Inspired by Scholastica

The liturgical readings after Easter focus a great deal on women. While the apostles are supposedly huddled in the Upper Room for fear of being killed like their leader, several women go to the tomb on Easter morning to anoint his body. They are told by an angel that Jesus is risen. When they go back to tell Peter and the others,  "the story seemed like nonsense and they refused to believe them." (Jn.24:11) Mary Magdalen encounters Jesus in a garden but does not recognize him until he says her name. Jesus tells her to go and tell the Eleven, but she is not believed. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus (one or both women?) encounter the risen Lord too, but only recognize him "in the breaking of the bread." (Jn. 24:35) Although Jesus had told the apostles and the women that he would rise from the dead, they did not understand what this meant. In his resurrected state, he looked different so they didn't really know who he was. Also they were still overcome ...

Sister Celinda with a student volunteer Sister Celinda has resided in our care facility ever since a surgery went wrong and left her incapacitated. She cannot walk or do anything on her own. Her speech is difficult to understand and she now has cancer. She was formerly a creative, effective primary teacher for many years and tutored children who needed extra help on Saturdays. I thought of how I would feel if this were me-- angry, depressed, lonely. I'm sure she has those feelings at times, but she is generally content. I often saw her watching TV and thought that was all she could do. When I stopped to talk to her the other day, she was saying her rosary. She said she prays three rosaries a day for all the people in our care home and everybody in the world. "They need lots of prayer," she said. It was as if the people around the world depended on her prayer. She still had one more decade to go, so I left her to finish her rosary. I was reminded of the quote, ...

Last Sunday's gospel told the story of a woman caught in adultery. The Jewish elders were going to stone her according to their religious custom, but Jesus said, "Let the one among you without sin cast the first stone," and began writing in the sand. We don't know what he wrote, but one by one the elders walked away. "Did no one condemn you?" Jesus asked the woman. She shook her head. "Neither do I," he said. This was written over 2,000 years ago, but women are still being exploited today. In Bhutan (Asia), women who are raped must either marry the rapist or commit suicide. Other countries in Asia and Africa have similar laws. It is usually only the women who are considered guilty of adultery or sexual misconduct, not the men. Human trafficking also abuses women's rights. Young girls are often sold to traffickers by their poor parents to acquire money or because the young women are promised good jobs in another country. They have...

We all know one or more amazing people, people who stand out for overcoming obstacles to succeed, or make contributions to improve society, or risk their lives to save others. These are other-centered people who are not afraid to do what they can to create a better world. They do not always make the headlines; they often do amazing things in their own neighborhoods or workplaces. One City Cafe in Kansas City, MO   I just read about the One City Cafe that recently opened in Kansas City, Mo., for anyone to come and enjoy a delicious, healthy meal in an inner city neighborhood. The meals are prepared by a former chef who believes everyone deserves nourishing food whether they are homeless, unemployed, or minimum wage workers. The free meals are served by staff and volunteers in a restaurant-style community kitchen. People can sponsor a night at the kitchen for a minimum of $150, sccording to Doug Langner, manager of the Troost Avenue site. The place is so popular sponsors are ...

Dealing with our painful emotions such as anger, shame, guilt, fear, grief, and loneliness are challenging for all of us. They rise up at the most inconvenient times and hang around when we want them to go away. We don't often think of the benefits that negative emotions bring. Evelyn and James Whitehead in their book, Transforming Our Painful Emotions, give concrete examples of how to handle these emotions in healthy ways. They guide readers through the dark, uncomfortable territory to discover gifts most of us never think about. Anger at some injustice can make us take action to right the wrong. Shame helps us protect our personal dignity. Guilt gives us the impetus to maintain our personal integrity. Loneliness can aid us in our search for intimacy. Fear alerts us to dangerous situations and can lead to courage. By dealing with our grief we can open ourselves to hope. The Whiteheads warn against clinging to these painful emotions and getting stuck. If we wallow in our ...

Last week at our community retreat Father Jerome Kodell spoke about the spiritual path through the wilderness. He compared it to the exodus of the Israeliltes through the desert after fleeing from the Egyptians. It was not an easy, direct path. In fact, they wandered for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land. They complained to Moses about leading them through a vast wasteland, and longed for the fleshpots of Egypt. They doubted God's word about giving them a land flowing with milk and honey. They were not satisfied with the manna God gave them; they wanted meat so God provided quail. When they were thirsty God gave them water from a rock. The Israelites slogged through a circuitous route, feeling lost and afraid, but they reached Mt. Sinai. Our spiritual journey is similar to the Israelites of old. We lose our way frequently and complain about the hardships. We think "the road not taken" might have been easier and more fulfilling. We doubt God's care and ...

I have them under cover, hidden beneath my mask so no one will notice, no one will be aware of my blunders. Yet upon closer inspection my mistakes become more evident unravelling the edges, sticking out for all to see, hard to ignore. Why do I think I have to hide, or exclude these scars of my humanity? Do I want to be like stone, hard and solid? Or malleable and stretchable, ready for reshaping and repairing, each day starting over again to be more flexible, more permeable? Yes, Lord, remold my clay again, make me into a new creation able to use my wounds, my errors, to console, to nourish, to serve those who are struggling too.