Schedule for Wed (August 6)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Releasing the Charism for mission

7:00 - 8:30 Breakfast in dining room
7:30 Optional liturgy in Anacon room
9:00 Morning prayer in Chapter room
Continuing process to Release the Charism for Mission
1:00 Lunch - leisure
3:00 Continue morning work
5:30 Overview of Thursday, Closing mantra
6:00 Supper
7:00 Peace Presence on Great Lawn

Wednesday: Audio Podcast of John Dear's Presentation

Press the ">" key in the box below to listen to John Dear's presentation to the Congregation Chapter.

Wednesday: Living Nonviolently

John Dear, SJ we were told this morning, “believes and lives peace through justice.” He is the “internationally recognized voice for peace and nonviolence” and is the author of many books on the subject.

Today John Dear urged us as CSJPs to speak the truth, resist war, practice nonviolence, pray, and follow the nonviolent Jesus. We have no need to be afraid in our mission as peacemakers, he said. We have our own Constitutions which should compel us to take a stand, be the voice ofpeace in our poor world which at this time is living in an Orwellian nightmare of war.

We are blessed in having such a powerful heritage from Margaret Anna Cusack, an historic peacemaker. The question for us as we follow her lead is how to become stronger voices for peace. We have to ask how our life as a Congregation fits into the life of Jesus.

John spoke dynamically and passionately about formative influences in his journey into nonviolence – Martin Luther King, the Berrigan brothers, and Ignacio Ellacuria, who told him bluntly he could no longer be for the reign of God unless he could stand up publicly and actively against the anti-reign; silence would be complicity in war.

In our own lives we can harbor violence about the smallest things so we must work towards becoming communities of nonviolence. In order to be faithful to the journey, John asked us to be:
contemplatives of peace, full time activists, students and teachers of active nonviolence, visionaries of nonviolence and prophets of peace.

John asked us to make our lives a journey of peace, to breathe peace as we walk in the footsteps of the nonviolent Christ, remembering those who have led the way in our recent past – Dorothy Day, Gandhi, Daniel and Phillip Berrigan and Martin Luther King, who said “the choice is no
longer violence or nonviolence, it is nonviolence or nonexistence.”

John asked us to think and talk in our table groups about five questions:
1. How do I define gospel nonviolence?
2. When have I experienced it?
3. What’s the most difficult challenge for me on the journey
of nonviolence?
4. Jesus – was he violent or nonviolent?
5. How can we take another step, this week, on the road
to active nonviolent peace?

Responding to comments from table groups, John said that we in America and England live in a
world of total war and there is a subtle spirituality of violence all around us. We are urgently needed as leaven for the new church of peace, because war is not the will of God.

In the afternoon, John focused on the Beatitudes, saying that Gandhi read Matthew, Chapters 5,6 and 7 every day, and we would do well to do likewise.The Beatitudes – the teachings of Christ our peace – are the blueprint for nonviolent action. Can we as a peacemaking community fulfill the demands of these beatitudes? He ended the day by asking us to reflect on
the following powerful and disturbing questions:

How are we already living out the beatitudes of peace?
How do we love our enemies?
What is our image of God? Is our God non-violent?
How are we peacemakers?
What decision by the Congregation will help us become
beatitude people?

John Dear’s powerful witness and challenge was followed up by an invitation from Annie Welch and the Liturgy Committee to consider taking the Pax Christi vow of nonviolence. This will be considered as we continue in the Chapter process.

Wednesday: Virtual Chapter

As we gather in the Chapter room each day, we see colorful ribbons with the names of each sister & associate who is unable to be physically present with us due to ministry, family or health concerns. We have certainly felt the power of their prayer carrying us through these first days.

Did you know, however, that even though they are not here with us at Monmouth College, they are able to follow the Chapter closely via the internet? Our 21st General Chapter is also our 1st “Virtual Chapter.” Our communications committee has set up a Chapter blog called “The Crossing Place.” You can access the blog by clicking on the Chapter logo at the bottom of
our CSJP website. It contains articles from the daily “Crossings” newsletter, audio recordings of our keynote speakers (called “podcasts”), short video clips of prayer rituals, and pictures of our Chapter events.

The Chapter blog has received more than 50 visits (or “hits”) each day of the Chapter, from familiar places such as Federal Way, Jersey City, and Derbyshire. Bob Chambers has even accessed the blog from Kuwait where he is currently on a business trip!

Angie Picardo sent these words by e-mail from Everett, Washington: “I LOVE the Chapter on the internet. ... I feel I am participating with you all even though I am not there physically. Now I am not only with you in Prayer and Spirit I am with you on the internet.”

Video: Blessing John

Alexandra Kovats, CSJP blessed John Dear before he addressed the Congregation Chapter on Wednesday Morning. Watch the video below.

Prayer: A Reading from our Constitutions

Click the play button below to experience Breege Leddy, CSJP reading from our Constitutions during our morning prayer on Wednesday.

Music: "Being Peace"

We began our prayer time Wednesday morning singing "Being Peace" by Mary Therese Breuning, CSJP. Click the play button below to sing along!