The Transfiguration & Hiroshima -- Pray for an end to nuclear arms

Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration -- and the date our world was forever transfigured by the horror of the bombing of Hiroshima.

Thought for the day:

“What can be said, too, about those governments which count on nuclear arms as a means of ensuring the security of their countries? Along with countless persons of good will, one can state that this point of view is not only baneful but also completely fallacious.

In a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims.

The truth of peace requires that all —whether those governments which openly or secretly possess nuclear arms, or those planning to acquire them— agree to change their course by clear and firm decisions, and strive for a progressive and concerted nuclear disarmament.

The resources which would be saved could then be employed in projects of development capable of benefiting all their people, especially the poor.”


- Pope Benedict XVI, 2009 World Day of Peace Message, no. 13

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Action Alert on Peace in the Middle East

An Action Alert from the USCCB's Office of International Justice and Peace & Cahtolic Relief Services:


SUPPORT PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND THIS NEW YEAR: SIGN AN ECUMENICAL LETTER TO PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA BEFORE JANUARY 16!

TAKE ACTION NOW! Thanks to the incredible efforts of Catholics around the country, our Church has provided more than 2,300 signatures to date to an ecumenical letter signed by Most Reverend Howard Hubbard, Bishop of Albany and Chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Ken Hackett, President of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) that urges President-elect Barack Obama “to make achievement of Israeli-Palestinian peace an immediate priority” during his first year in office. But there’s still time to act in support of peace.

Visit http://www.cmep.org/letter now to add your signature before January 16.

WHY IS THIS ACTION IMPORTANT NOW? As we start the New Year, we renew our hopes for the day when our sisters and brothers can live in peace in the Holy Land. As the conflict in Gaza reminds us, violence cannot bring peace; what is needed are negotiations. With the incoming Obama Administration, there is a renewed opportunity for the United States to help achieve a just and lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

During his campaign, President-elect Obama promised to work for peace between Israel and the Palestinians from the beginning of his Administration. Given the global financial crisis and the many challenges facing Americans today, the President-elect will be balancing many competing priorities when he is sworn in on January 20, 2009. It is therefore critical that he hear from us now in large numbers that Holy Land peace cannot be delayed and that we fully urge his leadership in resolving this long-standing conflict.

WHAT DOES THE LETTER ASK PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA TO DO? The letter we are asking you to sign was circulated by the Churches for Middle East Peace, an ecumenical coalition of churches and faith-based organizations. The letter urges President-elect Obama to provide immediate diplomatic leadership toward the clear goal of a final status agreement establishing a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. The opportunity for achieving a two-state solution is supported by majorities of Israelis and Palestinians as the best way to end this tragic conflict. However, the prospects for this solution are narrowing and must be seized soon.

The deadline for signatures is January 16, 2009. A version of this letter signed by national Christian leaders was sent to the Obama transition team on December 1, 2008. The final letter signed by leaders and individual church members, such as us, will be delivered to President Obama upon his inauguration. Sign the letter now.

WHAT DOES PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND HAVE TO DO WITH MY FAITH? Our Catholic faith teaches us to be peacemakers. The U.S. Bishops wrote in their 1983 pastoral letter, The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response, “Peacemaking is not an optional commitment. It is a requirement of our faith. We are called to be peacemakers, not by some movement of the moment, but by our Lord Jesus.”

Pope Benedict XVI reiterated the Catholic Church’s commitment to peace in the Holy Land when he stated that “it is necessary to explore every possible diplomatic avenue and to remain attentive to even the faintest sign of dialogue or desire for reconciliation if long-standing conflicts are to be resolved. When all the people of the Holy Land live in peace and harmony, in two independent sovereign states side by side, the benefit for world peace will be inestimable […]” (May 12, 2008)

WHAT IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DOING TO PROMOTE PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND? In 2005, the USCCB launched the Catholic Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land to promote understanding and support for a just resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. CRS has worked in the Holy Land for nearly 50 years, supporting peace with justice for all people, while responding to the humanitarian and sustainable development needs of Palestinians. To learn more visit: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/mideast.shtml and http://crs.org/Jerusalem/.

