archives

The journey of Advent is modeled by Mary in three movements of the spiritual life: from the Annunciation as an image of contemplative nonviolence to the Visitation as a scene of active nonviolence to the Magnificat as the ultimate prophetic nonviolence. Today, in the second movement, we note that prayer leads to action. After the Annunciation last week, we see how Mary's contemplative nonviolence, her openness to the God of peace and her willingness to do God's will, led her immediately to reach out to someone in need, her cousin Elizabeth, to practice active nonviolence as Jesus would later learn (Luke 1:39-45).

These stories and an accompanying editorial appear in the Dec. 7, 2007 issue of National Catholic Reporter.

Though church bans women priests more and more women are saying, 'Why wait?'
By PAMELA SCHAEFFER
“What a day. What an occasion. What a rabbi!” The speaker was Patricia Fresen, a bishop in the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement. The day, Nov. 11; the occasion, a jubilant ceremony at a Jewish synagogue, during which Fresen would ordain two women -- the latest of a series of such ceremonies, aimed at helping women to fulfill what they say is their calling: to serve the church as Catholic priests. Read the full story