Dominican Sisters of Peace

The first act of evangelization is to first create a hunger for growing in relationship with a loving God. Thus the task of the preacher is to evoke and provoke such a hunger. The new document Preaching the Mystery of Faith - the Sunday Homily is a response to Benedict XVI's call for renewal of the preaching ministry at the October 2008 Twelfth General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which focused on the Word of God in the life and minoistry of the Church. "The Word of God is a wellspring of constant renewal in the Church and a power that will be very more fully at the heart of every ecclesial activity" (Verbum Dei). In this same document, Benedict strongly urged that the catechetical aim of the homily should not be forgotten.

Third Annual Associate Retreat
by Associates Milagros(Millie) Ortiz, OPA, and Nilda I. Ramos, OPA

The Coalition on Human Needs presents a grim picture of the consequences of the sequester. Unemployment compensation, education, jobs programs, housing, public health, and justice funding are already feeling the brunt of deep cuts coming from the inability of congress and the president to reach a reasoned agreement. Families and individuals will all suffer. The following points are snapshots of effects of sequester cuts provided by the Coalition:

Education

You may have heard the expression, "It takes a village to raise a child." The thought acknowledges that a child's development is not only influenced by parents. The extended family and other relationships also impact their growth. In the language of vocation ministry, the same sentiment is expressed when we maintain that every Sister of the congregation is responsible for vocations, not just the "designated" vocation personnel. Just as a child's development is enhanced by all the positive influences in their lives, a congregation remains energized and viable when the concept of vocation awareness is shared among its members.