Lent 2016: Pray - Study - Act
In This Issue
PRAY: A contemporary adaptation of Is 58:1-12
STUDY: Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent
ACT: Fast in solidarity with workers leading the Fight for $15
Quick Links




Join our list
Join Our Mailing List
Fourth Week of Lent, March 6-March 12, 2016
  
 
This is the fourth of our Pray-Study-Act e-bulletins for Lent. You're receiving it today, a few days before the Fourth Week of Lent starts, so that you may have the opportunity to incorporate these resources into your Lenten practice for yourself, your family, small faith community, religious congregation, school and church. We have set up a special Lent 2016 webpage with more resources which we hope will deepen the experience of Lent for you.  These e-bulletins, as well as reflections for each Sunday and Holy Day, will be archived alongside additional resources on our Lent 2016 page. 
    We hope that the peace of Christ dwells deeply in your hearts during this Lenten season.

In peace,

Johnny Zokovitch
Director of Communications, Pax Christi USA
 PRAY: A contemporary adaptation
of Isaiah 58:1-12
By Art Laffin

Shout out, don't hold back.
Lift up your voice like a trumpet.
The U.S. empire is the greatest purveyor of violence 
in the world today!
The Pentagon, CIA, NSA, and corporate, political, 
and military powers worldwide conspire to control the earth,
crush the poor, and persecute the peace and justice makers.
 
Yet, day after day, 
the rulers and countless people invoke my name,
as if they practiced righteousness 
and did not forsake the ordinance of their God.
They delight to invoke my name to bless their violent deeds.
They even use my name to bless their wars and their weapons.
We practice good religion, they say.
We pray and serve our country well.
We keep good law and order.
 
Look, you serve your own interests, not mine says Yahweh...

STUDY: 
Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent
By Allison Blay

 
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." (Lk 15:2)

The Prodigal Son Returns
by Soichi Watanabe
This is the complaint of the Pharisees and scribes about Jesus. In response he tells them a series of parables, including the one in today's gospel, the parable of the lost son: the story of the younger son who asks for and then squanders his father's inheritance, of his father's joyful response at his return, and of the older son's jealousy of the father's extravagant welcome. Many of us might find it comforting to identify with the younger son in this story, trusting that even if we make poor choices and misuse God's gifts, we can still be welcomed home joyfully. A few of us might even identify with the father, as we think of loved ones in our lives we would gladly welcome home if given the chance.
    But how many of us identify with the jealous older brother? How many of us begrudge God's generous mercy towards those who have made huge mistakes? How many of us realize that we, too, are called to model mercy? Certainly ours is not a society that tends towards mercy. Those who are poor are often blamed for their lot. Those with any kind of prison record may struggle to find work and acceptance. And those on death row continue to be executed in the name of "justice"... 
ACT: Fast in solidarity with workers
leading the Fight for $15
from Interfaith Worker Justice

This Lenten season, Interfaith Worker Justice is encouraging friends and allies to declare our commitment to fast in support of the Fight for $15.
    You can fast from anything you'd like: a favorite food or drink, television or social media, or whatever other amenity that you regularly enjoy and can go without for 40 days.

NOTE: Even though we are already halfway into Lent, you can still join this fast. Click on this link and sign up to fast for the rest of Lent, or on Wednesdays, or Fridays, or another day. Also choose one of the actions suggested to support the Fast for $15 campaign and workers.