For more information contact:

Dr. Stephen Colecchi, Director
International Justice and Peace
USCCB
scolecchi@usccb.org, (202) 541-3196

Tina Rodousakis, Grassroots Advocacy Manager
CRS
trodousa@crs.org; (410) 951-7462

Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 World Day of Peace Message

"FIGHTING POVERTY TO BUILD PEACE"

An excerpt:

One of the most important ways of building peace is through a form of globalization directed towards the interests of the whole human family. In order to govern globalization, however, there needs to be a strong sense of global solidarity between rich and poor countries, as well as within individual countries, including affluent ones.

Read Pope Benedict's entire message HERE and see the following link's call to action by our U.S. Bishops:

Bishops Urge Catholics to Act on Pope's World Day of Peace Message

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Action Alert on Nuclear Non-Proliferation

From the US Bishops' (USCCB) Department of Justice, Peace & Human Development:

ACTION ON NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION

Urge your Representative in Congress (check http://www.house.gov/ for contact information) to cosponsor the Global Security Priorities Resolution (H.RES. 1045) which links long-term savings from reducing our nuclear arsenal to increased support for nuclear non-proliferation efforts and child survival programs, and to call for a nuclear non-proliferation hearing.

CURRENT SITUATION

The Global Security Priorities Resolution (H.RES. 1045), introduced by Congressmen Dan Lungren (R-CA) and James McGovern (D-MA) on March 13, 2008, recognizes the threat of nuclear prolifera-tion and the danger of nuclear weapons materials falling into terrorists’ hands. It calls for cuts in the U.S. nuclear arsenal and directs a portion of the savings into securing nuclear materials. Recognizing that poverty and social and economic injustices can breed resentment and violence, it directs another part of the resulting savings towards child survival, hunger, and universal education. USCCB and inter-religious partners worked with both congressmen to craft this resolution.

BACKGROUND

The Cold War ended over 15 years ago yet the U.S. and Russia still maintain over 10,000 nuclear warheads. Maintaining thousands of strategic nuclear weapons is expensive and breeds mistrust among non-nuclear nations and encourages them to join the nuclear club. Funds for nuclear weapons could be better spent to secure nuclear materials from terrorists and to encourage development, improve the lives of the poor, and invest in our children’s futures. Reductions by U.S. and Russia to 1,000 deployed nuclear weapons each and a total nuclear inventory of 3,000 by 2015 could save as much as $13 billion annually. Savings would be used to dismantle and secure nuclear weapons and nuclear materials, including weapons of mass destruction in former Soviet Union states. Other uses include $5 billion over five years to enhance child survival in the poorest countries by supporting international organizations and boosting community-based health and nutrition services. Additional funding would go toward school feeding and related programs to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

The Church clearly opposes nuclear proliferation and the use of nuclear weapons because they are indiscriminate in inflicting harm on vast numbers of civilian as well as military combatants. Pope Benedict XVI said in his 2008 World Day of Peace message, "At a time when the process of nuclear non-proliferation is at a stand-still, I feel bound to entreat those in authority to resume with greater determination negotiations for a progressive and mutually agreed dismantling of existing nuclear weapons." The Church supports replacing nuclear deterrence policies with disarmament measures based on dialogue and verifiable multilateral agreements to reduce and ultimately ban nuclear arms. This legislation reflects the bishops’ longstanding support for dismantling nuclear weapons systems and for reducing global poverty.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact Virginia Farris, USCCB Office of International Justice and Peace, 202-541-3182, vfarris@usccb.org, http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/nuclear.shtml.

6/9/08

A Memorial Day video reflection

There is a thoughtful music video on Arlington National Cemetery, along with some "reflections on the shifting meaning of security on a shrinking, finite planet" posted at the Dot Earth blog on the New York Times online today.

See: Sacrifice, Security, and the Road Toward 9 Billion (New York Times 26 May 2008) by science reporter Andrew C. Revkin

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Memorial Day -- Eternal Rest Grant Unto Them . . .

A Memorial Day Prayer from the Education for Justice website of The Center of Concern :

On This Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day
Grant peace to the souls of all those soldiers who died in war.
We remember the tears and grief of their families,
The pain of mothers, wives, husbands and children
Who lost precious loved ones.

