Resources

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 [...]

Cultivating Our Souls Third Week of Lent 2019 By: Jeanne Connolly, Director of Charism and Mission “I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it that it may bear fruit in the future.” Luke 13:8-9 One of my favorite books to read during Lent is Judy Cannato’s Quantum Grace. I return to it year after year. I am particularly drawn to her reminder that “Love demands seeing that we are connected” (p.80). The tricky piece for me is that it is easy to forget the connectedness in a culture of divide and conquer, scarcity and greed, and fear and [...]

The Way of Connection Second Week of Lent 2019 By: Jeanne Connolly, Director of Charism and Mission “But I say to you who listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. …. Do to others as you would have them do to you. … expecting nothing in return… Be merciful, just as our God is merciful. Do not judge, do not condemn, Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; …The good person brings good things out of the good [...]