The prophets remind Israel that covenant is not sustained by ritual but by mercy and justice, by care for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger (Mic. 6:8). When the bonds between people fray, the covenant itself suffers, for the life of God moves through the ways we hold and honor each other.

Preying on the vulnerable is traumatic & bad for our society, top to bottom. Speak out for human dignity. God doesn't wish people to be thrown into cold detention cells with subhuman conditions. It's sad we have to state this obvious fact. Giving is healing. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/10/22/g...

For those demonstrating today: Jesus said, “I am sending you out like lambs among wolves…Whatever house you enter, let your first words be, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a person of peace lives there, your peace will rest on that person; if not, it will come back to you.” Peace & justice be with you.

When you are empty From “Meister Eckhart’s Book of Darkness and Light”

“Slogans do not lift people from misery. We must place the human person above profit and guarantee food security, access to resources, and sustainable rural development.” #PopeLeoXIV #LiveTheGospel #ShareGodsLove www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news...

“Be conscious of… the wondrous state in which the Lord God has placed you, for He created you and formed you in the image of His beloved Son according to your body, and His likeness according to the spirit.” St. Francis of Assisi Admonition 5

May the peace in Gaza endure. We must keep in mind the long healing from trauma, injury, loss, and hunger that is needed. Let us keep the people of the entire region enfolded in our hearts. Thanking God for progress towards the cessation of conflict. Amen. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/10/10/w...

“In every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community." Pope Leo invokes criticism of Trump's policies in first major document - www.reuters.com/world/pope-l...

✒️ Ottoman Calligraphic Wall Panel, 1819 "How delightful is the peace of dawn, For in that hour, the Divine Light is bestowed."

1/2 Jesus’ disciples ask him how to pray. He teaches them the Lord’s prayer, reflecting the power, glory and sacredness of God, and our human needs for physical, emotional, social, spiritual nourishment. Prayer need not be lofty; just be in God's presence. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/10/08/l...

Mourning the lives lost & altered in two years, beyond national boundaries--enough human suffering all around. Pray for those affected by conflict, loss, destruction. Pray for #peace. God’s nature is peace; but by free will, humans fight. Celestial beings feel this pain acutely & pray for peace.

Prayer traditions offer ways to unite worldly activity with awareness of God’s presence: the Liturgy of the Hours, or contemplative prayer or meditation in the morning and read Scripture at night. By touching in at intervals, daily work & prayer are united. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/10/07/h...

Beautiful star aster, fall-blooming native flower, East coast USA

Via Michael Gregory

History repeats.

My husband was detained by ICE today Juan Muñoz, an American citizen, father of 2, and local government official, was peacefully protesting w. other elected officials. He was assaulted and taken away I have had zero contact or updates since #SOS @duckworth.senate.gov @durbin.senate.gov

According to eyewitnesses, armed ICE agents dragged kids out of their beds in the middle of the night, zip tied them and put them in rented vans while raiding an * entire apartment building* on the South Side of Chicago. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOXO...

This is horrific and heartbreaking. How can this be allowed?

"We cannot ignore our neighbors being hauled off by masked, unidentified agents, without warrant, due process or knowing where they are being sent or for how long." #PrayForAmerica www.ncronline.org/opinion/edit...

I guess boycotts work. ABC ends Jimmy Kimmel's suspension and his show will return Tuesday apnews.com/article/jimm...

1 Don't despair; help one person at a time, like Jesus. He didn't keep his Light in the heavenly realm, but went into the messy world of poverty, illness, and desperation, meeting people face to face. Not efficient, yet his impact shone across the centuries. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/09/22/h...

Hungry bees on my native flowers (Obedient plant).💗

The Holy Father also reiterated his appeal for peace in Gaza: "There is no future based on violence, forced exile, or revenge." aleteia.org/2025/09/21/l...

Remember: If we allow ourselves to fall into fatalism, or wallow in disappointment, or become resigned to what is rather than what should be, we will lose the long game. The greatest enemy of positive social change is cynicism about what can be changed.

#FlowersOnFriday Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the blossoms, Kind deeds are the fruits. Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine, Kind words, and kind deeds. - #Longfellow #poetry photo credit: @kirpalsingh.bsky.social

Via Rumi

Our democracy is not self-executing. It depends on us all as citizens, regardless of our political affiliations, to stand up and fight for the core values that have made this country the envy of the world.

Mystic Women 9, St. Julian 3. In 1373, lying critically ill, St. Julian received 16 “showings,” meaning revelations or visions giving her teachings about God’s love, and the message that “all will be well.” Here is an overview of the teachings she received. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/09/16/1...

Yesterday, Rubio pledged "unwavering support" of the Trump regime for Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza. Hopefully, more voices of protest (incl. those of U.S. Church leaders) will be raised. The sycophantic reception of Trump by U.K. government & royalty is regrettable. www.rte.ie/news/middle-...

Good morning! One more from Herne Bay for #TidesOutTuesday #RockinTuesday #Sunset #EastCoastKin ##photography #HerneBay If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both saltwater mixed with air. –Chief Seattle

Like Jesus' disciple John at the foot of the Cross, we can bear witness to truth in the midst of oppression. Like the brave young woman who filmed George Floyd’s final moments, pushing through fear to bear witness is powerful and purifies our conscience. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/09/15/b...

1/2 Angels sing of higher truths and glorify God. If we can purify our minds, we can purify our discourse. Meditate, draw, pray, see friends, garden, tidy house, do yoga, swim, give hugs to calm and purify the mind. The angels implore us to stop fighting. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/09/13/p...

In these tumultuous times, pray for all beings. No exceptions. The angels, messengers of the Holy Spirit, request this of us.

Amidst love and beauty, heartbreak; it is the norm in human life. A family member or mate falls ill. A job lost, with it a house. A nation decimated. We reach out to help but can't remove heartbreak. Yet seek comfort; the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/09/09/h...

🙏 🕉️ 🐝⭐️🌏 🕊️Excerpts:- ‘’ In brief, love—the harmony of the inner elements—affects the harmony of the outer elements. The five mental afflictions and the five outer elements are profoundly related. “May beings possess happiness and the causes of happiness.” The cause of happiness is love.’’

‘’The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.’’ ~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

From Jane of the North:

Here are tree species that rock in carbon absorption inhabitat.com/here-are-tre...

"Like a lotus flower with its head above the muddy pool, we should live in this world and yet be out of it." - #SantKirpalSingh (1894-1974) 🪷 #poetry #mysticpoetry #scienceofspirituality sos.org

The takeover we’ve been warned about. Trump Says Chicago and New York Are Next for Federal Crackdown on Crime www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/u...

BDG news: Government of Bhutan to Host Landmark Global Peace Prayer Festival in November 🔗 Read more at BDG: tinyurl.com/3rrsavus #Buddhism #Bhutan #Vajrayana #Thimphu #Peace #Happiness #Prayerfestival #GlobalPeacePrayerFestival #Buddha

1/2 In the face of injustice, starvation and warfare, do we suffer from collective survivor’s guilt? We send donations and hold signs but feel powerless against the tsunami of evil. With no quick remedy, we feel collective angst, even if we try to avoid it. contemplativejournal.blog/2025/08/20/t...