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...and students of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, friends and ministry partners here and elsewhere. As many of you know, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) meets each August for an annual assembly. Ever since the LCWR meeting this past August, I have been struck by a new awareness of the importance of our presence in the world as a community. Hardly had our last conference started when Liz Sweeney, a Sister of St. Joseph and the conference’s contemplative guide, shared...

...protect the integrity of the organic label. Organic farming has always been based on “feed the soil, not the plant.” Young plants inside the greenhouse. Real organic farming relies on the microbial activity of the soil to slowly release nutrients to the plant. In recent years, many organic farmers have grown distraught over USDA decisions that have negated this fundamental truth, even though growing in soil is original to the USDA Organic standards. Further, rules have been overlooked regarding the...

...plastic particles themselves and the chemicals used in their manufacture. What Needs to Change? We need to move beyond consume-and-throwaway systems toward circular approaches that work within ecological limits. This means reusing, recycling and sharing materials and products. Governments must do more to make companies accountable for the impacts of their activities and supply chains. They also need to help consumers make sustainable choices, for example, through targeted taxation and requirements for clearer labeling on goods. Households and firms should...

...was 94 years old and had been a Sister of Providence for 77 years. Sister Denise continued: However, when Florence celebrated her golden jubilees with her partners in ministry, the parishioners and staff of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Chicago, she herself chose the gospel just proclaimed. The central character of today’s gospel is Thomas, forever labeled as Doubting Thomas. Of all the gospels Florence could have chosen, why this one? It seems an unlikely choice for the woman...

...union of King David’s great-grandparents (and ancestors to Jesus) illustrates not only God’s love for each person but how that love is to be shared by all, especially those who are labeled “other”. Throughout the Old Testament, one of the most common consequences for the ancient people straying from the will of God was famine in the land — a lack of grain and grapes. Paul was the apostle who wrote the first scriptural eucharistic institution narrative and made clear...

...Can you spend a few minutes reflecting on your implicit (unconscious) and explicit (conscious) bias? Then think about expressions such as “Gee, I look like I’m a homeless person.” When examining your own biases and the social narratives you have heard, do you say, “They are experiencing homelessness?” or do you label them by saying “they are homeless?” If you spoke about homelessness to a friend or acquaintance, what would you be able to share with them after reading this?...

...extent human beings often judge one another by his or her friends or associates. To some extent, this has been true in evaluating the women’s movement. Some of its earliest advocates, such as Clara Zetkin, were very active in a movement that eventually transformed Germany into a socialist state. This label drew many to the cause, but it also repelled many. In the literature of the present day, one still detects charges of leftist thinking in explaining the women’s causes....

...cannot take it all in at once. The word others has a long history in our language. But othering is new to me and took some time to absorb. The word othering was foreign to me. I had to resort to Mr. Google, online dictionaries, synonyms, etc. Looking at a word as a noun or a verb can help, and WordHippo will show examples. Othering is a phenomenon in which some individuals or groups are defined and labeled as not...

...helps them label their emotions,” said Sister Stephanie. There was a child who was upset because she had dropped her sandwich on the pavement at lunch and she was hungry. “After the child was able to express why she was upset, to brighten her day, I let her choose a sticker from my collection that I carry with me. Afterward, I was able to speak with the teacher about it and see how they could help.” On the move This...

...rather than working for the common good, we sow seeds of violence. Sister Jessica Vitente in prayer. Today, attending public events such as celebrations, parades, rallies, or even simply going to school can cause some concern. Indeed, violence in words and deeds is all around us. And yet, goodness is also all around us. Words matter. Every time we use derogatory words to label and dehumanize or deprive other persons of opportunities we choose for ourselves, we increase the possibility...

...feel it. The presence of the dead who now live in Spirit is with you. You see their photos and know that it could be you; it could be your children; it could be me. The parallels are our perils. The labeling of the “other” as vermin and a list of horrid names sets the stage for a loss of freedom and liberty to say nothing of the loss of humanity. The images are seared on my soul. If you think this...

...out to be just that. Years later, she wrote “I love being a Sister of Providence. It is truly a gift from God.” Several years ago, the local fire department here said that all the roads in the area had to be named and labeled so that properties could be located in case of emergency. For one little street in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Village, with maybe eight houses in its total length, the neighbors decided theirs should be named “Mary Lane.”...