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Wisdom from Mother Teresa
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On Sunday, September 4, Pope Francis will canonize Mother Teresa who died on September 5, 1997. The following are some pearls of wisdom from the soon-to-be St. Teresa of Calcutta:
- "We do not need guns and bombs to bring peace. We need love and compassion."
- "The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference toward one's neighbor."
- "I must be willing to give whatever it takes not to harm other people and, in fact, to do good to them. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts."
- "Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion."
- "If we really want to love others, we must first begin to love one another in our own home. Love begins at home, and so from here - from our own home - love will spread to my neighbor, in the street I live, in the town I live, in the whole world."
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Labor Day Statement
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"Dignified work is at the heart of our efforts because we draw insight into who we are as human beings from it." In his annual Labor Day statement, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, highlights the connection between economic pressures and stresses on the family. He laments the struggles of communities with elevated rates of poverty and urges people to respond with faith and action. The statement is available in English and Spanish. Supplementary resources are also available, including:
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Urgent - Comments Needed on Chimera Research
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Your help is urgently needed and there is limited time to act. The National Institutes of Health, (NIH), has recently announced its intention to lift its moratorium on funding research that involves injecting human embryonic stem cells into animal embryos thus creating part-human and part-animal organisms known as chimeras. This means that, for the first time, the Federal government will begin spending taxpayer dollars on the creation and manipulation of new beings whose very existence blurs the line between humans and non-human animals.
Public comments in opposition to this unethical research are currently being accepted. However, the window to act is tight; comments close on September 6. Comments may be submitted electronically or by mail. A suggested message and instructions on how to submit comments, as well as further information about the ethical issues involved in the research may be found in the Human Life Action Center here.
Please act now. Comments submitted by post should be mailed by September 1 to insure they arrive at NIH by Tuesday, September 6. All comments must be received by 9:00 pm (Pacific) Tuesday, September 6. Thank you for raising your voice in defense of human life and dignity.
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Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities
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On September 9, the feast of St. Peter Claver, the U.S. Catholic Bishops are urging dioceses, parishes, and other faith communities to participate in a Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities. This Day complements the ongoing work of a special Task Force, led by Archbishop Gregory, to help bishops and communities engage the challenging problems connected with race relations.
Dioceses may wish to plan one or more of the following activities:
- Celebrate an (Arch)diocesan-wide Mass on September 9, the feast of St. Peter Claver.
- Utilize prayer and liturgical resources, including this Prayer of the Faithful (also en Español) and a prayer card (available soon here) at parish Masses.
- Invite participation (in-person or remote) in a Rosary for peace in our communities.
- Ring local Church bells.
- Offer (Arch)diocesan events and presentations related to race, violence, and peace within the community.
- Engage in ongoing community conversations on racial justice.
- Facilitate (Arch)diocesan clergy and staff conversations on race.
- Explore ways to celebrate diversity in your community.
- Share memes on peace and racial justice being posted biweekly on the PovertyUSA Facebook page.
- Participate in the September 14 YouTube Live event (11 a.m. PDT) to hear three concrete examples of how parishes are engaging in work for racial justice.
- Reflect with others on how faith communities around the U.S. are working for racial justice, and how the Holy Spirit may be calling you to act together.
The USCCB task force will continue its work beyond September 9, and it urges all faith communities to discern involvement in longer term efforts to build peace and work for racial justice. The USCCB webpage on Racism, which is being updated regularly, provides the latest information and resources to assist your work. Thank you for your commitment to building peace and working for racial justice! |
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Regional Cornerstone Catholic Conference
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The first Regional Cornerstone Catholic Conference will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2016, at the Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center, Spokane Valley. The Bishops of Washington State sponsor Cornerstone Conferences to inspire Catholics to protect human life: the unborn, people living in poverty or on the margins of society, and people at the end of life. To learn details of the program and to register, click here. For more information, contact Scott Cooper (509) 358-4273 or scooper@ccspokane.org.
Did a relative or friend forward this Cornerstone Notes to you? Sign up for your own free subscription here. |
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