Lent 2016: Pray - Study - Act
In This Issue
PRAY: Bless our journey
STUDY: Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
ACT: Take action on the Flint water crisis
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Fifth Week of Lent, March 13-March 19, 2016
  
 
This is the fifth of our Pray-Study-Act e-bulletins for Lent. If you're looking for other past resources for prayer, study and action for this Lenten season, we have archived a number of them on our special Lent 2016 webpage. 
    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: Bless our journey
From Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers
 
Merciful God, you called us forth from the dust of the earth; you claimed us for Christ in the waters of baptism. Look upon us during these forty days bearing the mark of ashes, and bless our journey through the desert of Lent to the font of rebirth. May our fasting be hunger for justice; our alms, a making of peace; our prayer, the chant of humble and grateful hearts. All that we do and pray is in the name of Jesus, for in his cross you proclaim your love for ever and ever. Amen.
STUDY: 
Reflection for the Fifth Sunday of Lent
By Antonia Malone

 
"Let the one among you who is without sin, be the first to cast a stone at her." (Jn 8:7)

See I am doing something new. (Is 43:19)

This is probably one of the few stories in the lectionary where the original "Let the man among you..." may be more accurate, for surely there were no women preparing to throw stones. It was the Pharisees and the scribes who brought the woman to Jesus demanding that she be stoned as they claimed Moses commanded in the law; and, if there were women in the Temple area, they were no doubt cowering in fear, as another one of their gender was about to be subjected to the violence of the dominant patriarchy. No mention is made of the man involved, and one might have expected Jesus to note this injustice, as the Mosaic law counsels that in cases of adultery, both the man and the woman be put to death (Lev 20:10). But Jesus recognized the trap, and neatly evaded it by suggesting that the man among them who was without sin be the first to cast a stone at her. And to their faint credit, they melted away, after which Jesus also declined to condemn her. (Do I hear an echo of Pope Francis' refusal to judge?)... 
ACT: Flint, the U.S. Senate and YOU
from Coalition on Human Needs

Senators Stabenow and Peters of Michigan have been working hard to get the Senate to take up legislation to pay for some desperately needed fixes for Flint's poisoned water. It will take 60 votes to pass such provisions, either through a vote on their bill, S. 2579, the Drinking Water Safety and Infrastructure Act, or perhaps through an amendment to another bill (such as the energy bill they're working on). We're hoping they will pass this help to Flint and other poisoned communities by the end of next week (by March 17 or 18).  
  We need every Senator to see that people across the country are paying attention, and want them to vote to protect Flint's children from the lifelong consequences of lead poisoning, and want to ensure safe water for everyone in that community and in others with lead-contaminated water. You can do that with a few clicks - right here .
   Why you should take action: It helps if we can say that thousands of emails have been sent by constituents. So it doesn't matter if you know your Senators are likely to support this or to oppose - we need to build up these numbers. Please forward this request to your networks, too - so more people can tell their Senators to act now.
    Remember: This is a disaster - a public health emergency. And yet Congress has not yet acted to provide help.