| An Easter Blessing from FutureChurch |
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"Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb" (John 20:1).
We read this line from the book of John with anticipation. We know what’s coming. Soon enough, Mary of Magdala will find the tomb empty and run back to tell the others, becoming the first person to announce the Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus.
But before we get there, let’s pause with Mary for just a moment. When she went to the tomb on that first Easter Sunday, she didn’t know that she would leave transformed. She went to the tomb heartbroken, longing to sit in the mystery of the person of Jesus for just a little longer.
This weekend as we celebrate the words that Mary of Magdala will soon proclaim, we hold the Good News in tension with the heartbreak currently experienced by so many in our world. Our joy in hearing the proclamation of Resurrection is both a celebration and an invitation. Today let us celebrate the undeniable joy of the Risen Christ, and embrace the invitation to bring the reality of that joy to all who are still approaching the tomb in darkness. This Easter we at FutureChurch renew our commitment to remove the barriers that prevent some from accessing Easter hallelujahs. Will you continue joining us in our mission? Together let us all be Easter people with hope to bring.
Peace, hope, and joy to you and all you love this Easter season!
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| FutureChurch Staff |
| Olivia, Martha, and Russ |
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Easter Vigil
Today Liam Myers invites us to explore Jesus’s death through our own grief and loss; engage death as life through the Roger LaPorte and Daniel Berrigan; and embody the idea that “death does not have the last word” with the help of LaPorte, Berrigan, and Aaron Bushnell.
"While our own grief from losing a loved one is not lightened through their bodily resurrection, I wonder how we can take consolation in knowing that grief is a part of our ongoing witness to the life of those who have died. Our grief, just as the grief of the Mary’s, can allow us to re-live not only within God incarnate, but also to allow those who have passed to live within us."
Liam Myers is a freelance writer, an adjunct professor of religious studies, and member of the Catholic Worker Maryhouse in NYC. Liam finds beauty in the everyday; in a slow walk through riverside park, in a good bowl of potato leek soup, and in playing his saxophone with friends.
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Easter Sunday
Today Olivia Hastie invites us to explore embodiment – Jesus’s and our own – with the help of queer theologians; engage the possibility of reconciliation as an act of self-respect, instead of one of sin absolution; and embody the gospel and ourselves with a contemplative exercise, and the memory of activist Cecilia Gentili.
"When Jesus calls out to Mary Magdalene, 'Why are you weeping? What are you looking for?' I place myself in her shoes, exposed and emotional. When he calls out to her by name, I am reminded that Jesus calls us close to his side when we are the most authentic, exposed, and vulnerable versions of ourselves. That in order to be resurrected with Christ we must live in our bodies, just as Jesus did in his life before resurrection. "
Olivia Catherine Hastie is a second year Master of Theological Studies Student at Harvard Divinity School focusing on Religion, Ethics, and Politics. She is also the Program Associate at FutureChurch working on building community for other Catholics in higher education and facilitating events. Her research centers mainly on Christian ethics and liberation theologies with special interest in feminist and queer theories and theologies, as well as theologies of embodiment.
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Catholic Women Preach
Preaching for Easter Sunday, Dr. C. Vanessa White offers a reflection on the power of women's voices proclaiming the Good News then and now:
"If women doubt their value, this telling and retelling of the resurrection story reaffirms the power of a women’s voice - for it was Mary’s voice that first testified to the Resurrection and whose story continues today...On this day, can we, like Mary, run and share the news of Jesus’ presence in our world? In spite of our doubts and fears, do we have the strength, the fortitude, the faith to go out like Mary and the disciples and share the news that Jesus has risen? This Good News can change our hearts and change the world, if only we believe."
Dr. C. Vanessa White is Associate Professor of Spirituality and Ministry as well as the Director of the Certificate in Black Theology and Ministry at Catholic Theological Union. She received her Doctor of Ministry and Master of Theological Studies degrees from Catholic Theological Union, with additional post-graduate work at Xavier University of Louisiana and Loyola University Chicago. She is also a member of the faculty for Xavier University’s Summer Institute for Black Catholic Studies in New Orleans where she teaches in both the Master’s degree and Continuing Education and Enrichment Program.
