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Join us on Mondays during Lent for special
State of the Heart gatherings focused on nonviolence and our charism.
This Lent, we are inviting our U.S. Federation community to a season of prayer, reflection, education, and action to cultivate a path of nonviolence. Our tradition has a rich heritage of teaching and practice in this vein.
For example, the book State of the Heart and Order of the House: A Way of Nonviolence - Bearers of the Tradition Phase II, released in 2005 by Christy Cogil, CSJ, Theresa Kvale, CSJ, Janet Lander, CSJ, Dottie Moss, CSJ, offers us a roadmap:
"In the 20th century Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela used the humble, seemingly weak instrument of nonviolent loving action to address pervasive injustice and racism. Like Jesus, this required of them self-emptying, radical discipleship. It called them to act with hope in the face of hopelessness over many decades for the common good of the world.
They dedicated themselves to what we in congregations of Saint Joseph call our charism of unioning love. The practice of sharing the State of the Heart offers us a concrete way to be in communion with each other and attentive to God’s activity and presence in our lives and our world..."
Just as our foremothers were creative and innovative in how they responded to their times, we too are called to act in creative ways that require a paradigm shift.
We believe the practice of the State of the Heart will lead us to engage one another in breaking cycles of violence and nurture the change we need. The ripple effect of responding with compassion could stimulate the globalization of love.
State of the Heart Virtual Gatherings
Mondays between Feb. 23 and March 23
at 12 pm ET/ 11 am CT/ 9 am PT
These hour long virtual gatherings are open to all. Each session will be hosted by Federation staff and representatives from across the CSSJ community. Register here for the weekly link. We've also created this State of the Heart process guide that can be used to prepare for each week. Come to one, come to all! No previous experience with this practice is required.
Lenten Resources
Our Lenten website page highlights opportunities to be in communion with each other and with God:
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Download our Lenten process guide to learn more about nonviolent loving action and how it connects to our CSSJ charism and State of the Heart.
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Read Jesus and Justice, a new book that challenges readers to embrace Jesus' original revolutionary program of love, mercy and nonviolent action and equips them to respond to God’s call for participatory protagonism through committed, organized action for God's Reign on Earth. Stay tuned for discussion circles and related opportunities hosted by the Federation in April and beyond.
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Sign up for a daily or weekly program from one of our many collaborators, such as Catholic Climate Covenant or Nuns Against Gun Violence.
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