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Link to Liturgy and Homily for Third Week of Lent- The Samaritan Woman- Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

 

....

"In my prayer, I spend time each day simply listening — not striving, not asking, not explaining — but resting in the quiet awareness of the loving presence of the Holy One. In that stillness I hear the gentle invitation spoken in the depths of the heart: “Arise, my beloved, and come.” It is not a command, but a call of love. A reminder that before anything we do, before any ministry or service, we are already cherished.

The Holy One speaks a truth deeper than fear or self-doubt:
I love you beyond all heights and depths, beyond your wildest dreams. You are mine. Through you, I am loving, healing, and empowering others through your thoughts, your words, and your actions.

To live from this awareness changes everything. When we know ourselves as beloved, we no longer minister from obligation or exhaustion, but from overflow. Love received becomes love shared. Healing experienced becomes healing offered. Compassion becomes our natural language.

The Samaritan woman does not leave the well with new status or authority. She leaves with something deeper: the certainty that she is loved. And that certainty becomes proclamation. She returns to her community not as someone who has all the answers, but as someone whose life has been touched by living water. “Come and see,” she says.

This is how hope spreads. Not through perfection, but through encounter. Not through power, but through authenticity. When people know themselves as beloved, they naturally become proclaimers of hope....

https://bridgetmarymeehan.substack.com/

The Review RCWP Canada’s Online Magazine-March2, 2026

The Review offers a collection of original writing, reflections, and linked articles on women in ministry, church renewal, feminism, ecological spirituality, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and current developments across the wider Church.

Highlights in this issue include:

- Bishop Teresa Elder Hanlon’s response to Paul Baumann’s recent article on the ritual logic of priesthood, offering a powerful witness to the Spirit’s call to women in sacramental leadership.

- A remembrance of Linda Margaret Spear, priest, scholar, and beloved companion in our shared journey toward an inclusive Church.

- Coverage of Bishop Erik Varden’s Lenten reflections for the Roman Curia, calling the Church to authenticity and peace.

https://rcwpcanada.altervista.org/

Transfiguration Liturgy - Second Sunday of Lent, March 1 2026, Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

Welcome

Presider 1: Mary Theresa

Welcome to our liturgy for the second Sunday in Lent. Today as we journey to Mt. Tabor we are blessed by Jesus’ radiance that illuminates our heart.

Greeting:

Presider: Bridget Mary

We begin our celebration in the name of God our Creator,
the Sacred Source who breathes life into Earth and all her creatures;
and in the name of Jesus our brother,
companion of the poor, healer of the broken,
and prophet of inclusive love;
and in the name of the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom. Amen.

Opening Song: Transfiguration by Carey Landry

https://youtu.be/FfJw-xh0opE

Transformation Rite

Presider: Bridget Mary
Holy One,
we come before you aware of our wounds
and the ways we have fallen short
of living as the Christ Presence in our world.

Yet we trust in the love you have placed within us—
a love that heals, forgives, and restores.

(Brief Silence)

Breathe in the tenderness of God.
Breathe out compassion for yourself, for one another, and for our Earth.

(Please extend hands in gesture of mutual forgiveness and pray together)

 God of Compassion,
Mothering and Fathering Love,
through Jesus, our brother,
you show us that nothing can separate us
from your unconditional love.

Through the Spirit—Holy Wisdom, Sophia—
we receive healing and peace.
We forgive one another
and renew our care for each other
and for all creation.

Amen.

Opening Prayer :

Presider Mary Theresa

Holy One, as we gather in prayer, we open our hearts to Your presence. May your light dispel all darkness within us for You Transform us by Your grace. May we listen to Your Son, follow Him faithfully, and be renewed in holiness. Amen.

First Reading: A reading from “Loud, Clear and Nonviolent” by Joan Chittister

Peter longed to stay atop the mountain, where he recognized the presence of holiness. But he was challenged to come down the mountain and bring his new awareness of God’s presence with him. If there is anything about the prophetic dimension of life that is clear, it is surely this: more people decline to accept the appointment than to embrace it. The struggle to escape the world–to avoid conflict and let things take care of themselves–stays strong in us.

No doubt about it: The purpose of prophecy is to leaven the world, not to leave it, to bring it closer to the Reign of God. The quality of life we create around us as followers of Jesus is meant to seed new life, new hope, new dynamism, the very essence of a new world.

The local messenger of God’s word of justice for the poor becomes known as the expert on an issue. They do their best to follow new material, to write short pieces for the local newspaper on current problems, and to lead discussions on those issues as well. It has been said that every community needs at least one prophet. The poet Mary Oliver may have written the best definition of what it means to be a prophet, “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

Maybe we should start by writing those instructions on every church wall. Then we might be alert enough to notice when God’s beloved sons and daughters are deported, when their healthcare costs rise, when their food assistance is slashed. Maybe we could start telling people about it who have the power to change things. Then we could take our place among the prophets.