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To celebrate Women's History Month, each week of March we have highlighted three remarkable Catholic Women Preach homilists whose contributions to the Church and world continue to inspire and empower us through ministry, vocation, and scholarship. This week we celebrate:
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| M. Shawn Copeland |
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Professor emerita of Systematic Theology at Boston College and Theologian-in-Residence at Saint Katharine Drexel Parish in Roxbury, Massachusetts; Author and/or editor or co-editor of 8 books including, Enfleshing Freedom: Body, Race, and Being (2010) as well as 135 articles, book chapters, and essays on spirituality, theological anthropology, political theology, social suffering, gender, and race.
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| Maria Lueveno-Salazar |
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Spent 5 years working with the Office for Hispanic Ministry at the Archdiocese of Chicago; Teaches Spanish at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School where she is also an alumna.
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| Mary Catherine Hilkert O.P. - Dominican Sisters of Peace |
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Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame where she teaches in the areas of theological anthropology, fundamental theology, Christology, and feminist theology and spirituality; Former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America (2005-2006) and author of Naming Grace: Preaching and the Sacramental Imagination (Continuum/Bloomsbury).
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| Join Us for the Next FutureChurch Event! |
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April 2 at 7pm ET
Mary Magdalene, Her Easter Proclamation, and Why it Matters
On Easter Tuesday this year, FutureChurch Program Associate, Olivia Hastie, will moderate an intergenerational panel of women in scholarship and ministry to explore how Mary Magdalene continues to inspire today, why it is important that we reclaim and tell her true story, and what difference it would make in the lives of people of faith to hear the full story on Easter Sunday.
About our Panelists:
Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ was professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union at Chicago for 26 years, and is professor emerita from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. She is the author or editor of many books and articles on topics of New Testament and Early Church.
Laura Boysen-Aragón is the Development Director at the Loyola Institute for Spirituality (LIS) in Orange, CA where she brings to her work a deep commitment to Ignatian spirituality and a faith that seeks justice. Laura has felt a strong call to the priesthood for many years. She continues discerning how to live out that call.
Molly Cahill is an assistant editor at America Media, where she previously completed a one-year media fellowship after her graduation from Boston College. She is passionate about theology, activism, journalism, and the arts.
Martha Ligas is a spiritual director, lay minister, preacher, and educator. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry at Fordham University, serves as pastoral minister at the Community of St. Peter in Cleveland, OH, and is communications coordinator for FutureChurch.
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| Director, Preach all Ways Initiative, Marian University |
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As a part of a diverse community of faculty and staff who represent many faith systems and worldviews, Marian University seeks a Director of the Preach All Ways Initiative to promote their Catholic Franciscan mission and identity by engaging and empowering leaders to develop compelling preaching forms to reach youth navigating major questions of meaning, identity, and relationships. The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial and have a joy-filled missionary spirit. S/he will be creative, highly organized, opportunity focused, collaborative, and a strong teacher with the ability to empower others in preaching.
See Full Description/Apply Here.
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| Program Director, Mercy Center Burlingame |
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This role is responsible for the creation, development, and oversight of all program functions, and ensuring quality programming in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy charism and Mercy Ministry Corporation values. The Program Director will further the mission of Mercy Center Burlingame through program design, implementation, and evaluation while collaborating with current staff to promote retreats and programs.
Learn More/Apply Here.
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| Executive Director, Centre for Biblical Formation in Jerusalem |
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CBF, affiliated with Notre Dame de Sion (NDS, Rome), promotes understanding of scripture and interfaith peace. It's focus is: the Bible, the People, and the Land. Responsibilities of the job include: Lead CBF, uphold its values, strategize, manage operations, ensure fundraising, and support staff/volunteers.
Learn more here.
To apply, email Sister Margaret Zdunich at director@biblical-program.com.
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| Teresa of Ávila and Peacemaking in a Nuclear Age: A Contemplative Conversation |
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July 15-18, 2024 |Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 46556
Keynote Speakers Include: Mary Frohlich, RSCJ; Mary Ann Hinsdale, IHM; Maria Teresa Morgan; Margie Pfeil; and Lori Stanley. For more information about the event, contact Dan Horan at dhoran@saintmarys.edu.
Young Adult Scholarships Available!
Register Here.
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| We seek changes that will provide all Roman Catholics the opportunity to participate fully in Church life and leadership. |
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FutureChurch is a national 501(c)(3) organization and your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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