For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. (Phil. 3:18-21)
But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. (Eph. 5: 3)

These selections from Paul contain powerful messages for peacemakers. I am beginning to get worried because Paul is starting to make sense to me. When I read the scriptures in terms of the “socio-political” message that has been hidden for so long, the words take on new meaning.
It started a few months ago when I was reading Ephesians. I noticed that Paul ranked greed right up there with immorality (porneia) and impurity. Greed is so much at the heart of what is taking our world in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, greed drives all of us. Somehow we are all complicit in the greed system of consumerism. We are afflicted with what Daniel Maguire calls “The Imperial Comfort Syndrome.” Continue reading →

What happened in 1945 is history; however, it does provide instruction for us today. In 2002, the United States opted out of the Antiballistic Missile Treaty. The United States is still a signatory to the Nuclear Anti-Proliferation treaty. Under that treaty, the United States may continue to maintain and upgrade its nuclear weapons. The 2007 budget requested $2.4 billion for nuclear weapons. These funds will upgrade our nuclear capabilities. There is also a push for a new core pit facility which would make the triggers for the bombs. Why do we have to spend $2.4 billion to upgrade our nuclear arsenal when already have enough fire power to destroy the world many times over? Continue reading →

[What follows is the first of two bulletin inserts our Pax Christi group prepared for our church bulletins this past weekend and next weekend. Today, let us pray that such a savage use of WMDs will never again occur.]

August 6, 2007 marks the 62nd anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. August 9 marks the same anniversary of the dropping of the plutonium bomb on the Catholic city of Nagasaki. The purpose of this newsletter is to help the parishioners of St. William and Immaculate Heart of Mary better understand the teachings of Jesus and the Church related to war and the use of weapons of mass destruction. Theses anniversaries mark the first use of weapons of mass destruction on civilian populations. Continue reading →

[We are all called to be prophets.]

I heard the gentle whisper—
“Speak out!”
Speak out? I know not what to say. Continue reading →

We are wont to readily condemn Muslims for waging holy war and rightly so. The very word “jihad” strikes terror in our fearful hearts; however, we often overlook the fact that Christians too have engaged in holy wars for centuries. It is ironic that the church that was founded by the nonviolent Jesus of Nazareth came to sanction, condone and even bless holy war. Calling these wars crusades does not make them any less warlike. Continue reading →

Continue reading →

Preparing for the Day of Reflection last Saturday gave me some information I want to share with you. We are well aware that the early church embraced the nonviolence of Jesus until 313 when Constantine and the empire recognized the church. In 313, you could not be a soldier if you were a Christian. One hundred years later, you could not be a soldier unless you were a Christian. The cross morphed into the sword. Continue reading →

The Vatican has cleared the way for beatification of Franz Jagerstetter. Franz was an Austrian who refused military service under Hitler and was beheaded. He had a wife and three children. The Pope Benedict has declared him to be a martyr. He will soon be Blessed Franz Jagerstetter. This is a strong affirmation of peacemaking and nonviolence. Continue reading →