To build a meaningful memorial to them,
We ask God to give us all the will
To work for peace around the world
So no more sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers, nor mothers
Are slaughtered by the guns and bombs of war.

We ask Mary, who held the lifeless body of her son
And was pierced by the sorrow of his suffering and death,
To grant us the compassion and wisdom to affirm life
And honor the dead through forgiveness and peace making.

May God have mercy on the souls of the departed.
Grant them peace, O Lord.
May we have mercy on the living.
Grant us peace, O Lord.
In Your name we pray.

+Amen

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Take action for PEACE & join Pax Christi Tucson
at their May meeting tonight at 7:00 pn
at Most Holy Trinity Parish
1300 N Greasewood Rd (just north of Speedway) MAP

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Pax Christi Tucson -- prayer vigil on 1st Monday, meetings on 4th Monday, every month

"Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God."
Mt 5:9

Come and join Pax Christi Tucson for a PRAYER VIGIL for peace in Iraq on the first Monday of every month.

Where: DeAnza Park (Speedway and Stone)
When: 7:00 pm. It lasts about 25 minutes.

Anybody is welcome to join us! June 2nd is our next Prayer Vigil.

You are also invited to join us at our monthly meetings:

Pax Christi Tucson -- a local Pax Christi Community -- meets in Tucson on the 4th Monday of every month.

Where: Most Holy Trinity parish at 1300 N Greasewood Rd (just north of Speedway) MAP
When: 7:00 - 8:30 pm. May 26 (evening of Memorial Day) is our next meeting.

A Pax Christi community is a group that participates in the Pax Christi Catholic Peace Movement by meeting on a regular basis to pray, study and act for peace with justice.

To learn more about Pax Christi, see the Pax Christi USA statement of purpose.



Information sbmitted by Fr. Bill Remmel, Most Holy Trinity Parish
Contact him for more details: bill@mhtparish.org


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Pray for World Peace: Feast of Our Lady of Fatima

Icon of Our Lady of Fatima
from Our Lady of Fatima Byzantime Catholic Church
San Francisco, CA





Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima

Immaculate Heart!

Help us to conquer the menace of evil, which so easily takes root in the hearts of the people of today, and whose immeasurable effects already weigh down upon our modern world and seem to block the paths towards the future!

From famine and war, deliver us.

From nuclear war, from incalculable self-destruction, from every kind of war, deliver us.

From sins against human life from its very beginning, deliver us.

From hatred and from the demeaning of the dignity of the children of God, deliver us.

From every kind of injustice in the life of society, both national and international, deliver us.

From readiness to trample on the commandments of God, deliver us.

From attempts to stifle in human hearts the very truth of God, deliver us.

From the loss of awareness of good and evil, deliver us.

From sins against the Holy Spirit, deliver us, deliver us.

Accept, O Mother of Christ, this cry laden with the sufferings of all individual human beings, laden with the sufferings of whole societies.

Help us with the power of the Holy Spirit to conquer all sin:
individual sin and the ‘sin of the world', sin in all its manifestations.


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Prayer from Pope John Paul II, excerpted from Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: The Message of Fatima (2006) by then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)

Read more about the role of Mary and popular devotional practices such as those surrounding the private revelations of Our Lady of Fatima, in the USCCB's 2003 statement on Popular Devotional Practices: Basic Questions and Answers.

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Celebrating 75 Years of "The Catholic Worker"

Catholic Worker
artwork by Ade Bethune



Quoted from The Catholic Worker website:
http://www.catholicworker.org/


"On May 1, 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression, The Catholic Worker newspaper made its debut with a first issue of twenty-five hundred copies. Dorothy Day and a few others hawked the paper in Union Square for a penny a copy (still the price) to passersby. "

"The Catholic Worker Movement is grounded in a firm belief in the God-given dignity of every human person. "

"Today over 185 Catholic Worker communities remain committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and foresaken. Catholic Workers continue to protest injustice, war, racism, and violence of all forms. "


See also this article from Catholic News Service:

"Catholic Worker Movement marks 75th anniversary without fanfare," by Dennis Sadowski at:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802398.htm


