All Faiths United

  “No justice, no peace” we hear from demonstrators in street marches.   They are voicing a fundamental truth.   Without justice, there may appear to be a form of peace, but it is fake, superficial.   Underneath the smiles, there is a simmering anger fed by smashed dreams and barriers to equality. Somewhat like the times when Jesus was born into a Palestine under the heel of Roman oppression.   Some historians have called that a time of peace, but this fake “Pax Romano” was giving birth to freedom fighters such as Barabbas, whose path would cross that of Jesus 33 years later. In his latest encyclical, Pope Francis sheds light on similar current situations by reminding us that we are all brothers and sisters. He challenges us to ponder how we will behave when we finally emerge from COVID-governed restrictions. Will some countries continue to grab instead of sharing? Will we continue to destroy our natural world? Will some people continue to put “I” before “we?”...

  In the image and likeness of God – and nothing less – were we created.  In the Christian tradition, we believe this to be our greatest inherent dignity as individuals, evenly shared among all human beings, indifferent of race, religion, or beliefs.  We are all one family – human and divine… all God’s children and all equally loved by our Father. I am your brother.  Why do you see me or treat me differently?  Is it because God would have me born to a distant land where they speak a language not your own, where perhaps someone raised me under a different faith or possibly no faith at all?  Is it the color of my skin, or could it be the vastly dissimilar opportunities that you and I have had?  But wait, my mother’s heart beat just like that of yours when they first held us in their arms.  Their tears and prayers for you and me have made their way to heaven just the same.  We could have lived and played together in bliss before the breath of ...

Thoughts Shared by Lolita Pagarani Love as Deed What does love do? ·          It connects the hearts ·          It promotes understanding ·          It heals the pain ·          It heals the loneliness ·          It speaks the loudest even without words ·          It increases with giving ·          It empowers ·          It uplifts ·          Only Light can dissolve Darkness. ·          Only love can overcome hate ·          It’s the power that can transform our world ___________________________________________________________...

Thoughts on Faith as Protest Sr. Ann Hayden, MM – July 10, 2020 FAITH is a journey of learning how God’s active presence touches our everyday communal lives.   It is the energy that opens our hearts to listen for God’s sustaining love in the people among whom we live, their traditions, and in the events of life we encounter in solidarity. Living our faith is the daily effort to connect the mysteries and wonders of this life to God’s deep relationship of care with, for and among us all.     God sees there is MUCH NEED for us to cry out for and with the poor, the immigrant, the trafficked, the sick, and the marginalized of our world. There is much in our society that we need to protest against and transform. When we hear the call to participate more deeply in this God/Human/Spirit Relationship as a communal quest, then our faith becomes a labor of   love and wisdom expressing itself within our life experiences.   Protest, and the work for policy ch...

Downside Up Together Each and every day, We are invited to stand downside up, reaching For the promise of new life grounded in faith like …Seed planted in rich soil …Bounty based in bonding self to self …Grace grown out of giving away …Blessing blooming in the merciful dregs of justice …New life lifted up, rising out of dark, unguarded tomb Each and every day, We are amazed by …The story of God’s transforming power throughout the universe We see the earth’s creative energies …In elements of nature and genes of ancestry We re-tell the history of human mind and skill …Turned toward art, ritual, story and communal fire We hear the upending words of Jesus …In parable, sermon, and spirit We witness … The ever-new transfiguration of the promise of life Each and every day We are called to walk … A narrow road, a common way We are sent forth to grow holy family …Faithful in word and ever-forgiving heart We are gathered to form community...

Reflection on Choices and Transitions Sr. Ann Hayden, MM April 19, 2020 “Let us help one another move forward.” In this time of COVID-19, as we see images of a shared human struggle for life, we have begun to feel particularly close to peoples near and far of all faiths, diverse cultures, and different political leanings.   We have adjusted, in spite of our fear, and anxiety for   loved ones in family and among friends, to our efforts to invent new ways to spend time to enrich our relationships with fun, art, music, reflection, poetry, and prayer. In recent holy days of mutual human need, we have witnessed an immense outpouring of love and care for our neighbors; and for the heroes that are saving lives, providing food, safety, needed services, and essential travel.   We are filled with gratefulness and creativity in simple service to family, students, and strangers alike.   Even in this time of extreme vulnerability, we have certainly experienced...

Prayer… stillness… being with God by Sr. Shirley Mueller  I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, Or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I’m supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I’m praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, But now I know that prayer changes us and we change things. St. Mother Teresa   T he hallmark of prayer is the finding and becoming one with stillness. It is so amazing to me that God can dwell within us and be at the heart of the mystery of the Universe. I often think of the profound mystery of two molecules of hydrogen forming a unique relationship with one molecule of oxygen to give us water in all its varied forms to be the wonderful conveyor of life. In the deep silence of the Universe billions of star galaxies move in harmony to manifest such glory. In the deep silence of the mystery of water within us, as we continue to be...

Reflection:  History Past and History Yet To Be November 4, 2019 By Ann Hayden, MM  History has long given us endless examples of violent efforts to decimate culture, art, religion and tradition built up by peoples that are feared, hated, and sacrificed as scapegoats to bigoted ideals of supremacy and power. The violence has been unrelenting and can be chronicled in the stories of ancient conquests; of middle-age crusades; of inquisitions; of reformations; of religious persecution; and of 1 5 th , 1 6 th , 1 7 th , 1 8 th , 1 9 th , 2 0 th , and   21 st century modern colonization of natural resources, slavery, and wars fostered by European, Middle East, Asian and North American military, economic, religious, and political powerbrokers.     In our lifetime and the lifetimes of our parents and grand-parents, human beings (like you and me) have been forced onto reservations, have been trafficked as slaves, murdered in pogroms, gassed in trenc...

LIVING A MORAL LIFE IN A MULTICULTURAL WORLD  by Lois Eichman, AFU member Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes on his website article, Morality matters more than ever in a world divided by fear and faithlessness , “One of the lasting unintended consequences of multiculturalism is that we no longer think of the nation as a whole. Instead the electorate has been fragmented into a series of subcultures, defined by ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. These can easily become competitive interest groups, less concerned with the common good than for what is good for those-like-me. Each group can be encouraged by the mood of our time, to see itself as a victim and to identify an oppressor who can be blamed for their current predicament. This gives rise to divisive and rancorous politics that divide society, like the dualisms of old, into the children of light and the children of darkness. It also produces a justification for the use of social media to manipulate public opinio...