These are the inspired words of contemporary prophet and writer, Sr. Joan Chittister and the community affirms them by saying “Amen”

Gospel Acclamation: Spirit of the Living God by Michael Crawford-video by MTStreck 

https://youtu.be/xoJN0owUoWA

Gospel: A reading from the Gospel of Luke

( 9:28b-36)

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up a mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
and what he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Teacher, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.

May this good news, attributed to Luke, inspire us.  Amen.

Homily: Bridget Mary 

The Transfiguration is not a reward for the faithful few. It is a revelation for the journey. It prepares the disciples for what comes next: the road down the mountain, toward suffering, resistance, healing, and costly love.

I remember a moment like this in my own ministry. Several years ago, after an ordination in an inclusive Catholic community, we gathered around a simple table—bread, wine, and people who for much of their lives had been told they did not belong. Some had been excluded because they were women called to priesthood, others because of divorce, sexuality, or simply asking questions that made institutions uncomfortable.

As we prayed together, something shifted. The room grew quiet in that unmistakable way when people sense they are standing on holy ground. 

One woman later said to me, with tears in her eyes, “For the first time, I felt seen by God.”

It was a mountaintop moment—not because everything was solved, but because the light of love became visible among us. 

And yet, like the disciples, we knew we could not remain there. The call was to carry that experience back into the world—to continue building communities where dignity is restored and love made visible.

Mary Theresa :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-dom is 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. 

Prayers of Community 

Presider: Bridget Mary

As we prepare for the sacred meal, we voice our intentions beginning with the words, “We bring to the table…..”  

We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.  

Eucharistic Prayer

Presider: Mary Theresa

On the mountain, his face shone with light—
not to escape the world,
but to reveal what humanity can become
when fully open to you.

Moses and Elijah stood with him,
the voices of liberation and prophecy,
reminding us that glory is always bound
to justice, memory, and hope.

We now join with the Angels and Saints in a song of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place by Christopher Grundy  

https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk?si=xAc1gOkkEdxoz3sv

Presider: Bridget Mary

Send your Spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine,
and upon us, your people.
May this table be a mountain of revelation
where fear is transfigured into trust,
where wounds are held in compassion,
where all are seen, named, and welcomed.

Presider: Mary Theresa 

Make us the Body of Christ—
many members, one living communion—
radiant with courage,
grounded in mercy,
bold in our witness.

Presider and All: Bridget Mary
On the night before he faced betrayal and death—
a night shadowed by fear yet filled with love—
Jesus gathered his friends, women and men,
all who dared to trust him.
He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it, saying:
“Take and eat.
This is my body, given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”

Presider and All: Mary Theresa
After supper, he took the cup,
a cup of covenant and courage, and said:
“Take and drink.
This is my life poured out for you and for all,
for the healing of the world.
Do this in remembrance of me.”

We remember his life of love.
We proclaim his transforming presence.
We commit ourselves to the way of justice and peace.

Presider: Bridget Mary

As we are nourished here,
send us down the mountain,
transformed by what we have seen and tasted,
to shine your light in places of suffering,
to speak truth with tenderness,
to labor for justice with joy.

Mary Theresa

Until that day when all creation is transfigured,
and every tear is wiped away,
we praise you, Source of Life,
through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
All:
Amen.

Let us pray together the Prayer of Jesus: Our Father and Mother…

Sign of Peace,

Breaking of Bread: 

Communion:

This is the table of love, all are welcome.

Communion song:  Be Still And Know by Shaina Knoll 

                                  Video created by Mary Theresa Streck

 

https://youtu.be/CCGsExqtYKo

Post-Communion Prayer: Bridget Mary“Sent Down the Mountain”

God of transforming love,
we thank you for this sacred meal—
for bread broken and shared,
for life poured out in hope.
Here we have tasted your glory,
not as escape from the world,
but as strength for the journey.

Let what we have received
continue to transfigure us—
our hearts made braver,
our vision clearer,
our lives more generous.

As we go from this table,
send us down the mountain,
carrying your light into places of struggle and pain,
into communities longing for healing,
into a world waiting for signs of hope.

May we shine with quiet courage,
listen with open hearts,
and live as witnesses to your love
until all creation is made new.

Closing Blessing: Mary Theresa 

May the light you glimpse in prayer
steady you for the work ahead.
May the voice you hear—“You are my beloved”—
echo when the road is hard.
And may we, as a community of equals,
carry the fire of Transfiguration
into a world longing to be made whole.
Amen.