~~~SisterSea~~~

9 November 2014 Shared Homily Starter First Reading: Isaiah 2:4 Second Reading: Romans 8:19-25 Gospel: Matthew 5:3-11 Today, the whole of creation is certainly groaning. We know the earth and all its species, including us, are experiencing ecological devastation. Remembrance Day is in two days. It's the day we remember those who died in war. It's the day we are supposed to remember that we should no longer wage war. The first reading like today's Gospel speaks of God's design for us in that regard. In ancient Israel, when the ruling classes forced peasants to fight their wars, unlike the military class, they were not provided with armor or weapons. Rather they had to reforge their farm tools such as pruning-hooks, hoes, rakes, and ploughs into weapons. Today's first reading refers to when we learn to live as God intended, peasants will have no need ...

On October 15, 2014, my book, Transforming Addiction , was published.   Addiction is a problem of concern in many communities around the globe.  Assorted strategies have been studied or implemented to address the problem with varied amounts of success. This study investigates spirituality, a largely unexplored factor in recovery from addictions, and its role in the learning processes that transformed the participants from addicts to abstainers.  In addition to examining sociological factors, this study explores the questions of how powerlessness and surrender translate into sobriety as well as the motivation to help others in the recovery process.  Through exploring the participants’ stories, this study deepens understanding of the role of spirituality in recovery from addictions and presents spirituality as the catalyst that led the participants to undertake compassionate service with people still in active addiction. This exploration should provide new in...