'Reflections'
Icon and Reflection – Br. Martin Sanabria ofm
Posted on 04. Apr, 2012 by admin.
Icon by Brother Martin de Jesus Sanabria Navarro ofm on the occasion of his Solemn Profession of Vows, August 20, 2012. On the reverse side of the card, meant for reflection, is Admonition #27: St. Francis of Assisi. This admonition reflects the spirituality that animates a Franciscan approach to the work of Justice, Peace, and Care for Creation. Thank you Brother Martin for sharing this beautiful icon and reflection with us.
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An Ephesian Way of Life for All – Fr. Barnabas Hughes ofm
Posted on 23. Mar, 2012 by admin.
Crafting a way of life
Justice, peace and care for creation fit into a larger world view shaped for us in part by our forebears in faith. In this reflection on St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, our brother Barnabas breaks open the word. What do Paul’s words tell us about the key elements of a Christian world view? We can learn from the witness of this ancient community about what it takes to craft a way of life.
Ephesus was seaport in Roman times. Over the centuries its bay filled in with silt and now the city is land locked. St Paul visited it several times beginning the Fall of 52. The impact of his message and personality are reflected in what is known as the Epistle to the Ephesians. The letter is at once provocative and proactive. It is provocative because it forces a person to make choices; read it to discover what the objects of the choices are. It is proactive because it calls for immediate action on the part of the reader, both in thought and in deed. This is the epistle as I see it. [...]
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Direction – Br. Jeff Shackleton ofm
Posted on 06. Mar, 2012 by admin.
Carol Aust’s art makes me feel as though I’m stepping into a story. According to Brother Jeff, who incidentally was once a newspaper reporter, it’s a story of discernment and commitment well worth pursuing. It is the pursuit of a life of justice and peace. Thank you, Brother Jeff, for invoking your forebear, the intrepid explorer, who shows us the way to be resolved. And thank you Carol, for inviting us, through your art, into our own lives!
Direction by Carol Aust
I am a distant relative of a well-known explorer: Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton. An Anglo-Irish adventurer, Shackleton participated in a number of expeditions to the South Pole in the early twentieth century. His most famous journey was the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, in which his ship, The Endurance, became stranded in the polar ice of the Weddell Sea. Shackleton led a thrilling rescue, and somewhat miraculously was able to save the entire crew of the ship, without loss of a single life. [...]
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Our Lady of Guadalupe: Sign of Hope!
Posted on 13. Dec, 2011 by admin.
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Final Spirit of Assisi Reflection
Posted on 11. Oct, 2011 by admin.
Peace and all good!
We are approaching the culmination of a joint effort of our Province’s JPIC/Vocation Office, Outreach/Development Office, and the JPIC Council. Watch the media for reporting of the October 27th twenty-five year anniversary in Assisi of the “Spirit of Assisi,” the inter-faith prayer experience for peace established by John Paul II.
Soon you can spot local media reports from around the Province–and way beyond–of the many prayer gatherings for this World Day of Prayer for Peace.
As Meister Eckhart is quoted as saying,
“What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.”
Below is the last installment of our reflection series. With this reflection we highlight the spirit of inter-faith solidarity. We hope that these materials will enhance your personal or communal preparation for the events of October 27.
This final reflection will also be published as a prayer card for distribution, especially at local inter-faith celebrations. To order prayer cards please contact Ali Packard by October 18, 2011. You can contact Ali via this form or by phone at 916-443-5717. Prayer cards are available in Spanish. Please specify the amount in each language you would like.
The card will soon be available as a download from the JPIC website, under the Spirit of Assisi Resources link.
With this prayer and artwork by Mark Schroeder, ofm, we invite you to stretch (literally!) into the appreciation of our inter-faith reality.
Gratefully,
Ali, Dan, Mark, Michelle Province Planning Committee
Prayer Ritual
* Please stand
* Place your right hand over your heart
* Create an arch until your right hand is extended above your right shoulder
* Place your left hand on your chest
* Create an arch until your left hand is extended above your left shoulder
* We are together on Mother Earth
* Turn a full 360-degrees with your entire body
Common Prayer
God of many names, we gather as people of faith in the Source of all goodness.
Peace is so desperately needed in our world, and it is up to each of us to give more-as we forgive, to have passion-as we reach out to others in compassion.
We are one family, standing in awe at the Beauty of your Creation: teach us to take bold steps to furthering Peace on this special day.
