Monthly Archives: April 2019

Living Joy Easter 2019 By: Jeanne Connolly, Director of Charism and Mission “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised.” Luke 24:5-6 Triddum and Easter are my favorite time in the Church.  Celebrating liturgies during Holy Week have served as an alarm clock for me. A couple of years ago on Palm Sunday, I came down with one of those viruses that knocks one flat. I missed every Holy Week liturgy through Easter Sunday. Being a creature of habit, in a culture of scarcity, I felt lost and rather [...]

Living Prayer Holy Thursday/Good Friday - Lent 2019 By: Jeanne Connolly, Director of Charism and Mission “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do." John 13:15 Two images capture my imagination as I reflect on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. The first is the image of Jesus wrapping the towel around his waist and washing the feet of his disciples. A true model of servanthood and leadership. The second image is of Simon of Cyrene, who helped Jesus carry the cross. In the case of Simon of Cyrene, I [...]

Be Faithful! Holy Week - Lent 2019 By: Jeanne Connolly, Director of Charism and Mission Pack Nothing. Bring only your determination to serve and your willingness to be free. Do not hesitate to leave your old ways behind — fear, silence, submission. Only surrender to the need of the time — to love justice and walk humbly with your God. As we begin this Holy Week, it seems appropriate to double check our baggage, as well as the state of our heart. Alla Renée Bozarth’s beautiful poem Passover Remembered ¨offers gentle guidance for the journey. Most importantly, she reminds us [...]

An Invitation to Be Light Fifth Week of Lent 2019 By: Jeanne Connolly, Director of Charism and Mission Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; see, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:18-19) Fr. Thomas M. Santa, CSsR, writes, “Most people-centered stories of Jesus in the gospel are about relationship, intimacy, forgiveness, and mercy. They’re about becoming whole, integrated, and filled with life. None of Jesus’ stories are about righteousness, judgment, sin, and punishment. We might hear the stories recast that way, but that [...]

What is in our Heart? Fourth Week of Lent 2019 By: Jeanne Connolly, Director of Charism and Mission My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. Luke 15:31 “Righteousness is not about rules written on paper, but the love of God written on our hearts. Righteousness has nothing to do with self and everything to do with loving others … because of our love for Jesus.”  Ann Weems, Stars for Righteousness, Putting the Amazing Back into Grace (1999) Do you ever wonder who you would have been if you were gathered around Jesus and hearing [...]