Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 22, 2020
“So they said to him, “‘How were your eyes opened?’” – John 9:10 The readings this week play on the themes of light and darkness, blindness and sight. In the second reading from St. Paul to the Ephesians, we are told to expose the hidden, “fruitless works of darkness” and instead “live as children of light.” In the gospel, Jesus heals a blind man, and in giving the man the gift of sight, also reveals himself as the […]
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Third Sunday of Lent
March 15, 2020
“Whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst.” – John 4:14 In this third week of Lent, the readings offer us the imagery of thirst and of water, inviting us to reflect on our deepest needs and desires, both spiritual and physical. In the gospel story, Jesus interacts with a Samaritan woman at a well, initially asking for a drink of water. Jesus names the woman’s broken relationships and speaks to her of the living water […]
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Second Sunday of Lent
March 8, 2020
“And [Jesus] was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” – Matthew 17: 2 In this season of Lent, we are invited to step back and closely examine our lives and our hearts. It is not an invitation to a mere moment of reflection, but to a deep, challenging, and rewarding journey of repentance and renewal. At the end of this six-week journey is the joy of Easter – […]
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Celebrate with the Springfield Dominicans during Catholic Sisters Week
Register for Events Springfield, IL—Fifty-two weeks a year, Catholic sisters stand with the poor and immigrants, teach children, fight injustice, heal the sick, share the power of prayer, empower women, defend the planet, promote peace, create community, and offer hope. During the week of March 8-14 each year, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield celebrate the blessings of their consecrated life and ministry, and invite the public to experience the lives of Catholic sisters more directly. For the Dominicans, […]
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Proud Corazón: The Art of Rosary High School Student Gabriela Diaz
Gabriela Diaz is a student at Rosary High School, Aurora, Ill., a sponsored institution of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. Her artwork and her reflection on it were shared with the Springfield Dominican Antiracism Team (SDART) at the January 2020 meeting in Springfield. This essay and her artwork are shared with her permission. This piece shows you a piece of my heart that is very important to me. As an artist, I discovered how important it was for […]
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Racial Justice: Claiming Our Oneness in Christ
Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma, OP, prioress general of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, preached at the first of a series of Evening Prayer & Preaching events scheduled at Sacred Heart Convent for 2020. Learn more here. Her text was Philippians 2:1-11. Peter Scazzero, the author of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, is quoted as saying, “Jesus may be in your heart, but Grandpa is in your bones.” Individually, institutionally, and nationally, we are influenced by the past. Consequences of actions […]
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Peace must Prevail
Statement on United States Engagement with Iran The U.S. Dominican Iraq Coordinating Committee calls upon the United States Government to de-escalate tensions with Iran In the midst of the sacred days of the Christmas-Epiphany season, our hearts and minds have contemplated the promised hope of God’s coming peace. Yet, during these days, we have also grown increasingly aware of the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. President Trump’s decision to order the assassination of Iranian military […]
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Forgo Violent Rhetoric, Break Cycle of Violence With Iran
Springfield Dominican Sister Marcelline Koch signed statement, calls for de-escalation of tensions with Iran Springfield, Ill.—Promoters of Justice for Dominican Sisters and Brothers nationwide call upon the U.S. Government to forgo “violent rhetoric and preparations for retaliatory attacks” against Iran. A statement released yesterday, on the Feast of Epiphany, says it is “critical that the circle of violence be broken and alternative and peaceful pathways to resolving the conflict be found.” The January 3 assassination in Baghdad of […]
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