And keep Casa Maria -- our own Tucson Catholic Worker Community -- in your prayers today!
http://www.casamariatucson.org/

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Feast of St. George - Pray for Interfaith Relations

This icon of St. George comes from:
Icons-Interfaith, a blog dedicated to Christian Icons,
but likewise to Icons from other traditions:
http://icons-interfaith.blogspot.com/

St. George is venerated by those of many different faiths:

"There is a tradition in the Holy Land of Christians and Muslim going to an Eastern Orthodox shrine for St. George at Beith Jala, Jews also attending the site in the belief that the prophet Elijah was buried there."
Source: Wikipedia

In a world torn apart by violence, misunderstandings, and suspicions -- too often promulgated in the name of religion -- perhaps the banner of this interfaith saint can lead us toward the elusive goal of peace and reconciliation among the world's religions.

For more on St. George, see The Catholic Encyclopedia

Martin Luther King, Jr. - Prophet and Witness for Peace and Justice

CLICK HERE to see an icon of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assasinated on this date in 1968. Forty years later, his life and words still inspire a world that longs for peace, nonviolent social change, and an end to racism.

The following quote from one of his stirring sermons in 1967 speaks profoundly and prophetically about peace and solidarity in a globalized world. . . . .

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It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated.

We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality.

Did you ever stop to think that you can't leave for your job in the morning without being dependent on most of the world? You get up in the morning and go to the bathroom and reach over for the sponge, and that's handed to you by a Pacific islander. You reach for a bar of soap, and that's given to you at the hands of a Frenchman. And then you go into the kitchen to drink your coffee for the morning, and that's poured into your cup by a South American. And maybe you want tea: that's poured into your cup by a Chinese. Or maybe you're desirous of having cocoa for breakfast, and that's poured into your cup by a West African. And then you reach over for your toast, and that's given to you at the hands of an English-speaking farmer, not to mention the baker. And before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you've depended on more than half of the world.

This is the way our universe is structured, this is its interrelated quality. We aren't going to have peace on earth until we recognize this basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality.

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The entire text of Dr. King's 1967 Christmas Sermon on Peace

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Suggestions for Marking the 5th Anniversary of the Start of War in Iraq

Based in part on information from the Center of Concern's Education for Justice website:
http://www.educationforjustice.org/

• Pray for an end to all war.
• Study the resources posted at the U.S. Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) wepage on Iraq: The Way To Peace: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/peace/index.shtml
• Read, reflect on, and share the information in the USCCB's Iraq Study Guide (PDF)
• Pray for the U.S. Military and civilian personnel and all those who have died in Iraq. Pray for the families and loved ones who are experiencing untold grief and loss caused by this war. Click here for a list of names Select someone by name and pray for him or her and their loved ones during this Holy Week.
• Refer to the names of all the Iraqis who have died during the war in Iraq and pray for their families and loved ones who are experiencing the grief and loss due to war. Click here for a list of names. Select someone by name and pray for him or her and their loved ones during this Holy Week.
• Read the Catholic Relief Services blog about issues in Iraq, including the plight of war refugees.
• Take action for PEACE: Visit the Pax Christi website on The war and occupation of Iraq: Resources, statements, actions

A Prayer for Iraq

Gracious and Healing God,

We hold in our hearts and prayers all troops and military personnel from various nations and all of those who have died since the Iraq War began. We pray for them, their families and friends during the continuing tragedies inherent in war.

O God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We hold in our hearts and prayers the many thousands who have returned from the war with physical and mental injuries. Many of these soldiers and their families are members of our congregations. Enable us to surround them with compassion; help us to be responsive to their needs. Fill us all with your hope.

O God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We hold in our hearts and prayers the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have suffered deprivation and death. Give hope, strength and vision to the orphans, widows and other survivors of war and those who care for them. Be with those who are wounded, whose homes have been destroyed, and who have been traumatized.

O God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the leaders of every nation. May they find the wisdom to establish peace and justice everywhere in your creation. God of Grace, hear our cries. We long for an end to the hostilities and sorrow. We long for reconciliation and the power of your peace. We look to the hills for help, knowing it can only come from you.

O God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.


Prayer from the National Council of Churches, courtesy of the Center of Concern's Education for Justice website.

