Pope Francis Invokes Abraham Lincoln Martin Luther King Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton in Address to Congress

Here is a quote from Pope Francis in his address to Congress on Sept. 24.

"A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to dream of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton." 

Here is the full text of the popes address to Congress.

And this is how our friend Richard Wood, a professor of sociology at the University of New Mexico, tweeted the quote. 

Francis: Calling us all to our best selves: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton pic.twitter.com/ILnk8LX0j7

— Richard Wood (@RichWoodUNM) September 24, 2015

Prof. Wood, who traveled to Washington and Philadelphia for the popes visit, wrote a blog piece in anticipation of the pontiffs trip to our country.  Here is an excerpt:

Precisely what Pope Francis will say to America will be revealed only when he steps on our shores. But his visit seems likely to spotlight how the Catholic Church works on multiple levels like no other human agency in the world: with deep roots in local communities and people’s concrete lives; guided by a coherent set of teachings about human life and meaning; driven by transcendent values and Gospel teachings; and capable of worldwide coordination under Spirit-inspired leadership. 
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Thomas Merton A Gift

Love is...like a spring coming up out of the ground of our own depths. "I am gift." All that I am is something thats given, and given freely. Being doesnt cost anything. Theres no price tag, no strings attached. 

 -Thomas Merton

St Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church Installs New Rector

This beautiful video celebrates the installation of Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia as the new rector of St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Albuquerque. Rev. Miller-Muthia previously served for five years as the Assistant Rector at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco. 

Father John Dear to Discuss his New Book on Thomas Merton

Father John Dear has gained a reputation in New Mexico and around the country for his opposition of war and his staunch support of disarmament and peacemaking efforts. Dears philosophy is evident in the books he has published, including A Persisent Peace, The Nonviolent Life, Disarming the Heart: Toward a Vow of Nonviolence, and Put Down Your Sword.

Dear has also written books or introductions to books about important people who share his philosophy: Daniel Berrigan, Mohandas Gandhi, Henri Nouwen and others.  He recently published Thomas Merton: Peacemaker, which will be the subject of his talk on Thursday, January 21, at Bookworks (4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW (map), a small independent bookstore in Albuquerques North Valley, at 7:00 pm.

Heres is how Bookworks is promoting the event on its website:
A noted peacemaker reflects on Thomas Mertons lessons for peacemaking today. In this centenary year of Thomas Mertons birth, longtime peace activist and author John Dear shares meditations on Mertons writings on peace and spiritual life. "The God of peace is never glorified by human violence," Merton wrote.

In the early 1960s, the famous Trappist monk, author, and poet broke new ground through his prophetic writings on nuclear weapons, war, and racism. For Merton these were not only moral challenges. They reflected a deeper spiritual crisis.

Among the lessons John Dear has learned from Merton: the connection between contemplation and nonviolence; the importance of faithful reliance on God instead of weapons or war; the need to speak out publicly for disarmament and justice; the importance of silence, solitude, and minduflness; the daily celebration of the resurrection and the wonder of creation.

In the end, John Dear invites us to take up Thomas Mertons journey and become mature spiritual seekers who break beyond the accepted norms of religious obligation into universal love, compassion, and friendship with God, that we too might become peacemakers, the beloved sons and daughters of the God of peace.