Presence Podcast – Barmen Today – Commitment to Equality and Dignity – Background and Introduction

Barmen Today – Background and Introduction

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A Washington Post article today quoting words against racism from a Catholic archbishop and words from a Baptist reverend saying Donald Trump isn’t racist illustrate the division in how Christians are responding to recent violent, hate filled shootings and “tweet-storms.” This episode begins reflection on “Barmen Today: A Contemporary Contemplative Declaration.”

Barmen Today – Read the Statement and Sign the Petition

5 Minutes in Church History – The Barmen Declaration

Barmen Declaration (Wikipedia)

Barmen Today: An Act of Divine Obedience

Archbishop of San Antonio Gustavo Garcia-Siller Video Response

“Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call of Love” – A Pastoral Letter Against Racism

“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” The US Bishops Reflection on Catholic Teaching and Political Life

Presence Podcast -87-Year 2- Presence in American Gun Troubles, Irish Fest and Made for Better

#87 -Year 2- Presence in American Gun Troubles, Irish Fest and Made for Better

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I recorded this episode at the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival after celebrating mass with our Bishop Robert Brennan. My heart is heavy and I’m angry too after 20 were killed by an American terrorist in El Paso yesterday and 9 murdered early this morning in Dayton – 90 minutes from here. I talked with a Northern Irish author and am struck by how this form of domestic terrorism we are facing isn’t too different than what he grew up with in Belfast. Any yet I am encouraged by the refrain from Bishop Brennan’s homily – We are made for better than this. God is here and ready to empower us to support life by enacting common sense gun laws. We pray for those lost and also MUST work to end this violence. There are solutions if we but have the courage to stand up and enact them.

This is Greg McVicker, whose powerful words about the Northern Irish “Troubles” I read in the episode.

Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Columbus preaching at mass.

He is the first active bishop of our local diocese to preside and preach at this festival in its decades of existence.

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I was pleased to discover that this is a Zero Waste Festival. This is the most important way this Irish Festival can go green!

Presence Podcast – 86-Year 2 – Presence in an Undeveloped Park and the Wood Wide Web

I hike in a track of public land which isn’t yet a designated park and I reflect on the ways that the trees and the entire woods is connected under the earth. Words from the new book “Underlands” come to mind as I experience Christ in this place and time.

LISTEN TO – Presence Podcast – 86 – Year 2

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41817481-underland

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/05/wood-wide-web-underground-network-microbes-connects-trees-mapped-first-time

Lenten Journey Journal: Friday, March 24th

Today is the feast day of a rather new “blessed” and one of my top Catholic heroes – Archbishop Oscar Romero. Picking any of his powerful and prophetic quotes and prayerfully reflecting on it is a valuable meditation for me.

Please download and share these slides – PDF and Google Slides

And today is the last day before our week long (and much anticipated) Spring Break. So, the next post of the Lenten Journey Journal will be for Monday, April 3rd!

Lenten Journey Journal: Wednesday, March 22nd – U.N. World Water Day

Please download and share these slides: PDF and Google Slides

And to celebrate U.N. World Water Day, you may want to watch/show this video:

 

Saint O’the Day: St. Josephine Bakhita (8 Feb)

Please download and share this presentation – PDF 

Wednesday the 8th is International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking  See this link for resources provided by the USCCB.

Prayer Numbers – Nine Days for Life and One Hundred Days of Prayer

As I wrap up this weekend, I share a few prayer intentions my classes and I will be praying with this coming week.

First, the USCCB offers many wonderful resources to pray over Nine Days for Life (21 Jan to 29 Jan). I put some pro-life prayer intentions in the slide deck for this week’s lectionary gospel. 

Additionally, I found a thoughtful, “must-read” article on the U.S. Catholic blog which offers six numbers which pro-life Catholics should keep an eye on during the presidency of Donald Trump.

And, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange are publishing a calendar of the first 100 Days of President Trump with a prayer intention each day related to life and justice.

The slide above, which combines the prayer intention and the pro-life numbers, can be accessed in Monday’s Saint O’the Day and in each Saint O’the Day posting going forward.

Saint O’the Day: St. Marianne Cope (23 Jan)

Please download and share this saint who spent much of her life in Syracuse, New York and Hawaii. – PDF

As I mentioned in another post, I’m including a couple of special slides with prayers and reflections related to the USCCB’s Nine Days for Life  , including this reflection posted recently by Fr. James Martin, S.J.

Excellent USCCB Video for “Poverty Awareness” January

A quick post this Wednesday afternoon.

I blogged the other day about the USCCB’s designation of “Poverty Awareness” during the month of January 2017.

Today I discovered and showed my students an extremely valuable video (pictured above) which illustrates through dollars and cents how unbearably difficult it can be to get out of poverty. It’s created by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and their “Poverty USA” initiative and it is found directly HERE and indirectly (in a list of other videos) HERE.

USCCB Declares January 2017 as “Poverty Awareness Month”

If I don’t frequently visit the excellent and continually expanding United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website I’m likely to miss an important announcement. The other day I discovered that January 2017 is “Poverty Awareness Month” for the U.S. Catholic Church

There are some excellent resources, including the calendar (pictured above) which includes daily information and weblinks. An expanded version of the resources linked on the calendar is found here.

I’m planning on an activity with my classes tomorrow using the “quiz” found at this link listed for January 2nd:

And USCCB.org also has resources for National Migration Week, beginning on Monday, January 8th. More on this later….