Action Alert on Anti-Torture Bill

From the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Office of International Justice and Peace:

URGE PRESIDENT BUSH TO SIGN ANTI-TORTURE PROVISIONS

issued February 28, 2008

Why this issue is important? The Church stands firm in denouncing torture as it undermines and debases the dignity of both victims and perpetrators. Pope Benedict XVI said "the prohibition against torture cannot be contravened under any circumstance."

The Senate voted 51-45 to pass HR 2082, the FY2008 Intelligence Authorization Act, which contains anti-torture legislation (Section 327) expanding the prohibition against torture of detainees to all U.S. intelligence agencies and their agents. Now the bill faces a possible veto by President Bush on March 5. We urge you to contact the White House and express your support for President Bush signing those anti-torture provisions of HR 2082 into law.

Background: USCCB was successful in joining with other organizations in pressing the Senate to pass HR 2082 on February 13, 2008 with its anti-torture provisions intact. It was a triumph as it prohibits cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners held by U.S. intelligence agencies. Earlier legislation supported by USCCB had prohibited torture of those held by U.S. military and required that interrogation techniques conform to the standard now offered by the U.S. Army Field Manual. While the Conference cannot presume to be experts on the Manual, one of its guiding principles which USCCB supports echoes the Golden Rule, i.e. we should not use any technique against an enemy that we would not like to have used against our own military or civilians.

While USCCB does not take positions on the more technical and other provisions of the Intelligence Authorization Act, we believe the adoption of the anti-torture provision (Section 327) in HR 2082 would go a long way to restoring U.S. credibility in the international community by helping the U.S. regain the moral high ground. Respect for the dignity of every person, ally or enemy, must serve as the foundation of security, justice and peace. We cannot win the war against terror by abandoning fundamental moral values.

ACTION REQUESTED: Ask your members to call the White House at 202-456-1111 or send an email to President Bush at comments@whitehouse.gov to express support for the anti-torture provisions in HR 2082 and urge him to sign this legislation.

For more information contact Virginia Farris. Office of International Justice and Peace, USCCB, 202-541-3182, vfarris@usccb.org. See the op-ed on torture signed by Bishop Thomas Wenski and four other religious leaders which is being offered for placement.

Pope Benedict XVI's World Day of Peace Message

January 1, 2008 -- Pope Benedict XVI's 2008 World Day of Peace Message is titled "THE HUMAN FAMILY, A COMMUNITY OF PEACE" CLICK HERE to read the entire message, which is posted at the Vatican website: http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm

A short description of the Pope's message is posted at the Center of Concern's Education for Justice site:

In his January 1, 2008 World Day of Peace Message, Pope Benedict XVI focuses on several main topics, including the challenges of relativism, global citizenship and the family, environmental stewardship, the call for disarmament and the need to fight poverty.

The "Education for Justice" (EFJ) site http://www.educationforjustice.org/ of the Center of Concern (CoC) http://www.coc.org/ provides a 2-page summary of the Pope's message, along with a Prayer for Peace. The EFJ site contains many other resources for education on Peace and Justice issues.

(NOTE: a membership is required for access to many of the EFJ materials. A Free Trial is available. Click here for more information about the EFJ site, membership, and the free trial.)

Recent Bishops' statements on Iraq

On November 13, 2007 the U.S. Catholic Bishops released a statement on "A Call for Bipartisan Cooperation on Responsible Transition in Iraq" by Bishop William S. Skylstad, President of the USCCB. The statement is available in PDF format at the USCCB Middle East webpage: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/international/mideast.shtml

Also available is a document titled: "Questions and Answers on the War in Iraq" by Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, November 2007.

Want to know what else the U.S. Bishops have been saying about the war in Iraq and other issues related to Iraq? Click on Iraq on the USCCB's Middle East page and you will find all the statements issued since 1997, along with a link for: "Resources for Dioceses and Parishes"

If you would like to know more about the Catholic tradition with respect to war, including where the Bishops stood prior to the Iraq war, there is a very readable summary for Catholics in American Catholic.org's Catholic Update titled "What is Just War Today?" by Thomas A. Shannon ( from May 2004).