Well, after several years, my friend J. finally talked me into it. On July 12 and 13, I’ll be riding 50 miles each day in the 2008 Bike MS event here in Michigan. I’m not much of a road biker, but since they now have a 100-mile route in addition to the usual 150-mile route, I decided to give it a shot.

I’m trying to raise $500 for the MS Society. If you’d like to help me meet my fundraising goal, please click on the graphic at the right, which will take you to my event home page, where you can make a donation.

If you are interested in participating yourself, there are similar events all over the country, so you should be able to find one in your area.

Amazing…in a country where voter turnout is embarrassingly low, we have states putting up new barriers that are preventing citizens - 90-year old nuns included - from exercising their constitutional right to vote!

See this article…I used to play clarinet for the liturgies at the motherhouse of these nuns.

I suppose if there were some evidence of voter fraud, some measures would be called for, but when fixing a non-existent problem prevents home-bound elderly citizens from voting, I have to wonder what definition of democracy is in operation.

I had an e-mail recently from New Ways Ministry, talking about a recent press conference prior to the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI. The three panelists answered the question, “What would you say to the Pope if you had an opportunity to have a conversation with him?” One of the panelists was Gregory Maguire, the author of the novel, “Wicked.” He gave a warm welcome to Pope Benedict, and a touching account of his life as a gay Catholic, raising 3 adopted children with his partner. To me, it was a gentle, respectful, AND direct speaking of truth to power. I don’t know if His Holiness will have the opportunity to hear this beautiful account or read its transcript, but if he does, I hope he can hear it with an open heart as well as with his great intellect.

I thought it a good example of the kind of nonviolence I aspire to - being able to face injustice (of course, people of good will may have different perceptions of injustice in various contexts) directly and respectfully, not giving in to rage and bitterness on one hand, nor to passive resignation and despair on the other.

I’ve included his talk for you to listen to…have some Kleenex handy.

From Wikipedia,

Nonviolence is a philosophy and strategy for social change that rejects the use of physical violence. As such, nonviolence is an alternative to passive acceptance of oppression and armed struggle against it.

It seems to me that a better definition would include rejection of all forms of violence, not just physical. Makes it more challenging, but it seems to me that violence and abuse of power take many forms, and a commitment to live nonviolently must include transforming all the ways I perpetrate violence to myself, others, and the earth.

By the way, notice that nonviolence is not passive acceptance of oppression - it implies actively resisting injustice. To me, nonviolence is truly a spiritual discipline.

I’ve been pondering my desire and efforts to live more nonviolently for some time, so I thought I’d offer a series of reflections on it, and invite you all to join in the discussion. First, I’m very encouraged that nonviolence is a core value in our Baden CSJ directional statement, that has guided us for quite a few years now. In fact we say directly, “We commit ourselves to live non-violently.”

So as we prepare for Chapter, I’m also encouraged that one of our core areas for deliberation is “CSJ spirituality of nonviolence.” It signifies a new re-commitment to this way of life.

Wondering and hoping that this may be a new moment of life and grace for us as CSJs and for all those whose lives we touch…

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A disclaimer as I prepare to leave town for a few days… my next two posts on this topic will magically appear while I am away from internet access, so if you leave me a comment and wonder why I’m not responding, it’s because I’ll be gone until next Friday.

Play nice while I’m gone…

Well, I took some much needed downtime this week, but now I’m coming to the surface for a bit. I wasn’t thinking all that clearly, though, because I have a conference paper to revise with a colleague, and he wasn’t available today, I have jury duty tomorrow, and then I’ll be visiting a friend for most of next week, away from cell phone and e-mail. So we may have to work on Saturday…

I’ve been pretty good at keeping up with at least a couple of Twitters a day, but I hope that you’ll be seeing some more substantive posts as I get back into the swing of things. I’ll try to get a few done to come up while I’m away next week, so you have something to look forward to.

Have a happy Friday, all!

This is an opportunity for young adults that I should have posted quite a while ago.

Peace Camp is a program developed by my nuns, the Baden, PA Sisters of St. Joseph. It provides an opportunity for young adults to work as counselors in this day camp for kids from grades K-6. A number of our students from U. of Detroit Mercy have participated over the years, and seem to have gotten a lot out of the experience.

Here’s a link to the website…if you are interested, please contact Sr. Anna Marie soon, as the deadline for applications is approaching - I think May 20 is the date..

Just returned from the mothership in Pennsylvania…a committee meeting Thursday night, then an all-day pre-Chapter meeting on Saturday. All day Friday grading, and I’m still not done…shoot - was hoping to have all day tomorrow off, since it’s my 50th birthday. But I should have it done by noon, so I can take a half day!

Just started a new novel, called “Bethlehem Road Murder”, by Batya Gur. I was intrigued by the first sentence…

There comes a moment in a person’s life when he fully realizes that if he does not throw himself into action, if he does not stop being afraid to gamble, and if he does not follow the urgings of his heart that have been silent for many a year - he will never do it.

I am so grateful to God for the gift of an adventurous spirit, of a consciousness to live out of hope rather than fear. It’s so freeing to be able to just be who I am, without apologies or shame, and not overly dependent on the approval of others.

Nat over at Om. Peace sent me a link to the video clip below - I laughed out loud, and God knows, we can always use a little more laughter. I had a difficult meeting today, so this was a good way to let go of the tension and lighten up a little.

Tomorrow, a trip to the mothership in PA for a couple of meetings.

from yostsa.vodpod.com posted with vodpod

I just spent the better part of last night asking this question repeatedly as I tossed and turned, unable to sleep - for no apparent reason as best I can tell. I finished my grading by 10:30, found out I needed to post a homework solution for my students, got a Skype call from my friend M., and then tried to go to sleep - to no avail.

Tried reading, praying, crossword puzzles, listened to music, ended up watching “Sisters of Selma”, a PBS documentary, ate some peanut M&Ms (I know that probably wasn’t helpful….) In the end I probably got 2-3 hours of sleep before I dragged my sorry behind out of bed at 8:00.

So what was going through my mind - well, besides the repetition of the above question?

I suppose I was having one of those episodes (infrequent, thank God) of feeling nostalgic for the road “not taken.” I was having some moments of wishing to feel someone’s arms around me, or my arms around someone as I went to sleep. I asked God to allow me to have an experience of being in God’s arms, but the thought of how nice it would be to have another human being to wake up to stayed with me.

Does this mean that God wants me to leave the convent and start my search for the man or woman of my dreams? Of course not! It just means I was having a human moment, just like anyone else, one in which I feel keenly the implications of the commitments I’ve made, commitments that preclude some choices I might otherwise make. Does this mean I’m unhappy in religious life and my call to celibacy? Again, of course not!

You may wonder… “Why is she getting so personal in this post? Is this too much information?”  To which I respond that if I were a gambler, which I’m not, I’d put good money on all of you having had nostalgia for the choice you could have but did not make. And I’m hoping that this builds connections among us on another level. A lot of the ideas about nuns in the popular culture are just so unreal. Guess what, WE ARE REAL - just get to know us as fellow human beings, as fellow seekers on this journey to the heart of God. You might find that we have much more in common than in difference.

Peace. Shalom. OM.