If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness and the gloom shall become for you like midday.

Isaiah 58:9b-10

Do you know those days when you can say without a doubt, "I see the Spirit of God active and alive here in this place in these people... and it is light." Or perhaps you know someone whose very being radiates God's compassion and concern for the poor and oppressed... and they're so full of joy you know it's of God?

Well, I know that I have those days. And if I'm honest with myself they happen more often than I pay attention to. However, I cannot over look the experience I had yesterday.

First, I need to set a little context. There is seems to be a movement here in Ohio (mostly the Dayton and Cincinnati regions) of Lay Marianist communities living in such a way that they become a source of vibrancy, life, justice and faith for their neighborhoods and cities. It's difficult to explain unless you've experienced it. Anyway, most of these communities are not "residential communities." Meaning, most Lay Marianists live in different houses with their families. That's pretty typical for people outside of religious life, right?

Here in Dayton, however, there are communities of Lay Marianists popping up that are people who live together - share common prayer together, have a mission statement about how they are going to be witnesses and community builders in their neighborhoods etc. It's an amazing Spirit-led phenomenon.

Yesterday a very large number of Marianists - both lay and vowed - came together in the home of one such Lay Marianist community. The community is comprised of two married couples who intentionally purchased a house on a side of town that is under-resourced... to help build community there... to witness to their faith and the sacrament of marriage... because they are committed to living lives of justice & peace. Anyway, we were there to bless their home and to celebrate with them the formation of their community.

Listening to their mission statement... sharing prayer and conversation with others who are committed to building communities of justice and peace... witnessing the power of God's Spirit in the hearts of those around me... I was in the embrace of the type of light spoken about by today's first reading from Isaiah (quoted above). This community (and others like it) are prophetic and a light for a sometimes dark society. May God continue to bless them and all who seek to bring about a more just society.

Many blessings to all who read this!

Sr. N

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:7

Jesus... Stephen... the apostles... Paul... Agnes... Felicity... Perpetua... Joan of Arc... Marianist martyrs... Martin Luther King Jr.... JFK... RFK... Archbishop Oscar Romero... Ita Ford... Dorothy Kazel... Jean Donovan... Maura Clark... Dorothy Stang... and countless others... Murdered for speaking truth... asking for conversion of hearts...

The day after I returned from El Salvador our nation commemorated the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. I was struck last week by the fact that so many people in our history as a people of faith and in our so called secular history have been murdered for speaking uncomfortable truths. Killed for standing up for the rights and dignity of the people around them... asking for conversion of hearts to love for all people.

Today the Church celebrates the conversion of St. Paul - one of those who once persecuted and murdered those who spoke uncomfortable truths. His conversion is a sign that hearts can indeed be converted. He was eventually killed as well.

"Unless a grain of wheat shall fall upon the ground and die it remains but a single grain with no life." That was the theme of the prayer service our community celebrated when I entered formation with the Marianist Sisters in 2005. I believe that I've come to a deeper understanding of this phrase in recent years. At the time of my entrance to the Sisters I understood it in its spiritual sense... in a Pauline sense... dying to one's ego and false self in order to rise as a person more Christ-like. While this is true, it is also true in a real, physical sense.

Sometimes speaking out for the rights and dignity of self and/or of others can result in death. It happens over and over in our world... People in power do not like being asked to change. Well, truth be told, a lot of people are not eager to change - be it behaviors, attitudes, routines, etc. I, personally, am not crazy about change at all. But, if people stopped speaking out... stopped standing up for truth, justice, peace... what a terrible world this would be. And conversion of hearts would be more difficult.

We are called to follow the examples set by those who lived in love, spoke the truth, and stood up for those who were oppressed. I think I have to recognize that sometimes that leads to unpopular opinions (and sometimes worse than that) of those who enjoy the status quo... First, I have to be converted... to love, to insight into injustice and to courage. Then, to follow the examples of those who have gone before us.

As we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul today, may we pray for continual conversion of hearts... that eventually justice and peace might flourish in our world.

Blessings to all who read this,

Sr. N