Harbor of peace

"I really had to go through many a storm before I reached the harbor of peace or tasted the fruits of total surrender and perfect love."    St. Therese of Lisieux

Buddha boy

The following anecdote actually happened to me at school last year.

The concerned teacher said to her Buddha-looking boy student with a big round tummy and a burred head, "Do you walk home in the dark after school?"

"No, he replied, "I have the light within me."

I had to stop and ask myself, "Do I get it as much as he does?"

Jesus Consoles his Apostles

In today's gospel reading Jesus appears to the eleven apostles after his resurrection. His consoling words are,

                "Peace be with you." Lk 24: 35-48

They were panicked and frightened thinking they were seeing a ghost.

What he says to them are words we can take and apply to our own lives. He asks them these questions which we can ask ourselves:

• "Why are you disturbed?
• "Why do such ideas cross your mind?"

Then Jesus gives this instruction:
   "Recall those words I spoke to you when I was still with you."

In St. John's version of the same gospel story, Jesus says, "Peace be with you," twice to the disciples. Jn 20 : 19-23 And then he says to them:
                     "Receive the Holy Spirit..."

The promises we have received as God's children have come down to us through the Old Testament. The priest at Mass this morning said, "Ignorance of the Old Testament is ignorance of Christ." He explained this is what we should know because of who we are. The scriptures lead us to understand. We must be a people of the Word and our faith will deepen.

Genius of Women III

Our late Holy Father, John Paul II, who will be beatified next Sunday, called for the development of a new feminism. How do we go about this, we might ask?

One way is to discover the old feminism of the 19th century. The women were promoters of peace and defenders of life, like Susan B. Anthony. They were social reformers driven by deeply moral and religious conviction. They opposed abortion, prostitution, established juvenile courts, and supported educational rights...

Pope John Paul II encouraged us to follow the path of the women who went before us--leaders of the early women's movement. Women involved in national and international peace movements.

The core of the new feminism has arisen out of the pro-life movement--defending and promoting life.

John Paul's call for the new feminism includes:

• protecting life
• promoting peace
• assuming new roles of leadership in service for women
• one that rejects models of male domination
• overcoming all discrimination, violence, and exploitation not simply against ourselves, but against the weakest and most vulnerable--the ones our society deems as unworthy and unwanted
• working to reconcile people with life

Before the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, John Paul II met with the Holy See's delegation who would be attending the conference. He made an appeal to women of the church today to assume new forms of leadership in service. He appealed to all institutions of the church to welcome this contribution of women.

Pope John Paul II said to a woman in charge of the delegation, "How's the new feminism coming?"
She looked at him and said, "We're waiting for you to say more."
And John Paul said, "That's your job."

It is our job to live the new feminism and to discover more about it. We need to strive in our own way to protect and promote life and peace--first in our own families, with our children.

We need to commit ourselves more deeply to transform this culture from one of death to a culture of life.

Grace & peace,
Sheila

p.s. this is the third post on Genius of Women on this blog site. You might be interested in the other two:
http://www.becomingwomenofpeace.com/2011/02/genius-of-women.html
http://www.becomingwomenofpeace.com/2011/02/genius-of-women-ii.html

Women of the Tomb

The women at the tomb were women of peace. Notice in the passage below it says they were half-overjoyed and half-fearful. How often do we find ourselves feeling the same way? Yet they did not let their emotions rule them; rather they went and did as they were instructed by the Lord.

Women who listen to the word of God and put it into practice are certainly ones who are becoming women of peace.

"After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene came with the other Mary
to inspect the tomb.

Suddenly there was a mighty earthquake
as the angel of the Lord descended from heaven.
He came to the stone,
rolled it back,
and sat on it.

In appearance he resembled a flash of lightning
while his garments were as dazzling as snow.

The guards grew paralyzed with fear of him
and fell down like dead men.

Then the angel spoke, addressing the women:
"'Do not be frightened.
I know you are looking for Jesus the crucified,
but he is not here.
He has been raised,
exactly as he promised.
Come and see the place where he was laid.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples:
'He has been raised from the dead
and now goes ahead of you to Galilee,
where you will see him again.'
That is the message I have for you."

They hurried away from the tomb half-overjoyed, half-fearful,
and ran to carry the good news to his disciples.

Suddenly, without warning,
Jesus stood before then and said,
"Peace!"

The women came up
and embraced his feet
and did him homage.

At this Jesus said to them,
"Do not be afraid!
Go and carry the good news to my brothers
that they are to go to Galilee,
where they will see me." Mt 28: 1-10

Jesus was revolutionary. He brought about a paradigm shift in thinking about women. He was friends with them and treated them with dignity, value and equality. His actions were radical for his time and culture. He taught women the Gospel and they became his disciples. He said, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." Lk 8:21 Brothers, of course, being a generic term applying to both men and women, or all members of the same covenant and not blood brothers.

What determines intimate relationship with Him is attentiveness to and regard for God's word. Jesus commissioned these women of the tomb to "go and tell" His brothers to go to Galilee where they would see Him...again. He confirmed women's public responsibility. Ministry is about knowing Him and making Him known.

May we go forth in the power of the Spirit; the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and tell the good news--the Gospel of peace.

Love in Christ Jesus,
our Risen Lord,
Sheila

Rejoice

Dear Friends,

This morning I contemplated Jesus sharing the joy of his resurrection with his mother, Mary, and what her response might have been.

Every Word of joy from of old

must have been ringing out in the earth

that day your son appeared to you after his death.

"Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad." Ch 16:31

From Deuteronomy, Chronicles, Psalms and Isaiah

to Jeremiah and Zechariah and the Gospel of Luke,

even through Revelation.

You must have leapt in the womb of the earth

and touched the highest heaven when He came back.

Like John in the womb of Elizabeth

when you visited her after the angel announced

you were to be His mother.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!”  Lk 6:23

All the scriptures of rejoicing come surging together—

like a mighty flood;

like a great wave—of grace;

like the birth of new creation;

like a voice thundering above the clouds

on that great day when He returns in glory.

Mary, I can imagine you saying,
"This is my son whom I love,” 

just as the Father had proclaimed

at the baptism of your son. 

“...I am well pleased.” Mk 1: 11

The baptism of our Lord now being poured out for all mankind.

"The wilderness will rejoice and blossom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy." Is 35:1

I have found my Lord!

He is Risen and He is here!

Let us prepare a feast!” you exclaim, O Mary. 

"There in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything..." Dt 12:7

The great company of host 

as at His birth are rejoicing,

praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men..." Lk 2: 14

For today a Savior is Risen.

And He says:

“Peace to you, Mary, my mother,

Peace to you, John, my brother,

Peace to my sisters who found the stone rolled away

And to whom I first appeared,

Peace to all who do my will,

Peace to all my people on earth.”

All the way to Revelation the Word reverberates.

"Let us rejoice and be glad!” Rv 19:7

Like the psalmist, Mary, you echo,

“My heart is glad and my tongue rejoices,” Ps 16: 9

and once again the great Magnificat resounds

which filled the earth at His conception

and now fills the earth again at His Resurrection:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

"Come, let us rejoice in Him!" Ps 66: 6

Happy Easter!
Sheila

Risen Lord

"For Christ, Our Lord, is risen
And He will always live
To bless us with the Hope and Peace
That He alone can give.  Alleluia!" (ridl)

Happy Easter!
Sheila