Peace

Workshop on Intimacy

I just got back from a workshop on Intimacy sponsored by the Young Adult Ministry group at one of the local parishes here in Chicago.

I have to say that the workshop reminded me that there are a number of areas of my life that I am afraid to show the real me, and that this keeps me from being as close to others as I could or would like to be.

I'll share with you a few thought-provoking quotes from the talk:

Intimacy = proximity that liberates. ~ Jean Vanier

"It makes no difference when one decides to engage in the process of intimacy or how much one achieves. The decision to engage in the process is what can be life-changing. Such a decision can be made at any time, any age. It is not important to arrive; it is only important to be on the way. To share scary things; to reveal vulnerability; to become increasingly open; to work at letting go of defenses - this is intimacy. It's not something you have; it is something you do. That's why intimacy grows and changes. There's always something new to be honest about, some incident that evokes feelings. If a couple [or in fact, any two people] continues to share those feelings, their sense of adventure about life and their love for each other will grow." ~ Susan Page

A Prayer to End Corruption & Bring Justice in America?

So one of my classmates during the MDiv program was a Sister from Nigeria. She shared with our class one day that the following prayer was composed to fight corruption in Nigeria. It is a prayer she said that many Nigerian Catholics pray daily:

PRAYER AGAINST BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA

Father in heaven, You always provide for all your creatures, so that all may live as you have willed. You have blessed our country Nigeria with rich human and natural recourses to be used in honour and glory and for the well being of every Nigerian. 

We are deeply sorry for the wrong use of these your gifts and blessings through acts of injustice, bribery and corruption, as a result of which many of our people are hungry, sick, ignorant and defenceless. Father, you alone can heal us and our nation of this sickness. 

We beg you, touch our lives and the lives of our leaders and people so that we may all realise the evil of bribery and corruption and work hard to eliminate it. Raise up for us God-fearing people and leaders who care for us and who will lead us in the path of peace, prosperity and progress. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us.


I am wondering whether we American Catholics ought to think about composing our own version of the prayer in light of all that is going on in our society...