Inspired by Scholastica

  Lighting up the Darkness As I was watching the recent solar eclipse, I had a mental image of Jesus’ resurrection glory. I thought of Jesus spreading his light over a dark world and being like a corona of fire overcoming the darkness. We often talk about Jesus being the light of the world, and an eclipse is not an adequate comparison, but it helped me visualize in some small way how Jesus overcame the pervading evil in the world with his resurrection. When we all lit our small candles from the Easter candle on Holy Saturday, it was as if we were participating in bringing Christ’s light to our sinful world. We are called to be Easter people, carrying the light of the risen Christ to our entire planet. Christ is commissioning us to be his light in all the places where there is war, violence, racism, abuse, crime, and bloodshed. We are also called to be beacons of kindness, caring, mercy, justice, hope and peace. There is still so much need to continue Christ’s mission in the world

  Unsung Alleluias They will sing no Alleluias in Gaza where 7 humanitarian workers were recently killed while aiding famine-stricken Palestinians and the Israeli attacks continue. They will sing no alleluias in Ukraine where Russia is dropping bombs on Ukrainian hospitals and civilians and encroaching on more and more Ukrainian territory. They will sing no alleluias where immigrants are called vermin and are not welcome even though they are fleeing oppression and violence. They will sing no alleluias in Afghanistan and Iran where girls are deprived of education and women are oppressed by the Taliban. They will sing no alleluias in Mexico where drug wars and competing drug cartels are devastating the country. They will sing no alleluias in Haiti where violent gangs have taken over the country and people live in fear. They will sing no alleluias in Yemen where Saudi Arabian air strikes are causing monumental devastation.   They will sing no alleluias in South African sch

  Easter Hope With all the hate, devastation, and violence in our world, it is hard to really comprehend the joy of Easter fully. We want to experience the glory and hope of the resurrection, but it sometimes seems hard to really see around us. Certainly we can identify with the apostles’ fear and despair after the devastating crucifixion on Good Friday. Not only were their hopes and dreams crushed, but they feared for their lives. Locked in the upper room, they wondered what the future would hold. When the women came back from Jesus’ tomb and found it empty, they were not sure what that meant at first. We at least have the assurance of the resurrection. We believe that Christ rose on the third day and that he continues to be with us. Jesus has overcome his excruciating death on the cross and lives again. We feel his presence in the Eucharist, in the wonders of the natural world, in the faces of each person we meet, especially the poor and persecuted. Jesus assured his followers:

  The Triduum Days   The Triduum of Holy Week is always such a solemn time in our monastery.   Our Holy Thursday ritual begins with a special supper in the dining room with the 11 oldest sisters and the youngest seated in places of honor while the prioress and monastic council members serve them. After dinner, we have the Mass of the Last Supper with the washing of the feet. Just as Jesus washed the feet of the apostles, we have sisters washing the feet of anyone in the congregation who wish to have their feet washed. On Good Friday, we have a solemn procession with sisters dressed in black who will enact the Passion narrative according to the gospel of St. John. Several sisters also carry in a large wooden cross for the adoration of the cross to remember Jesus’ death. This is followed by prayers for the various peoples of the world, such as our Jewish brothers and sisters, the Muslim community, people of other faiths and even non-believers. The service ends with a simple communion

  Pope Francis’ Vision Pope Francis has a radical vision of the Catholic Church and how it needs to change, not in its core values but in its practices. So in 2021, he called for a Synod on Synodality to include the world-wide Church. The first year, dioceses were called to gather their pastors and congregations to discuss what issues they thought were important in the Church at this time in history. In October 2023, representatives from all over the world met in Rome to further illuminate these issues and concerns. Bishops, priests, religious sisters, lay men and women gathered in small groups at round tables to listen and share their ideas on how to clarify and implement the changes that they discerned as necessary. This was the first time people of different cultures, states in life, and languages were treated as equals and were asked to share their insights and hopes for the Church. What an undertaking! Many thought it was an impossible task. Never before had lay people, espe

  Andrei Navalny: Courage of a martyr The courage of Andrei Navalny is the courage of a martyr. His death in a prison cell in Siberia is considered very suspicious. His followers blame Putin for his death and call him a “murderer.” Navalny could have escaped death by not returning to Russia after his recovery from a poisonous drink he was given while in Russia several years ago, but he was unswerving in his resolve to help the people of Russia. Navalny in recent days had called for mass protests against Russia's war in Ukraine. The Russian government has gone to extraordinary lengths to stifle opposition to the war and censor accurate reports about the real situation on the ground. "Words have power; Putin is afraid of the truth," Navalny said following his last sentencing. "Fighting against censorship and bringing the truth to the people of Russia has remained our priority. “ Navalny’s crusade for freedom in Russia will live on. He once told his followers: “