“Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Jesus asks us for freedom of heart. As our country faces economic crises, as our Church prays for a new pope, as we start our day with its unknowns, we need freedom of heart.

I feel humbly proud of the response of religious sisters after the apostolic visitation and later assessments, for after prayer they responded with equanimity and freedom of heart. We sisters felt the overwhelming support and alliance of the laity. Together we must move forward to make our Church and world more receptive to the peace Christ promised. This requires freedom of heart, that combination of peace and courage so that nothing outside us can trouble our hearts.

Ever since Charles Darwin gave us the phrase “survival of the fittest,” we’ve believed that the best, the strongest, the fastest will endure. But is that true? Darwin used the phrase “survival of the fittest” only once in a book that spoke of love 95 times and moral sensitivity 92 times.

Darwin believed the prime mover of human evolution is not natural selection nor survival of the fittest, but rather our capacity for love and caring for one another. If today everyone would start believing that our future depends on love and caring, how different our lives would be. As we go about our day making little choices, let’s be mindful that our future depends upon love and caring.

Many of us, perhaps, go into Lent with a sense of dread about what we can’t do and can’t have. So let’s approach  Lent differently this year.  How?  Let’s go to Cedar Point until March 28. Explore the rides!

The devil tempted Jesus to be self-serving, self-exulting, a real Power Tower. Isn’t that our Mean Streak, too? Jesus responds to the temptations with Scripture. Do we read the Bible regularly? It teaches us to be like the Frog Hopper.  F-R-O-G:  Fully Rely On God.

Lent leads us into the desert, where we become more aware of our egos and how they’re like the Scrambler that mixes up our thoughts so that our needs and wants are more important than those of others. To free ourselves from our small egos that always are afraid and seek control would be a great Lenten penance—a Matterhorn probably. We’ll be transformed into Christ, the Giant Wheel who turned “the worst thing, the ‘murder of God’ into the very best thing, the redemption of the world” (Richard Rohr).

 Traditionally we pray, fast, and give alms.  Do we? Or do we Dodgem? Most parishes provide a Millennium Force of opportunities, such as the Way of the Cross or parish missions. Don’t be a Maverick.  Be part of these events.

The ultimate purpose of Lent is to lead us to the Super Himalaya of the Church Year:  the Sacred Paschal Triduum (March 28-31). We enter into the very life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, an on-going reality, a Kingdom Carousel of joyous victory. One day we’ll meet the Gate Keeper. Will we be recognized as someone who rode the Corkscrew of the Lenten journey into the death and resurrection of Christ?

This morning I began to use a little book entitled God Speaks in Many Tongues.  It contains sacred texts from a variety of religious traditions followed by a meditation on a line or two from the text of the day by Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister.

The words of wisdom for today come from Hildegard of Bingen, who wrote centuries ago:  “God hugs you; you are encircled by the arms of the mystery of God.” 

What if we looked at Lent from the lens that God hugs us, each and every one of us on this planet?  What might our fasting look like?  What about our prayer — if we really believed and lived out of that sense of being hugged?  How different might our almsgiving be if we saw “the other” as not “other” but one “just like me?”

Think about it:  God hugs us … how loved we are.  Spread that love this Lent!  Transform the world!  Share a smile!  Impart a blessing!  Happy Lent!

We join with the universal Church this morning as we hear the news of Pope Benedict’s resignation as Holy Father in praying for him and for all Catholics throughout the world.

I’m reminded of the times I’ve been privileged to visit the Vatican and the overwhelming gratitude I felt for the universal bond of faith so tangible there.  Our Church is bigger than nationalities, ideologies and manners of approaching the events of daily life.  We are one, holy, Catholic and apostolic. We are united in our common mission – the mission of Jesus. We are committed to making God’s love tangible and real for all those we meet.

Please join me in praying in gratitude for Pope Benedict’s service to our Church and for wisdom for those who will elect our next Holy Father.

Sr. Bernie volunteers for Double ARC.

Ever since Charles Darwin gave us the phrase “survival of the fittest,” we’ve believed that the best, the strongest, the fastest will endure. But is that true?

Darwin used the phrase “survival of the fittest” only once in a book that spoke of love 95 times and moral sensitivity 92 times. Darwin believed the prime mover of human evolution is not natural selection nor survival of the fittest, but rather our capacity for love and caring for one another. If today everyone would start believing that our future depends on love and caring, how different our lives would be.

As we go about our day making little choices, let’s be mindful that our future depends upon love and caring.

Today’s reading from Mark’s Gospel relates the story of Jesus calling the evil spirit out of a man in the Gerasene territory.  I think most of us think of this story as the one in which the pigs were drowned in the lake!  Hopefully, we don’t miss the bigger message.

The man in the Gospel is just one example of someone held captive, in this case by a “legion” of evil spirits.  I couldn’t help but think of the many others in our world who are held captive.  Especially forefront in my mind today is the little five year old boy being held hostage in Alabama and the many individuals who were likely victims of trafficking during the Super Bowl festivities this past weekend. There are also those held captive by addictions of various sorts.

At another point in the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that he was sent “to proclaim liberty to captives.”  As one of his followers, I can do no less.  It may mean actively working for legislation against human trafficking or praying for all victims or freeing someone from my judgments and biases against them.

Who is the captive I will free today?

Today, Sister Jennifer Marie begins her intense preparation for perpetual vows in July, 2013.  As a province, we are so excited to share this time of renewal with Sister!

During these next months, Sister Jennifer will be deepening her understanding of the Constitutions of our community as well as other congregational writings, but her primary focus will be to fall more deeply in love with Jesus.  What a wonderful time to consider yet again what a tremendous blessing a call to the religious life can be.

Please keep Sister Jennifer in your prayers as she moves through these months to the day of her perpetual profession on July 14!

Sr. Mary Bernarda

Are you making plans for the Super Bowl weekend? Although I can be quite excited about high school sports, I’ve never been able to muster interest in professional sports except from a psychological point of view.

I’ve learned that how we play on the field or court is probably how we play out our lives. A study of the personality profiles of 15,000 athletes showed a low interest in receiving support and concern from others, a low need to take care of others.

It may do me well to reflect today on how I play a game, how I have fun. When do I have more fun:  when I compete to win or when I cooperate to make sure we all have fun? When am I at my best: when I develop my skills or help others develop theirs?  Do I want victory for me, or do my relationships grow because I want what’s best for another?

Today as we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, I’m reminded of the many people in our country and world who work and pray to withhold the value of life.

Three of our Sisters (Sister Mary Jo Szpila, Sister Linda Maria Pelagio and Sister Jan Marie Lonsway) minister at Path to Life Hope Home here in Toledo.  Their mission is clear:

Path to Life is an interfaith, life-affirming non-profit organization.

Believing in the sanctity and dignity of each human life, from conception to natural death, our mission is to provide alternatives that protect the inherent right to life of the unborn and empower single pregnant women who lack the resources and support to cope with their unexpected pregnancies.It is our goal to provide a safe and nurturing environment that is non-judgmental and emotionally and spiritually supportive for pregnant women in need.

Our maternity housing is a great option for expectant mothers ages 18 and over who wish to make a decision regarding their future as well as the future of their unborn child, without the pressure that can come from friends and family who may not be supportive.

I am so proud of our Sisters and the many volunteers and donors who support this much needed ministry.  Their efforts help to make it possible for women to choose to support life rather than end it.

Check out their new electronic newsletter at http:www.path2life.org/newsletter  to read more about this ministry.