Our work is grounded in God’s call to do justice, love our neighbours and be stewards of creation. In this section you will find reflections on this biblical call and what our faithful response can be.
By Sister Maureen Wild, SC | Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
Sister Maureen Wild, SC, asks how we can honour what God creates in Birthing a New Ethic for Ecological Justice. Sister Maureen highlights how our survival depends on choosing life for all creation. Read more »
By Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat | Friday, November 13th, 2009
Once upon a time there was a man named Boaz. You may have heard of him. Boaz lived in ancient Israel at the time of the judges. It was a time of increasing violence against women, tribal warfare and increasing economic hardship, for there had been a famine in the land.
As a result, it was also a time of poverty. There were women who had been widowed; there were men who had been injured too much to work; and there were refugees coming to the land. Read more »
As a youngster growing up in Saint John and being Catholic it was customary, even when the schools were closed because of snow, to go to Mass every morning during Lent.
I recently found myself again praying at noon during the month of March, this time in front of the Ontario Legislature. The Ontario budget was coming down at the end of March, and we stood there in prayer, theological reflection and vigil, advocating that poverty reduction be a major way to stimulate the economy in these recessionary times. It was a Lenten moment for me. Read more »
“Human dignity is a right to be protected and promoted.” People of many persuasions and perspectives in society would likely agree with this statement; and Christians in particular would nearly unanimously affirm that this is among the first principles of their faith.
While we might readily agree on the priority of human dignity in principle, putting principle into practice is a continuing challenge. Let me offer here a brief reflection on resources from Jewish and Christian biblical traditions that might help with the challenge of putting belief into action. Read more »
In this thoughtful reflection, Jennifer deGroot comments on the inspiration of two strong women who stood up for change. She notes that while most of us may not have opportunities for such forceful, vocal action, the world still needs our voices. In our everyday lives, she argues, we can live out a commitment to justice and to change. Read more »
The words “the poor you always have with you” in Mark 14:7 are sometimes used to deflect attention away from meeting the needs of the poor and focusing it elsewhere. But is this a legitimate use of this verse? Is Jesus really encouraging his followers to turn from the poor? Rev. Gary Hauch explores what Jesus meant by looking at the biblical context. Read more »
We had learned to love Frank with his generous smile and free spirit. Totally uninhibited, he readily engaged anyone in animated conversations. “We’re friends” he would say to those he met. Yet he was a troubled single man with some psychological problems. Occasionally, he arrived at our inner city community centre and church wearing inappropriate clothing and carrying a large, purple purse. He never seemed to have any money and lived in various places: on the streets, in his own rented room, in a shelter, or with his sister, who was also on disability. Sometimes when he came to worship at the church I mumbled a quick prayer: “God, please don’t let him disrupt the service again.” Read more »
Sociological studies are demonstrating that societies with wider gaps between rich and poor experience higher levels of violence, poorer health for all, lower levels of trust and community participation as well as higher levels of racism and sexism.1 Patterns such as these can open our eyes to the ways that we’ve structured society so that it benefits the rich by giving privileged access to limited social goods, and marginalizes the poor by denying access. Patterns such as these reveal that poverty is a type of violence. Read more »
Jesus inaugurated his ministry with a sermon announcing good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, sight for the blind, release for the oppressed, and the coming of the year of the Lord's favour (Luke 4:16-30). His startling claim that "today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" led some of his home town listeners to try to kill him! What does Jesus' claim lead Christians to do here and now in the third millennium? How does Jesus' death on the cross influence our hearing of this passage? Will we proclaim good news to the poor in our time and place? Read more »
If Canada were to select an official national scripture, I would nominate Psalm 72.
Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley read Psalm 72 during his morning devotions as the fathers of Confederation met in 1864 to decide upon a name for our nation. Based on that Psalm, Tilley proposed that our nation be called “the Dominion of Canada”. Canadian leaders later chose the phrase “from sea to sea,” again from Psalm 72, and by proclamation of King George V in 1921, those words became part of our official coat of arms.
But that’s not why I would select it. The reason I would nominate Psalm 72 is that this is a good Psalm for a nation -- it speaks of justice, and it speaks particularly directly to those of us who have the nerve to call ourselves leaders in the land, whether political, religious, social or moral. Read more »
The words “the poor you always have with you” in Mark 14:7 are sometimes used to deflect attention away from meeting the needs of the poor and focusing it elsewhere. But is this a legitimate use of this verse? Is Jesus really encouraging his followers to turn from the poor? Rev. Gary Hauch explores what Jesus meant by looking at the biblical context. 
